Cathedral of the Madeleine Facts for Kids

Quick facts for kids
Cathedral of the Madeleine
U.S. National Register of Historic Places

Cathedral of the Madeleine in May 2019
Location in Utah Show map of Utah Location in the United States Show map of the United States
Location	331 East South Temple Street Salt Lake City, Utah United States
Area	1.2 acres (0.49 ha)
Built	1900-09
Architect	Carl M. Neuhausen and Bernard O. Mecklenburg
Architectural style	Neo-Romanesque (outside) and Neo-Gothic (inside)
NRHP reference No.	71000845
Added to NRHP	March 11, 1971

The Cathedral of the Madeleine is a beautiful Roman Catholic church located in Salt Lake City, Utah, USA. It was finished in 1909. This church is special because it's the main church, or cathedral, for the Catholic community in Salt Lake City. It's also the only cathedral in the United States named after St. Mary Magdalene.

History of the Cathedral
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History of the Cathedral

Building the Cathedral

The cathedral was built using sandstone and shaped like a cross. Lawrence Scanlan, the first bishop of Salt Lake City, led the project. He dedicated the church to St. Mary Magdalene. The architects who designed it were Carl M. Neuhausen and Bernard O. Mecklenburg.

The outside of the cathedral looks like the Neo-Romanesque style, which uses round arches and thick walls. The inside, however, has more Neo-Gothic details, with pointed arches and tall windows. Construction started in 1900 and was completed in 1909. James Cardinal Gibbons officially opened the church.

Why Mary Magdalene?

Some people believe Bishop Scanlan chose Mary Magdalene as the church's special saint for a clever reason. Her feast day, which is a day to celebrate her, is on July 22. This is just two days before Pioneer Day, a big celebration in Utah. Pioneer Day remembers when the Mormon pioneers arrived in Salt Lake Valley. By choosing Mary Magdalene, Catholics had something special to celebrate around the same time as the region's main holiday.

Decorating the Inside

The beautiful inside of the cathedral was created under the direction of Joseph S. Glass. He was the second bishop of Salt Lake. Bishop Glass asked John Theodore Comes, a famous architect, to decorate the interior. His ideas were mostly based on the Spanish Gothic style.

During this time, colorful murals and paintings were added. Many fancy shrines were also put in place. In 1916, Bishop Glass even changed the cathedral's name to the French spelling after visiting what was believed to be Mary Magdalene's tomb.

Restoration and Changes

In the 1970s, the outside of the building was carefully repaired. Then, between 1991 and 1993, the inside of the cathedral was renovated and restored. This work was led by Bishop William K. Weigand. The restoration cleaned away dust and dirt and brought back the original beauty.

Changes were also made to the church's layout to match new practices after the Second Vatican Council. This included building a new altar and moving the cathedra (the bishop's special chair). A separate chapel was created for the Blessed Sacrament, and a large baptismal font was added.

The Blessed Sacrament Chapel also holds the tomb of Bishop Scanlan. On top of his tomb is a small case with a tiny piece, called a relic, of Saint Mary Magdalene. The Cathedral of the Madeleine in Salt Lake City and the Basilica of Saint-Maximin-la-Sainte-Baume in France are the only cathedrals in the world that have these special relics of the saint and are named in her honor. Monsignor M. Francis Mannion had the vision for this major interior restoration.

The Madeleine Choir School

The cathedral is home to a special school called The Madeleine Choir School. It's the only Catholic Choir School in the United States that teaches both boys and girls. The school started in 1996 and now teaches over 400 students from Pre-Kindergarten to eighth grade.

The Cathedral Choir is very talented. They have recorded several music CDs and often travel to perform. Besides singing daily services at the Cathedral of the Madeleine, the choir members have sung in famous places. These include St. Peter's Basilica in Vatican City and Notre Dame de Paris in France. They have also performed in churches across the United States, Spain, Italy, Belgium, and Germany.

A famous composer named Amédée Tremblay was the church's organist from 1920 to 1925.