Heavy snow and difficult travel expected again, heaviest snow in southern Minnesota

MPR News helps you turn down the noise and build shared understanding. Turn up your support for this public resource and keep trusted journalism accessible to all. 

Turn Up Your Support

The Cathedral of St. Paul is kicking off its centennial celebration in St. Paul this weekend.

Sunday marks the Feast of the Conversion of St. Paul, and the Cathedral is marking the occasion by opening of a year of celebration for one of Minnesota's most iconic buildings.

"We're opening an important exhibit, the timeline of cathedral history, which really begins in 1904, when Archbishop [John] Ireland got the idea he needed a cathedral," said Celeste Raspanti, cathedral archivist and chair of the centennial committee. 

"The third cathedral was so small it couldn't hold all the people, and in 1904 he said, 'We will build a great church for a great city.' And in 1915, that happened."

Cathedral of St. Paul's new, mighty pipe organ

Refurbished organs come to life

The church's cornerstone was laid in 1907, and work on the exterior and structure went on for eight years. Archbishop Ireland celebrated the first Mass on Palm Sunday in 1915, and though monumental, it was a sparse structure at the time, Raspanti said.


"There were pews here, there was the floor here. Nothing else. There was no artwork. And so it took from 1915 when the cathedral was finished, until 1958 for most of what you see to be finished. It took a long time," she said.

Archbishop Flynn recollects on a St. Paul architectural icon


Work continued on the interior, shrines and fixtures for almost 50 years, even after the Cathedral was formally consecrated in 1958. A mosaic was added in 2013, and a statue added last summer. Spokeswoman Carolyn Will says there are still pedestals installed when the Cathedral was built that could hold additional statuary.

 Architect Emmanuel Louis selected to design fourth Cathedral of St. Paul


 Ressurection Window, the East Rose Window, completed


 Chandelier installed in main dome, replaces 750 watt bulb


 8-ton statutes of St. Mark and St. Luke installed, statues of St. Matthew and St. John follow a year later


 Vandals set fire in crypt, smoke damages main church


 Cleaning and refurbishing from fire complete


 New aluminum gold cross installed atop dome


Cathedral designated National Shrine of the Apostle Paul

Gallery

Arts and Culture

Religion and Faith

Tim Nelson

Author

Sunday marks the Feast of the Conversion of St. Paul, and the Cathedral is marking the occasion by opening of a year of celebration for one of Minnesota's most iconic buildings.


Postcard: Selby Tunnel and St. Paul Cathedral

Courtesy Minnesota Historical Society

Cathedral of St. Paul archivist Celeste Raspanti

Tim Nelson / MPR News

St. Paul Cathedral, laying the cornerstone

Jennifer Simonson/MPR News

Crashed ice lights were tested Tuesday night.

Cathedral of St. Paul celebrates centennial

Go Deeper.

Like this?