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Cathedral of Saint Paul (Minnesota)

Coordinates: 44°56′49″N 93°06′32″W / 44.94694°N 93.10889°W / 44.94694; -93.10889
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Cathedral of Saint Paul
National Shrine of the Apostle Paul
Map
44°56′49″N 93°06′32″W / 44.94694°N 93.10889°W / 44.94694; -93.10889
Location239 Selby Ave,
Saint Paul, Minnesota
CountryUnited States
DenominationRoman Catholic
Websitecathedralsaintpaul.org
History
StatusCathedral, national shrine
Consecrated1958[1]
Architecture
Functional statusActive
Previous cathedrals
Architect(s)Emmanuel Louis Masqueray
StyleBeaux-Arts architecture
Years built1906–1915
Specifications
Capacity3,000
Length307 feet (94 m)
Width216 feet (66 m)
Height306.5 feet (93.4 m)
Dome height (inner)175 feet (53 m)
Dome diameter (outer)120 feet (37 m)
Dome diameter (inner)96 feet (29 m)
Number of towers2
Tower height150 feet (46 m)
Clergy
ArchbishopBernard Hebda
RectorVery Rev. Joseph Johnson
Laity
Director of musicLawrence Lawyer
Organist(s)Chris Ganza
SacristanGreg Povolny
St. Paul Cathedral-Catholic
Built1906–1915
ArchitectEmmanuel Louis Masqueray; Whitney Warren
Architectural styleClassical Revival
Part ofHistoric Hill District (ID76001067)
NRHP reference No.74001039[2]
Added to NRHPJune 28, 1974

The Cathedral of Saint Paul is a Roman Catholic cathedral in the city of Saint Paul, Minnesota. It is the co-cathedral of the Archdiocese of Saint Paul and Minneapolis, along with the Basilica of Saint Mary in Minneapolis. One of the most distinctive cathedrals in the United States[according to whom?], it sits on Cathedral Hill overlooking downtown Saint Paul and features a distinctive copper-clad dome. It is dedicated to Paul the Apostle, who is also the namesake of the City of Saint Paul. The current building opened in 1915 as the fourth cathedral of the archdiocese to bear this name. On March 25, 2009, it was designated as the National Shrine of the Apostle Paul by the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops. It is the third-largest Catholic cathedral and sixth-largest church in the United States.[3]

History

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Background

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Main articles: First Cathedral of Saint Paul (Minnesota), Second Cathedral of Saint Paul (Minnesota), and Third Cathedral of Saint Paul (Minnesota)

The first church building in what became the Archdiocese of Saint Paul and Minneapolis was a small log chapel built at the urging of Father Lucien Galtier. He came to the area when the settlement was still known as "Pig's Eye" (after Pierre "Pig's Eye" Parrant). The chapel, measuring 25 feet (7.6 m) by 18 feet (5.5 m), was dedicated on November 1, 1841. Father Augustin Ravoux later enlarged the structure, and when Joseph Crétin was appointed as the bishop of the newly established Diocese of St. Paul in July 1851, the log chapel became the first cathedral. Crétin immediately started to build a larger church to serve the fast-growing population of St. Paul. The second church building had three stories, with a library, kitchen, and school facilities on the first floor; the church itself on the second floor; and offices and living quarters for Crétin and his staff. The second building still proved to be too small for the needs of the diocese, so he started plans for a third cathedral in 1853. Construction of the building, at the corner of St. Peter and Sixth Streets in Downtown St. Paul, started in 1854 and was completed in 1858, having been delayed by the Panic of 1857 and Crétin's death. The third cathedral was built of stone, measured 175 feet (53 m) long and 100 feet (30 m) wide, but had practically no ornamentation in an effort to cut costs. Thomas Grace was the bishop at the time the cathedral was completed.[4] The third cathedral rapidly became outdated with the rapid growth of Catholics in the area.[5]: 372 

Planning

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The Kittson mansion, demolished to make way for the cathedral

When the Diocese of Saint Paul was elevated to an archiepiscopal see in 1888, the necessity for a new cathedral became all the more apparent. A search began for a location for a new cathedral, outside of the business district of downtown St. Paul where the third cathedral resides. There was a desire for the cathedral to be built closer to Minneapolis, with sites being considered near the College of Saint Thomas, the Midway neighborhood, and at the intersection of Summit Avenue and Victoria Street.[a] On April 9, 1904, a property on the brow of St. Anthony Hill was purchased for ($1.84 million in 2024). The location was occupied by the deteriorating mansion of entrepreneur Norman Kittson.[5]: 373  The site was too small for the planned edifice, and so land south of Summit Avenue was purchased, requiring the movement of the street by 90 feet.[5]: 376 

