The Catholic bulletin. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1911-1995, 1915-08-21

| lnSplratl0n rises from Its sanctuary.
Right and proper it is to honor the
saints of God. Thy friends, o God,
says Holy Scripture, are to be honor
ed exceedingly. God alone is all. To
| Him is given the full alteration and
| honor due only to the Creator. But
there are creatures to whom much of
His goodness and beauty have been
communicated, and these are to be
reverenced as His friends.
! Cities and nations love to honor their
heroes in song and story, with statues
and paintings, with lasting memorials
bare his head when he stands at
Mount Vernon, before the tomb of the
honored father of his country? What
true American does not feel his soul
thrilled when the Star Spangled ban
ner, the emblem of his country, is
raised to float on high? Who would
deem it wrong or out of place to salute
that banner?
In the same spirit we are gathered
| today to dedicate this Pro-Cathedral
to the Mother of God.
| Nothing in all history has so rails
ed the status of woman as the coming
of Mary. AS the name of Mary pass
ed down the ages, the old paganistic
view of woman as a chattel, gave
way to the new conception, and wom-
| anhood was lifted to the highest level
of respect and reverence.
/ icfi NV 10
an ideal of motherhood, so that in the
homes where it reigns supreme the
mother is given the homage and love
and respect which is her DUE And
in those homes, girlhood feels the
spur to emulate the highest purity of
soul which the world has ever known,
Let our devotion go beyond the
church into the homes, for the ideal
of life is holiness of soul. 1t is a. glo-
rious day, today, when we can offer
to God this magnificent temple of
worship, this Pro-Cathedral Of St.
Mary.
The ceremony was brought to a
close with solemn Benediction of the
Blessed Sacrament at which the Rev
erend Thomas e. Cullen, pastor of the
Prl.C athedral, officiated, assisted by
the Rev. Michael McRaith and the
Rev. F. T. Burns of the Pro-Cathedral
staff. After the religious services,
luncheon was served to the visiting
prelates and priests in the Pro-
Cathedral school
Sketch Of the Pro-cathedraI.
The Pro-Cathedral of st. Mary re-
places the old Church of the Immacu-
late Conception, and serves as parish
church for that congregation. The
project of erecting in Minneapolis a
magnificent church that would be
worthy of the Catholic history of that
city and would serve as a fitting
place for carrying out the ceremonial
of Catholic worship in all its rich
ness of detail was first broached by
the Most Reverend Archbishop on
Christmas day, 1903. Two years later
the site on which the church is
erected at the head of Hennepin ave-
nue. was donated by Mr.. Donaldson,
| and ground for the foundation was
broken on August Z, 1907. The cor
, ner-stone was laid with impressive
| ceremony by the Most Rev. Diomede
, Falconio, then Apostolic Delegate to
the United States, on May 81, 1908
and the work of erecting the super.
structure was carried on so rapidly
that the exterior was completed in
the fall of 1918. In November of that
year the civic dedication of the Pro
Cathedral was inaugurated with a
series of religious and social addresses
by prelates and laymen of nationwide
repute. The informal opening took
place on May 81, 1914, when the first
Mass was celebrated by the pastor
Rev. Thomas E. Cullen, and the ser
mon was preached by the Most Rev
erend Archbishop.
. At the present time the Pro-Cathe
/ dral has not received its finishing
S touches, except on the exterior. Tht
{ walls and sanctuary and chapels O
!. the interior are yet bare of the adorn
I ment and beauty which will one da.
f be theirs. Only the beautiful ceiling
e has been completed, and the neces
n sary furnishings added to enable th
It people to worship with comfort with
a in its walls. Up to the present tim
+. nearly 100000 has been expended OF
e the sacred edifice. During the summe
n months the grounds surrounding tn
II Pro- Cathedral have been graded
s parked and sodded and the walks pu
e in. The work, however, has not We
If been entirely completed.
The Pro- Cathedral covers a plat G
r ground about $50 feet wide by 800 fee
lie in length. It's general dimension
lg are 120 feet wide by 274 in length
TO 1t has a seating capacity of aboJ
lg 1900 but can accommodate muc
Of larger number when occasion require
d, The foundation is of granite from th
r. quarries at Rockville, Mimi, and th
i'll superstructure is of white grant
iii from the quarries of Vermont.
to A large. beautifully designed an
is decorated porch leads to the main e
trance. Above it, framed by two II
is posing spires that rise to a height
he one hundred and sixteen feet, is 9
is elaborate rose window fifteen feet
IS, diameter which opens into the cho
.u- loft. 1t is surmounted by a. rich
20 decorated gable that rises to heigl
mt Of one hundred feet. Two other lara
st rose windows open into the sanetuai
he and the main body of the church