Cathedral of Saint Mary (St. Cloud, Minnesota) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Cathedral of St. Mary |
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| St. Mary's Cathedral | |
The Cathedral of St. Mary from the east
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 Location in Minnesota
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| 45°33′32″N 94°09′41″W / 45.5588°N 94.1614°W | |
| Location | 25 8th Ave. S St. Cloud, Minnesota |
| Country | United States |
| Denomination | Catholic Church |
| History | |
| Founded | 1855 |
| Dedication | Blessed Virgin Mary |
| Dedicated | 1931 |
| Consecrated | 1982 |
| Architecture | |
| Architect(s) | Nairne W. Fisher |
| Architectural type | Italianate |
| Style | Italianate |
| Groundbreaking | 1922 |
| Completed | 1931 |
| Specifications | |
| Height | 75 feet (23 m) |
| Number of spires | One |
| Materials | Brick |
| Administration | |
| Diocese | Saint Cloud |
The Cathedral of St. Mary is a beautiful church in St. Cloud, Minnesota, USA. It's the main church, or cathedral, for the Catholic Diocese of St. Cloud. This diocese helps about 150,000 Catholic people in Central Minnesota.
Contents
Discovering St. Mary's History
How St. Mary's Church Began
St. Mary's Parish started in 1855. A priest named Rev. Francis Xavier Pierz held the first Mass in a family's home. Soon, land was bought, and plans were made for a church and a school.
In 1856, a Benedictine monk from Saint John's Abbey became the first pastor. A building that was both a church and a school was built. In 1857, Benedictine nuns arrived to start the parish school. This was the very first school in Stearns County.
A larger church was built in 1864. It was designed in the Gothic style. Later, a large house for the priests (called a rectory) and a new school were added in 1896. A four-story parish center, called Saint Mary's Institute, was built in 1916. It even had a bowling alley and a swimming pool!
Sadly, the Gothic-style church burned down in 1920. Building the church you see today started in 1922. While the main church was being built, Mass was held in the basement. The upper church was finished in 1931. The church's design was inspired by an old church in Italy. The pastor, Rev. Luke Fink, OSB, saw it during a trip and loved its look. He shared his ideas with architect Nairne W. Fisher, who then designed the new church.
Becoming a Cathedral
Another church in St. Cloud, Holy Angels Cathedral, was badly damaged by fire in 1933. After it was rebuilt, it no longer had its tall spire. Because of this, Bishop Joseph Francis Busch wanted St. Mary's to become the new cathedral.
In 1937, Pope Pius XI officially named St. Mary's the cathedral for the St. Cloud Diocese. At this time, the Benedictine monks moved to another parish, and other priests took over at St. Mary's.
Over the years, the cathedral has been updated. In 1980, it went through a big renovation. A pipe organ was installed in 1984. Later, a fire damaged the lower part of the church. This area was then rebuilt to include a chapel for daily Mass and a gathering space.
In 2006, some old symbols on the outside of the cathedral were removed. These symbols, called crux gammata, looked like a swastika. Even though they were an ancient symbol of the Cross, they were removed because of their connection to the Nazi Party. They were replaced with new limestone disks showing the Luminous Mysteries, which are special prayers. The cathedral was also refreshed in 2013 with a new floor and paint.
Shrine of Saint Cloud
Inside St. Mary's Cathedral, there is a special shrine dedicated to Saint Cloud. This shrine holds several important items, called relics. These include a piece of Saint Cloud's clothing and a small bone fragment from the saint himself. There are also fragments from five other saints.
The statue of Saint Cloud in the shrine is a copy of a very old statue from the 1600s. However, the hand holding the chalice (a special cup) and the chalice itself are even older, from the original 8th-century statue! This statue was given to Bishop Joseph Busch in 1922. He received it during a celebration in Saint-Cloud, France, where Saint Cloud was born.
Next to the statue of Saint Cloud, you'll see two wooden carvings. The one on the left shows St. Clothilde, who was Saint Cloud's grandmother. The carving on the right shows St. Remigius, a bishop who helped Saint Cloud when he was young.
See also
In Spanish: Catedral de Santa María (St. Cloud) para niños
