Prior to the current Cathedral of Saint Paul in Saint Paul, Minnesota, three other buildings have served as the cathedral for the territory of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Saint Paul and Minneapolis.
First Cathedral
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In 1840, Catholic missionary Lucien Galtier was sent to minister to the French Canadians in Minnesota.[1] He had a log chapel he named for St. Paul built on the bluff above the riverboat landing downriver from Fort Snelling, on Bench Street.[2][3][4]: 77 The chapel, measuring 20 feet (6.1 m) by 18 feet (5.5 m), was dedicated on November 1, 1841. It was the first house of worship to be erected within the currently city limits of Saint Paul.[4]: 43–44 Galtier informed the settlers that they were to adopt the chapel's name for the settlement; until that time, the area had been called "Pig's Eye" after the tavern of settler Pierre "Pig's Eye" Parrant.[5]
In 1847, Father Augustin Ravoux later enlarged the structure, adding another eighteen feet. When Joseph Crétin was appointed as the bishop of the newly established Diocese of St. Paul in July 1851, the log chapel became the first cathedral.[4]: 43–44 However, it would only serve in this role for a few months.[4]: 77
The chapel was dismantled in 1856. It is thought that some of the logs were used in the construction of buildings at Saint Joseph's Academy.[4]: 48
Second Cathedral
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Crétin immediately started to build a larger church to serve the fast-growing population of St. Paul. Construction began at Wabasha and Sixth streets on property that had been purchased by Augustin Ravoux. The new building was three stories, and 84 feet (26 m) by 44 feet (13 m) The second church building had a library, kitchen, and school facilities on the first floor; the church itself on the second floor; and offices and living quarters for Crétin and his staff. The building was dedicated in 1851. However, it still proved to be too small for the needs of the diocese, so he started plans for a third cathedral in 1853.[4]: 77
The second cathedral building would serve as such until 1858. After it was no longer the cathedral, it still served as a school. In 1862, Bishop Thomas Grace opened the Ecclesiastical Preparatory Seminary of St. Paul in the former cathedral. In 1867, that institution merged with the coeducational cathedral school which operated in the same building.[4]: 159
Third Cathedral
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Construction of the third building, at the corner of St. Peter and Sixth Streets in Downtown St. Paul, started in 1854 and was completed in 1858, having been delayed by the Panic of 1857 and Crétin's death. The third cathedral was built of stone, measured 175 feet (53 m) long and 100 feet (30 m) wide, but had practically no ornamentation in an effort to cut costs. Thomas Grace was the bishop at the time the cathedral was completed.[6]
References
edit- ^ Risjord, Norman K. (2005). A Popular History of Minnesota. Saint Paul, MN: Minnesota Historical Society Press. pp. 57–58. ISBN 0-87351-532-3.
- ^ "Overview of the Cathedral". Cathedral of Saint Paul. 2004. Archived from the original on August 6, 2007.
- ^ Mougel, Patricia (June 2007). "Catholicisme dans le Midwest Lucien Galtier et l'origine du nom de la capitale du Minnesota" (PDF) (in French). Reflets de l'étoile du nord. Archived from the original (PDF) on September 9, 2008. Retrieved July 28, 2008.
- ^ a b c d e f g Reardon, James Michael (1952). The Catholic Church in the Diocese of St. Paul : from earliest origin to centennial achievement : a factual narrative. Saint Paul, Minnesota: North Central Publishing Company.
- ^ Schaper, Julie; Horwitz, Steven (2006). Twin Cities Noir. New York, New York: Akashic Books. pp. 16. ISBN 978-1-888451-97-9. Retrieved July 28, 2008.
- ^ Alan K. Lathrop (2003). Churches Of Minnesota: An Illustrated Guide. University of Minnesota Press. pp. 165–166. ISBN 0816629099.
- ^ "History". Cathedral of Saint Paul. Archived from the original on Feb 11, 2024. Retrieved 9 November 2024.