The Catholic bulletin. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1911-1995, 1912-02-24
STATELY TEMPLE IN MINNIE
APoLis, A SOURCE OF PRIDE
TO ALL ITS PEOPLE.
Exterior Almost Finished-Magnifi-
cent Proportions and Symmetry
Interior Finish Will Be in Harmony
With Exterior Beauty.
Finished-Magnifi-

with Exterior Beauty.
The friendly spirit of rivalry exist
ing for many years between st. Paul
and Minneapolis has been stimulus
to both cities. 1t has engendered in
each civic pride which has been pro-
ductive of lasting good. Each city
yies with it's twin sister in all that
makes for the welfare of the munich
pality and it's inhabitants. This spirit
of rivalry has been most marked in
the business world: but it has, also,
left it's impress in other spheres of
activity.
1t is not to be wondered at, there
fore, that when the project of building
a magnificent Cathedral in St. Paul
was first mooted, the Catholics of
Minneapolis should have expressed a
desire that special recognition be
given to their city on account of it's
urban Importance and it's historic con-
nection with the first apparition of the
Church in Minnesota. Apart from the
Importance of the city itself, the vir-
lie Catholicity of it's large Catholic
population, composed of many nation
alities, equally devoted to the inter
ests of the Church, seemed to demand
a formal mark of appreciation; and
this prompted the Most Reverend
Archbishop to bestow upon them an
unusual honor.
To Minneapolis, therefore, was given
the honor of erecting Pro-Cathedral
a church which will be to all it's Catho-
lie people, irrespective of parish aft
Iiations, what the Cathedral of st.
Paul is destined to be to the Catho-
lies of the Archdiocese at large, a
church to which they can point with
pride, one which will be regarded
by them as the embodiment of all
that Catholicity stands for within their
city, one that will serve as a Cathe-
dral wherein the chief shepherd of the
seen and heard, wherein the ceremon.
ial of the Church will be carried
out in all it's magnificence.
The Preliminary Work.
Accordingly, the work of securing
a suitable location was undertaken by
committee appointed for that pur.
pose, and Mr.. e. l.. Masqueray, the
architect of the Cathedral of st. Paul,
was chosen to prepare plans for the
new edifice. The site finally deter
mined upon was the block of ground
fronting On Hennepin avenue and
lying between Sixteenth and Seven.
teenth streets. Hennepin avenue
which perpetuates the name of the dis.
coverer of the Falls of St. Anthony, is
one of the main thoroughfares OF
Minneapolis. From it's elevated site
the Pro-Cathedral will tower above all
the surrounding buildings in match
less splendor. The purchase price oil
the site, forty-five thousand dollars
was paid through the generosity Of
Mr.. and Mrs. L. S. Donaldson. Or
August Z, 1907, ground was broken fol
the foundation of the new building by
the Most Reverend Archbishop anC
the members of the Committee, anG
on May S1st of the following year the
cornerstone was laid with impressive
ceremony by the Most Reverend
DiOmede Falconio, Apostolic Delegate
to the United States-the sermon or
the occasion being preached by the
Archbishop of st. Paul
The foundation of the Pro- CATHEDRAL
Is built of Minnesota granite from the
Rockville quarries near St. Cloud: the
superstructure is of white Vernon
marble furnished by the Woodbury.
Granite Company of that State. This
stone is warranted to retain it's white
ness Notwithstanding time and the
action of the elements
Exterior Practically Completed.
When the cornerstone was laid, i
was thought scarcely possible thai
building operations would be carried
on as rapidly as they have been. A
the present time the exterior of the
Pro-Cathedral is completed with the
exception of the great quadrangulal
dome to rise over the sanctuary to
height of two hundred feet from the
main floor.