St. Mary's Cathedral (Minneapolis) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids St. Mary's Orthodox Cathedral |
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St. Mary's in Minneapolis, seen from the northwest
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| 45°0′18″N 93°15′36″W / 45.00500°N 93.26000°W | |
| Location | 1701 Fifth Street N.E., Minneapolis, Minnesota |
| Country | United States |
| Denomination | Orthodox Church in America |
| Website | http://www.stmarysoca.org/ |
| History | |
| Founder(s) | Alexis Toth |
| Consecrated | 1906 |
| Architecture | |
| Architect(s) | Boehme and Cordella |
| Administration | |
| Diocese | Diocese of the Midwest |
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St. Mary's Orthodox Cathedral is a special church in Minneapolis, Minnesota. It is also known as the Cathedral of the Protection of the Holy Virgin. This church belongs to the Orthodox Church in America. It is one of many Orthodox churches in the Twin Cities area. The church celebrates the Protection of the Virgin Mary every year on October 1.
The church community has been in the same spot since 1887. That's when immigrants from Slovakia, Carpatho-Rus, and Ukraine built the first wooden church. Today, the church has people who are descendants of those first founders. It also includes many new members from all over the Twin Cities. Many people have joined the Orthodox Christian faith over the years. This shows how diverse the church and Minnesota are.
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Building the Cathedral
In 1904, the first wooden church building burned down. The church members decided to build a new, bigger one. They chose a design made of steel and stone. This new building is still used today.
Design and Style
The church was designed by a local architect named Victor Cordella. He used a style called Russian Baroque. This style was very popular for Russian churches in the early 1900s. The design of St. Mary's looks similar to the Dormition Orthodox Cathedral in Omsk, Russia.
Consecration and Art
The new cathedral in Minneapolis was officially opened in 1906. This special ceremony was led by Patriarch Tikhon of Moscow. Monks from the Trinity-St. Sergius Monastery, near Moscow, helped decorate the church. They installed beautiful hand-painted icons. They also carved the iconostasis, which is a wall of icons and religious paintings. St. Tikhon later became the leader of the Orthodox Church in Moscow. He is remembered as a saint who helped build the Orthodox Church in North America.
Restoring the Cathedral
St. Mary's Orthodox Cathedral is now over 100 years old. Recently, the outside of the church was carefully repaired. This work helps make sure the building stays strong for many years to come.
New Icons
Inside the church, new icons have been added. The first group of new icons was put in place in 2012. The second group was finished in 2015. The church hopes to add even more icons in the future. These icons help make the church a beautiful and spiritual place for everyone.
Early Leaders
The first priest at St. Mary's was Saint Alexis Toth. He served at the church from 1889 to 1893. He was later recognized as a saint in 1994.
Challenges and Growth
Alexis Toth had some disagreements with the local Roman Catholic bishop, John Ireland. Bishop Ireland did not approve of a widower becoming a priest. Despite these challenges, Alexis Toth helped the church community grow. This community became part of what is now the Orthodox Church in America Diocese of the Midwest. When the original wooden church burned down in 1904, the church community had grown to about 900 people.