Fundraising began immediately, with pledges made by March 1906 totaling ($15.2 million in 2024). Fundraising efforts included a picnic on the Minnesota State Fair grounds.[5]: 375 

Design

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At Ireland's direction, the archdiocese commissioned well-known French Beaux-Arts architect Emmanuel Louis Masqueray, who was also the chief architect of the 1904 World's Fair in St. Louis.[4][5]: 374 

Construction

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The cornerstone for the cathedral was laid on June 2, 1907. Within the cornerstone was placed a copper time capsule box containing contemporary newspapers, souvenirs, and a parchment written on in Latin describing the details of the ceremony.[5]: 377  Pope Pius X and President Theodore Roosevelt sent congratulatory telegrams which were read aloud, and Mayor Robert A. Smith, Governor John Albert Johnson, and Senator Moses E. Clapp read speeches. The First Artillery of the Minnesota National Guard fired a salute, followed by the singing of the Te Deum by seminarians.[5]: 378 

Opening

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The first Mass in the cathedral was held on March 15, 1915, Palm Sunday. While yet unfishinsed, the cathedral hosted over 2,500 people for the 6 a.m. Mass. Other Masses continued throughout the day. A formal dedication took place on April 11.[5]: 380 

Consecration

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The building was not considered substantially complete, and thus eligible for solemn consecration, until 1953.[2]

Renovation

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In 2001, construction began to completely replace the 60,000-square-foot copper roof to make it more weather-resistant. Forty-two miles of tuck pointing on the cathedral granite was done at the same time, as well as sand-blasting to clean the exterior.[6] Water leaks had been threatening interior art. The 85-year-old roof had only been projected to last 50 years.[7]The project was completed in 2002, at a cost of $32 million.[8] The previously green patina became a brown.[9]

Structure

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Masqueray's open design allows visitors unobstructed views of the altar and pulpit. Masqueray died in 1917, having completed only a few designs for the interior, which included three of the cathedral's major chapels: Saint Peter's, Saint Joseph's and the Blessed Virgin Mary's.[1]

The building was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1974. It is also a contributing property to the Historic Hill District.[10][2] On March 25, 2009, the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops declared the Cathedral of Saint Paul to be a National shrine – the first in Minnesota and the only one in North America dedicated to the Apostle Paul. The cathedral is now also known as the National Shrine of the Apostle Paul.

Design

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The cathedral is in a Greek Cross design.[5]: 381  The dome of the cathedral is 76 feet (23 m) in diameter and 186 feet (57 m) high. Warm-colored paint and gold leaf were added during a major renovation of the dome in the 1950s. The exterior walls of the cathedral are Rockville granite from St. Cloud, Minnesota (from the Clark quarry[11]). The interior walls are American Travertine from Mankato, Minnesota. The interior columns are made of several types of marble.

Art

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The interior is illuminated by twenty-four stained glass windows featuring angelic choirs. Three rose windows in the transepts were designed by Charles Connick.[2]

Heroic size marble statues of the four evangelists, sculpted by John Angel, are set into the niches of the piers in the four corners of the church. This placement was not coincidental, according to Msgr. Lawrence Ryan (Historical Sketch of the Cathedral of St. Paul, 1904–1937), for as the piers hold up the church of stone, so the Word recorded by Matthew, Mark, Luke and John sustains that Church not made by human hands. Each statue rises to a height of 11’6” and weighs eight tons. The life of Saint Paul is honored by a bronze baldachin, as well as massive bronze Te Deum and Magnificat grilles.[12]

Chapels

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The cathedral also has six chapels dedicated to the patron saints of the European ethnic groups that settled the area around the city: St. Anthony for the Italians, St. John the Baptist for the French Canadians, St. Patrick for the Irish, St. Boniface for the Germans, Saints Cyril and Methodius for the Slavs; and St. Therese of Lisieux for the missionaries.[12]

There are also chapels dedicated to the Sacred Heart, to Mary, the mother of Jesus, and to Saint Joseph, her husband, as well as to Saint Peter.

Organs

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Rear organ

In 2013, in conjunction with the restoration of the cathedral's Æolian-Skinner organ by Quimby Pipe Organs, a new organ case was completed by architect Duncan G Stroik. The hand-carved walnut organ case preserves the view of the cathedral's rose window. Human-sized carved angels stand on both sides of the organ case and a statue of Saint Cecilia, patron saint of music, stands on top of the central organ case dome, directly below the rose window.

