St. Ann's Cathedral (Great Falls, Montana) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids St. Ann's Cathedral |
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| 47°30′32″N 111°17′43″W / 47.5088°N 111.2952°W | |
| Location | 715 3rd Avenue N Great Falls, Montana |
| Country | United States |
| Denomination | Roman Catholic Church |
| History | |
| Status | Cathedral |
| Founded | 1889 |
| Architecture | |
| Architect(s) | John H. Kent |
| Style | Gothic Revival |
| Completed | 1907 |
| Construction cost | $100,000 |
| Specifications | |
| Number of spires | One |
| Materials | Limestone |
| Administration | |
| Diocese | Great Falls-Billings |
St. Ann's Cathedral is a large Catholic church located in Great Falls, Montana, United States. It is one of the two main churches for the Diocese of Great Falls-Billings. In 1991, this important building was added to the National Register of Historic Places.
Contents
A Look Back: The Cathedral's Story
The First St. Ann's Church
The very first St. Ann's Church was built with money from three church members. They signed a note for $3,000 to help pay for it. This first church was made of brick. It stood where the Heisey Center is today.
The first full-time priest for St. Ann's was Father Dols. He also looked after churches in nearby towns like Cascade, Choteau, and Neihart.
Building the Current Cathedral
On May 18, 1904, St. Pius X, who was the Pope at the time, created the Diocese of Great Falls. This meant St. Ann's Church became a "cathedral." A cathedral is the main church for a diocese.
The new bishop, Mathias Clement Lenihan, decided they needed a bigger church. The old one was too small for the growing number of people attending. The current cathedral was designed by John H. Kent from Helena. It was built between 1906 and 1907. The cost was about $100,000, which was a lot of money back then!
The building has a special shape called a "cruciform plan," which looks like a cross from above. It has tall, pointed windows and a bell tower with turrets, like a castle. The stone used to build it came from a quarry near Stockett. It is the biggest church in Great Falls. The old church building was later turned into a school.
Changes Over Time
In 1931, a new house for the priest (called a rectory) was built next to the cathedral. It was designed to match the cathedral's style. The old church building was eventually taken down. In its place, the Heisey Youth Center was built in 1936. This center is also used for church activities.
The cathedral was updated in 1953. This was done to get ready for the diocese's 50th anniversary the next year.
In 1980, Pope John Paul II changed the name of the diocese to the Diocese of Great Falls-Billings. At that time, St. Patrick's Church in Billings also became a "co-cathedral" alongside St. Ann's. This means both churches serve as main churches for the diocese.
The Cathedral's Pipe Organ
The large pipe organ inside the cathedral was built in 1929 by the Reuter Organ Co. It had 14 sets of pipes and could be played from three keyboards. In 1995, the organ was updated by Meadway & Stettner Pipe Organs. They improved parts of it and made some sound changes, but it still has 14 sets of pipes.
See also
