The Catholic bulletin. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1911-1995, 1911-02-11
Annual Meeting for Pro-Cathedral

LUl i III OuIuUul Ill
$270,0O0 Rally around me and give
me that sum. ask that the parishes
make special effort to close up their
assessments. / ask the more generous
benefactors to do more than pay their
mite to the parish assessment, to
come forward with special subscrip-
tions. I ask the generous citizens of
the city of Minneapolis, non-Catholics
as well as Catholics, to bestoW some
thing of their wonted generosity upon
the Pro-Cathedral, so that nothing
shall remain to be done in 1912 but
to complete the interior; SO that in
the early part of 1913 we may gather
beneath it's dome and offer it in sol
emn conservation to Almighty God as
the tribute of our love and of faith
The Rev. James M. Cleary, in his
address, dwelt on the public spirit
shown by the people of Minneapolis
and the civic pride which underlay
their every effort for it's advancement.
The publicity club had done much to
advertise the city; but the Pro-Cathe-
dral would do much more.
las a testimony of culture and love
for art" said he, ''our citizens raised
approximately a million dollars.
never felt prouder of my city before.
A like feat was never accomplished
in any other city of it's size.
Loyalty to faith, devotion to cul-
ture and love of art will be shown in
temples of religion and art museum.
When our commercial prosperity will
have been forgotten, the dome of this
temple, glistening in the rising and
setting sun alike, will tell in no un-
certain tones of the religious zeal of
the citizens of Minneapolis
REV. oTHMAR ERREN's ADDRESS.
Most Reverend Archbishop, Ladies
and Gentlemen:
AS an earnest supporter and loyal
friend of the grand work we are here
to encourage, / cannot but feel that
l should gladly cooperate, to the best
of my ability, in the endeavor to en-
kindle or foster in the hearts of it's
friends here assembled a noble and
generous enthusiasm in the history,
harmonious proportions and religious
significance, not only of our own Pro-
Cathedral, but of the great cathedrals
of the world, which we have seen pic
tured on canvas during the course of
the evening.
1t has always been the aim of the
Church, founded by Christ, to enshrine
it's mysteries and its ministrations in
the costliest and most sublime temples
which it's own spirit of worship, the
noblest exercise of art, and the gener-
osity of it's children could call into
actual existence-an existence, which
in the case of some Basilicas, has en-
dured for the edification and spiritual
needs of millions of worshippers near
ly during the whole era of Christian
history.
Of course we can pray everywhere,
as Christ said: We should always pray
as He Himself prayed in the Garden
of Gethsemane and on top of the
mountains the old German Druids
prayed to their Wodan and Thor, in
their forest temples, canopied by the
giant limbs of century old oaks; as
the early Christians worshipped during
the first three centuries of persecution
in the Catacombs, cutting through the
bowels of subterrannean Rome, and
as necessity during the ages has often
compelled the devoted children of the
Church to resort to lowly mansions
and desert places to attend Holy Sac
rifice-so some one may say, we
should be content, as long as the altar
of Divine Mystery has roof, how
ever poor, to cover it.. But no; this
forlorn and barren spirit of selfishness
must not be ours. The time has come
in this country for cathedral building,
the day of poor and shabby churches,
at least in the populous and pros
porous Episcopal cities, has passed,
and we are living in the dawning of a
new era of cathedral building, in
which, if we can never outdo or even
equal the monumental achievements
of the Middle Ages in Church archi-
lecture, we may at least be generous
and selfsacrificing, filled with the
desire to help approach the perfection
of those grand old cathedrals, in our
own time and land, as best we may.
In closing confidently voice my
trust in the early completion of the
Minneapolis Pro-Cathedral, and look
forward hopefully to the hour when
our venerated Archbishop, as Solomon
of old, will raise his hands on high
among the dignitaries of the Church,
present from all sides, to assist in it's
dedication TO heSaech Almighty Cod