STrib: At 100, St. Paul Cathedral is full of community

For Palm Sunday, the polished floors of the Cathedral of St. Paulshine in mirror-like brilliance, reflecting a blaze of multicolored light streaming through the massive stained-glass rose windows.

Voices rising from the choir loft are accompanied by the triumphant blast of pipe organs as 1,000 or more worshipers gather under the copper-clad dome to celebrate mass.

It’s here, high atop a hill overlooking downtown St. Paul, where Catholics have come for the past century to worship and wed and pay tribute to those who have passed on.

And it’s here, over the next year, where they will return again and again to celebrate the 100th anniversary of a spiritual shrine through concerts and food drives and even a softball tournament.

At the heart of all the hoopla and history, however, the cathedral stands as an active community of faith.

“I don’t want it to simply become a museum or a monument,” said the Rev. John Ubel, its 22nd rector. “It is for the worship of God.”
continue at Star Tribune

Also: Pioneer Press: The Cathedral of St. Paul - 100 years of inspiring awe(photos)


St Paul Cathedral Centennial Events
March 15 to end of year: "The History of the Cathedral in 25 Objects": Archivists and tour guides have selected 25 objects to display throughout the cathedral to tell the building's story.
March 29: Palm Sunday Mass, 10 a.m.: 100th anniversary of the first Mass in the Cathedral of St. Paul, Archbishop John Nienstedt presiding. Reception follows in Hayden Hall.
April 12: 100th anniversary of the dedication of the Cathedral of St. Paul. Nienstedt will preside at 10 a.m. Mass.
April 12: Centennial Parish Festival: 1 to 5 p.m., Hayden Hall and lower level of the cathedral.
April 28St. Paul Cathedral Choir of London concert, 7:30 p.m. at the cathedral.
June 6 to end of year: Exhibit: "100 Years of Weddings at the Cathedral of St. Paul": wedding photos collected by cathedral archivists, placed into a 100-year timeline displaying the evolution of the ceremonies.