Bells

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In 1987 the cathedral acquired five bronze bells cast in France.

Notable events

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Eugenio Pacelli, who would become Pope Pius XII in 1939, visited the United States in October 1936, with one of his stops being in St. Paul. Pacelli, then the papal secretary of state, celebrated 7:45 a.m. Mass on October 27 at the cathedral.[13] A bronze plaque commemorating the visit was installed in 1946.[14]

President John F. Kennedy attended the 11 o'clock Mass at the Cathedral on October 7, 1962. Around 8,000 people crowded in and around the cathedral on the rainy day. A special phone line with direct service to the White House was installed for the occasion.[15]

After the killing of Philando Castile, Castile's family, though Baptist, requested that his funeral be able to be held at the cathedral.[16] Archbishop Bernard Hebda granted the request, and on July 14, 2016, a funeral service for Philando Castile took place at the cathedral, attended by thousands of mourners.[17]

Nearby Catholic high schools Saint Thomas Academy, Cretin-Derham Hall, and Hill-Murray School use the Cathedral every year for their graduation services.

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  • Cathedral on a winter evening
    Cathedral on a winter evening
  • Looking up at main dome
    Looking up at main dome
  • Baldachin and altar of the cathedral
    Baldachin and altar of the cathedral
  • Organ of the cathedral
    Organ of the cathedral

See also

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Notes

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  1. ^ The current location of Mitchell Hamline School of Law.

References

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  1. ^ a b History, Cathedral of Saint Paul.
  2. ^ a b c d "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. January 23, 2007.
  3. ^ "6 Largest Churches in the U.S." Travel Trivia. 14 October 2019.
  4. ^ a b Alan K. Lathrop (2003). Churches Of Minnesota: An Illustrated Guide. University of Minnesota Press. pp. 165–166. ISBN 0816629099.
  5. ^ a b c d e f g h i Reardon, James Michael (1952). The Catholic Church in the Diocese of St. Paul : from earliest origin to centennial achievement : a factual narrative. Saint Paul, Minnesota: North Central Publishing Company.
  6. ^ "Cathedral to kickoff remodeling with blessing ceremony" (PDF). March 8, 2001. Retrieved 28 April 2025.
  7. ^ Hrbacek, Dave (December 7, 2000). "Cathedral begins repairs on roof, facade" (PDF). Retrieved 28 April 2025.
  8. ^ Brown, Curt (13 September 2002). "St. Paul Cathedral 'a work of art'". Star Tribune. pp. B1, B. Retrieved 28 April 2025.
  9. ^ Brown, Curt (27 April 2002). "Cathedral roof is on (patina pending)". Star Tribune. pp. B3. Retrieved 28 April 2025.
  10. ^ "Historic Hill District". Minnesota National Register Properties Database. Minnesota Historical Society. 2009. Archived from the original on 2013-04-15. Retrieved 2013-01-09.
  11. ^ "History 1". The city of Cold Spring. Retrieved 2007-12-21.
  12. ^ a b Ernster, Barb (June 14, 2010). "Cathedral Is Catechism in Stone and Glass". National Catholic Register. Retrieved 28 April 2025.
  13. ^ Ames, Clair E, (3 March 1939). "New Pope's Visit to Twin Cities Recalled". The Minneapolis Journal. p. 10. Retrieved 28 April 2025.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: extra punctuation (link) CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  14. ^ "Plaques Commemorate Pope's Visit to U.S." The Catholic Northwest Progress. November 8, 1946. Retrieved 28 April 2025.
  15. ^ Letofsky, Irvin (October 8, 1962). "Cathedral Aisles Bulge as President Attends Mass". St. Paul Pioneer Press. No. Vo. 114, No. 163. p. 1. Retrieved April 28, 2025.
  16. ^ O'Loughlin, Michael (12 July 2016). "Twin Cities Cathedral to host funeral for Philando Castile". America Magazine. Retrieved 28 April 2025.
  17. ^ Louwagie, Pam; Van Berkel, Jessie (July 15, 2016). "Thousands pay tribute to Castile: 'His death is not in vain'". Star Tribune. Archived from the original on February 10, 2021. Retrieved July 15, 2016.
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Preceded by Tallest Building in Saint Paul
1915—1931
93 m 		Succeeded by
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