St. Mark's Episcopal Cathedral (Minneapolis) facts for kids
Saint Mark's Episcopal Cathedral in Minneapolis is a very important church. It is one of two main cathedrals for the Episcopal Church in Minnesota. The church started in 1858. It officially became a cathedral in 1941. The building you see today was finished in 1910. In 2020, the church had 764 members and about 315 people attended services each week.
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The History of St. Mark's Cathedral
St. Mark’s Church began in 1858. It started as a small 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, looking over Loring Park. The first stone was laid 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 cathedral in 1941. The Cathedral of Our Merciful Saviour in Faribault kept its status as "the historic cathedral."
Helping the Community and Beyond
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 in Minneapolis. It also held a memorial service for victims of a shooting in Red Lake, Minnesota.
The cathedral also holds a special service each year. This happens on the last day of the Twin Cities Pride Fest. This festival takes place right across the street in Loring Park.
Local Outreach Programs
St. Mark's has several programs to help people nearby. These include:
- Sunday Night Supper
- Monday Night Supper
- Warm Space
- Sandwich Ministry
Global Outreach Efforts
The church also helps people in other countries. Members have gone on mission trips to Cuba. These trips were part of groups from the Episcopal Church in Minnesota.
The Cathedral Book Shop sells religious books and gifts. It also has some other books.
Music at St. Mark's Cathedral
Music is a very important part of worship at St. Mark's. It also helps the church connect with the wider community.
The church has several singing groups:
- The Cathedral Choir
- The Cathedral Choristers
- The Small Singers
The Cathedral Choral Society includes singers from St. Mark's and the community. The church's large pipe organ was rebuilt in 2012. The St. Mark's Music Series offers many concerts. These feature the Cathedral Choir, the Choral Society, and other artists.
Important Church Meetings at St. Mark's
The General Convention of the Episcopal Church has met in Minnesota three times.
Some events of the 1895 General Convention were held at St. Mark’s. This meeting was headquartered at The Church of Gethsemane. It was the first General Convention held west of Chicago.
The General Convention met in Minneapolis again in 1976. Some events were held at St. Mark's. At this meeting, the church officially allowed women to become priests. They also adopted the current Book of Common Prayer used in the United States.
St. Mark's hosted events again at the 2003 General Convention in Minneapolis. At this meeting, the election of the Rev. V. Gene Robinson as Bishop of the Diocese of New Hampshire was confirmed. This was a very important moment for the Episcopal Church.
World Congress Event
St. Mark's Cathedral hosted a special event in 1954. It was the first World Congress of the Anglican Communion held outside of the United Kingdom.
A special symbol called the Compass Rose is in the floor of the cathedral. It reminds people of this gathering. The Compass Rose was chosen as the symbol for the Anglican Communion at this very meeting at St. Mark’s.
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