The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1906-11-25
NM TITn the presentation today Of
WV the first sketches of@the new
N W W - RnmanI Catholic nrn.cathe.
1: 1ffa7I;

6@ Roman Catholic prO-cathe-
dral drawn by 70. l.. Masqueray,}thez fa-s
NOUS architect, sand the final Rclearing
Of the Site at Hennepinsa Six
pin county begin to realize that the
dream of the past few years is to be
realized in the near, future. With the
progress that has been made. already
in procuring funds to build the new
church and with the! site finally settled
upon and purchased, it is probable:
that the peoplefwillS be worshipping in
Today T he J our MA II gives the
first glimpse of the plan fof @the exterior
of the pro-cathedral and it's ma gnifcent
and imposing interior. - =,
When the pro-cathedral is finished
Archbishop Ireland will make good his
promise to divide his time between St.
Paul and Minneapolis. With the new
Z Immaculate Conception will cease to
exist and the pro-cathedral will become
the church Of Hennepin county. Al
ready the archbishop is named ons the
church directory as its pastor; the
other priests will be assistants.
The massive edifce will so stand on
the site that it will face up Hennepin
avenue. By cutting Seventeenth street
N thru to Hennepin and a combination
of the extra plot of land in front with
the part. which the archbishop%has pre-
sented to the city as an entrance to the
new Parade, an artistic landscape effect
is secured. - --.-.'.- s.....s -
AS to the general plan of the struct-
ure Mr. Masqueray says:
~ The Architects Statement.
], "The problem which; cenfronts the
architect Of a modern Catholic church
is a complex one. He has to create a
building which embodies~ all the ira
ditional features of the old churches
satisfaction to the practical require
ments of a modern congregation. which
are mainly clear view of the altar in
hearing distance of the pulpit.
I'm former ages the churches were
generally long and narrow as the solid
stone construction would not allow
builders to go beyond a certain width
This disposition is prevalent in the
English and continental cathedrals, but
In the study of them one is struck by
the majestic effect obtained in some
rare cases where the designer has
adopted wider proportions. The ca
thedrals of Abb in the south of France,
and of Corona in Spain, are the most
notable examples.
These principles are those which
the building committee and the archi-
tect have followed for the selection
and designing Of the plans of the pro-
cathedral of Minneapolis 49,.
1.-THE public will at once. notice the
worshipers will find comfortable Seats
in front Of the inspiring sanctuary
crowned by the high dome, and seeing
beyond the chapel of the blessed Vir-
cir, the patron saint Of the pro-cathe-
dral. 80.
''The :ambulatories surrounding the
main body Of the church connect the
six chapelss for devotional services, one
being exclusively consecrated to the
prayers for the founders of the
church, these chapels and ambulatories.
necessary for successfully carrying out
the elaborate ceremonies Of the Catho-
lie liturgy, add greatly, to the archi-
tectural effect and to the religious at
mosphere Of the ensemble.
"The exterior, which IS che honest
architectural expression of the into
rlor, IS treated in a modern renais-
sance spirit. A large. porch precedes
the facade itself, where two Imposing
towers, 100 feet high, frame large
elaborated rose window, surmounted BY !
q decorated, gable, raising a stone cross
at the height of 100 feet: The side is
pierced by very large windows with
decorative tracery, giving a food of
light to the main body of the church.
and rose windows, similar to: the front
one, lighting the sanctuary. The dome
carries the statue Of the Virgin MARY
to the height of 100 feet. The dome
itself is lighted: by sixteen, LONG win |
dows The apse Of the Blessed Virgin
chapel ends the building. The interior
of the nave Central aisle) will be the
widest in the world, and to understand
its proposing proportions we must
quote the dimensions of, some of the
most celebrated cathedrals of Europe.
"The nave of. the cathedral Of Paris
is forty-one feet wide; that of Florence
is sixty feet; that of Abb (France) is
sixty feet; that Of! Corona (Spain) is !
seventy-two feet; that of st. Peter in
Rome. is eighty feet, The nave of the
pro-cathedral Of Minneapolis is eighty
two feet wide.
. 1.-The sanctuary under the high dome
IS fifty two feet square and the vault
above rises on the inside to the. height
OF 40. The opposition of the wide |
nave with the high proportions of the
sanctuary will be one Of the most ef-
fectiye features of the composition.
The apse of the chapel of the |
Blessed Virgin, showing thru the sane
tuary will afford splendid opportunity
FOR decorative mosaic work, like in the !
cathedral of Monreals in Sicily. and
the light coming thru its seven long
windows will enhance the magnitude