St. Mark's Episcopal Cathedral (Minneapolis) facts for kids
Saint Mark's Episcopal Cathedral is a special church in Minneapolis. It is one of two main churches, called cathedrals, for the Episcopal Church in Minnesota. This church started in 1858 and became a cathedral in 1941. The building you see today was finished in 1910. In 2020, it had 764 members and an average of 315 people attended services.
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History of St. Mark's Cathedral
St. Mark's Church began in 1858. It started as a smaller church, or "mission," from Gethsemane in downtown Minneapolis. Its first home was in North Minneapolis.
In 1863, the original church building was moved. It was pulled on a sled by oxen to the city center. The church became an official parish on June 19, 1868. From 1870 to 1908, it used a new building on 6th Street.
The current St. Mark's building was designed by Edwin Hawley Hewitt. He was a member of the church! It was built in 1910 on Hennepin Avenue. The church overlooks Loring Park. The first stone was placed on November 15, 1908. The Parish House was built first. It was used for worship while the main church was being built next to it.
By the late 1930s, Bishop Samuel Cook Edsall moved to Minneapolis. He started calling St. Mark's a "Pro-Cathedral." This meant it was acting like a cathedral. St. Mark's officially became a diocesan cathedral in 1941. The Cathedral of Our Merciful Saviour in Faribault kept its status as "the historic cathedral."
Helping the Community: Ministry and Outreach
St. Mark's Cathedral works with the Community of the Cross of Nails. This group is based at Coventry Cathedral in England. They work and pray for peace and fairness around the world.
St. Mark's is very active in its community. It hosts many services with different faiths. For example, it held a service after the Interstate 35W bridge collapsed. It also had a memorial service for victims of a shooting in 2005. The cathedral also holds a service each year for the Twin Cities Pride Fest. This festival happens across the street in Loring Park.
Local Outreach Programs
St. Mark's helps people in the community in many ways.
- Sunday Night Supper: Provides meals on Sunday evenings.
- Monday Night Supper: Offers meals on Monday evenings.
- Warm Space: Gives people a warm place to stay.
- Sandwich Ministry: Makes and gives out sandwiches to those in need.
Global Outreach Efforts
The cathedral also helps people in other countries. They have taken part in trips to Cuba. These trips were part of groups from the Episcopal Church in Minnesota.
The Cathedral Book Shop sells religious books and gifts.
Music at St. Mark's Cathedral
Music is a very important part of worship at St. Mark's. It also helps connect with the wider community.
The church has several singing groups:
- The Choir Cathedral Choir
- The Cathedral Choristers
- The Small Singers
The Cathedral Choral Society includes singers from St. Mark's and the community. The church's pipe organ was greatly improved in 2012. The St. Mark's Music Series offers many concerts. These feature music from the Cathedral Choir and Choral Society. They also feature Canon Musician Raymond Johnston and other artists.
Important Church Meetings: General Conventions
The General Convention of the Episcopal Church has met in Minnesota three times. St. Mark's has hosted some events during these important meetings.
Some events of the 1895 General Convention were held at St. Mark's. This was when the church was still in its downtown Minneapolis building.
The General Convention met in Minneapolis again in 1976. St. Mark's hosted some events then too. At this meeting, the church officially allowed women to become priests. They also adopted the current Book of Common Prayer. This prayer book is still used in the United States today.
St. Mark's hosted events again at the 2003 General Convention. This meeting was also in Minneapolis. An important bishop was confirmed at this convention.
World Congress at St. Mark's
In 1954, St. Mark's Cathedral hosted a very special event. It was the first World Congress of the Anglican Communion held outside of the United Kingdom.
You can see a special symbol on the floor of the church. It's called the Compass Rose. This symbol reminds everyone of that gathering. It was at this World Congress at St. Mark's that the Compass Rose became the official symbol of the Anglican Communion.
Gallery
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St. Mark's Episcopal Cathedral - DPLA - baba2adacd9f3f31b045c679d25979b2
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Construction of the Outside Walls of St. Mark's Cathedral - DPLA - 8ac1bd6ba3f97cadf2e99a321adf4c19
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Construction of the Interior Walls of St. Mark's Cathedral - DPLA - ded5b9b85691e97b56c2e19ac57bfad8
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Construction of the Outside Walls of St. Mark's Cathedral - DPLA - 123c5aa9e135e8fb26e66b9fd6057520
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Construction of the Walls and Columns of the Interior of St. Mark's Cathedral - DPLA - 91f41fe4fd81abff41616e89bd0ca00b
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Construction of the Walls and Columns of the Interior of St. Mark's Cathedral - DPLA - b17ac4bd999e16175bad4a2594d3df07
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Construction of the West Side of St. Mark's Cathedral - DPLA - a04ead6763b5fc22a31d133bd214b566
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Construction of the West Wall of St. Mark's Cathedral - DPLA - 97bd7d4e8ffa3937faa7bd4b02102630
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Interior of the Nave of St. Mark's Episcopal Cathedral - DPLA - 2826b1f5ba25b8b9d381308adbc94d81
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St. Mark's Episcopal Cathedral - DPLA - 25f11b6abec8f0c4a4a09612ece47ab0
See also
