The Catholic bulletin. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1911-1995, 1913-01-04

Magnificent Structure Approaching
Completion Seven Years OF Labor
Nearly Million Dollars Expend-
ed-Mr. Masqueray, Architect.
Nearly nine years have elapsed
since the project of building a grand
Cathedral for the Archdiocese of st.
Paul was actually undertaken Prior
to 1904 the need of d Cathedral ade-
quate in size and appointments for
the purposes of religion had been
keenly felt; but the time to begin its
erection was not opportune. The needs
of religion throughout the Diocese de-
manded that the efforts of it's Catholic
population be centered on the erection
of parish churches and institutions in
order that the benefits of the Gospel
might be brought to its remotest parts
Since the spring of 1904 the thought
and energy of the Diocese of ST. Paul
have been directed towards the con-
struetion of Cathedral worthy of the
marvellous growth and development of
religion that have taken place within
the State of Minnesota during the
past half century and adequate to the
future needs of the Church in this por-
ton of the great Northwest. Nature
seems to have anticipated the move
ment by providing the finest site pos
sible for such a structure. The Kilt
son property on the brow of st. An
thony Hill afforded a location unsur-
passed by any in America and imme-
diate steps were taken to secure pos
session of it. On April 9, 1904, it was
bought for the sum of fifty-two thou
sand dollars. This was the prelimi-
nary step in the great project of build
ing a new Cathedral for the Archdio-
cese of st. Paul, and when it was taken
none could have foreseen how rapidly
the work was to be pushed towards
completion.
The Board of Conspltors appointed
by the Most Reverend Archbishop to
assist him in the work of building the
Cathedral held it's first meeting on
April %, 1904, and commissioned Mr..
e. L. Masqueray tosdesign a Cathedral
which would be an architectural gem
worthy Of the setting which nature had
prepared for it. Those who view the
massive structure now approaching
completion realize that no more for
tunate choice could have been made.
The work of preparing the site was
undertaken in 1905 when the Kittson
house that stood on the property was
torn down and Summit Avenue
Strengthened, thus adding almost one
hundred feet to the length of the Ca
thedral property. The contract for the
grading and excavating was let to
Lauer Bros in 1906 and later on they
secured the contract for putting in
the foundation. So rapidly was the
work pushed forward that everything
was in readiness for the laying Of the
cornerstone on June 2, 1907. The Right
Reverend Bishop McGolrick, of Duluth.
was the officiating prelate and the
sermon was preached by the Most
Reverend Archbishop.
The foundation is Of gray granite
and the superstructure is of a lighter
j grade of the same material. The con.
tract for the superstructure was
awarded to the p. M. Hennessey Con.
struction Company, which completed
the work few months ago, when the
walls were brought up to height OF
eighty feet. The present contract
which includes the finishing of the
twin towers Of the facade and the
| - axxy0T n
ed to Hoy & Ely, and calls for the
completion of the exterior of the build
ing, with the exception of the roof, in
the course of next summer. At least
an additional year will be required tc
place the roof on the main building
on the dome and towers, as well as or
the chapels dedicated to the Blessed
i Virgin, st. Joseph, and the Apostles
of the different nations which con
! tribute to the Catholic population o.
the Northwest. These latter chapels
surround the sanctuary and are char
acteristic feature of the new Cattle
dral.
The idea kept in mind in designing
the Cathedral of sc. Paul was to con
struct church which would combine
the requirements of twentieth centur.
Cathedral with the charm of the ole
churches of the Middle Ages. The out
line of cross and ambulatOries be
tween the main body Of the church AMI
the surrounding chapels have been re
tanned with all their religious sym
bolism. To do this and at the same
time create modern structure, tn,
relative proportions of the different ele
ments as they appear in the ancien
churches of Europe have been mod
fed. The nave and transepts hav
been made wider and shorter and tn
immense dome rises above their inter
section. The main nave is sixty fee
in width and eighty-four in height
The ambulatories running parallel b
the nave on both sides are twelve fee
in width and afford easy access to 81
parts of the church. The great dom
! in one hundred and twenty feet i
diameter and its cross rises to
height Of three hundred feet. Tn
sanctuary, which occupies the Who'll
lapse is sixty feet in width and sixty
five feet in length. There is nothin
| to obstruct the view OF the altar an
from all parts OF the immens
lauditorium, which Is capable Of sea
ling three thousand i'm peWs and a1
III