Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception (Crookston, Minnesota) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Cathedral of theImmaculate Conception |
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| 47°46′31″N 96°35′23″W / 47.7752°N 96.5898°W | |
| Location | 702 Summit Avenue Crookston, Minnesota |
| Country | United States |
| Denomination | Roman Catholic |
| Website | crookstoncathedral.com |
| History | |
| Status | Cathedral/Parish church |
| Founded | 1830 |
| Dedication | Immaculate Conception |
| Consecrated | 1990 |
| Architecture | |
| Style | Modern |
| Completed | 1990 |
| Specifications | |
| Capacity | 1000 |
| Materials | Brick |
| Administration | |
| Diocese | Crookston |
The Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception is a special Catholic building in Crookston, Minnesota, United States. It's called a cathedral because it's the main church for the Diocese of Crookston. This means it's where the bishop of the area has his official chair.
Contents
The New Cathedral (Built 1990)
The current Cathedral was finished and opened on September 25, 1990. It was designed in a modern style.
Amazing Pipe Organ
Inside the cathedral, there is a huge and beautiful organ. It was built by the Reuter Organ Company in Lawrence, Kansas. This organ has two keyboards and 31 different sets of pipes. In total, it has about 1,789 pipes!
Special Areas Inside
The cathedral also has a bell tower on its west side. This tower has a special area dedicated to the Holy Family. In the southwest corner of the church, you can find the Blessed Sacrament Chapel. This chapel holds the Tabernacle, which is a special container. It also has a reliquary and a shrine to Our Lady of Guadalupe.
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A look inside the church towards the front.
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The impressive pipe organ.
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The Cathedra, which is the bishop's special seat.
The Old Cathedral (Built 1912)
Before the current cathedral, there was an older one with the same name. It was built in 1912. This older church was located at North Ash Street and Second Avenue.
Unique Design of the Old Cathedral
The earlier Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception was quite special. Most churches built in the Neo-Gothic style have one or two tall spires. However, this old cathedral had three spires on its front! A local architect named Bert Keck designed the church.
His design included two balconies, one on the north side and one on the south. These were for choirs that would sing back and forth to each other. There was also a large choir balcony at the back of the church for the main choir and organ. Bishop Timothy J. Corbett helped organize the building of this cathedral. He was the first bishop of the new Diocese of Crookston. This historic building was added to the National Register of Historic Places on October 1, 1989.
What Happened to the Old Cathedral?
After the new cathedral was built, the Diocese gave the old building to a homeless shelter. The shelter used the rectory (the priest's house next door) for extra space. The beautiful stained glass windows were taken out of the church. Some were given to church members, and others were sold to help fund the shelter's programs.
In 2001, a strong windstorm badly damaged the remaining stained glass. This caused air and rain to leak into the building. The flat roofs of the sacristies (rooms used by priests) were also failing. This caused a lot of damage. The North Sacristy has been completely cleaned out. There are plans to restore the old cathedral. The Prairie Skyline Foundation wants to turn it into a Community Center. This center would host arts activities and provide a space for performances.
See also
