About the Cathedral
The Cathedral Mission Statement
The Cathedral of Saint Paul is the Mother Church of the Archdiocese and a parish community of faith rooted in the Roman Catholic tradition. Our mission is to know, love and serve our Lord Jesus Christ. The center of our life is the Sunday Liturgy, where we come to know Christ in one another, in Sacred Scripture and in Sacrament. We educate in the faith, minister to those in need, extend hospitality to all and contribute to the cultural and spiritual life of the city.
A Spiritual Home for All
The Cathedral of Saint Paul
serves a multitude of purposes for Catholics throughout the community.
It is primarily a place of worship for its parishioners and the center
of the Archdiocese of Saint Paul and Minneapolis, but it is also a civic
landmark and a place of respite and contemplation near a bustling downtown.
It is the heart of a Catholic Community of Faith that reaches far beyond
the walls of its majestic structure.
The Archdiocese of Saint Paul and Minneapolis
The Cathedral of Saint Paul
is the house of God and a spiritual home for Catholics throughout the
region. As the Mother Church of the Archdiocese of Saint Paul and Minneapolis,
it holds the cathedra, or bishop's chair, and is recognized
as the bishop's official church.
The
Diocese of Saint Paul and Minneapolis was established by the Vatican
in 1850 and elevated to an Archdiocese in 1888. It serves a 12-county
area, containing 222 parishes, with more than 750,000 Catholics. There
are currently over 400 priests and 1,400 religious sisters, brothers
and deacons that serve in the parishes as well as many other ministries.
Each year, thousands of Catholics throughout the diocese come to the
Cathedral to celebrate the significant events in their faith lives:
Confirmations, Ordinations and the Rite of Election for catechumens
who are entering the Church all occur at the Cathedral.
The Archdiocese is a growing
community of faith. In the past 10 years, more than 100,000 new members
have joined the Archdiocesan Catholic Community. Each year, 12,000 infants
and 300 adults are baptized into life with Christ Jesus through the
Sacrament of Holy Baptism. And there is great diversity here; each Sunday,
Mass is celebrated in eight different languages in parishes throughout
the Archdiocese.
The
waves of immigrants that flooded into Minnesota in the late 19th and
early 20th centuries fueled the diversity that the diocese still enjoys.
The Cathedral of Saint Paul has always been an open and welcoming community
of faith. The Shrines of the Nations is testament to the important roles
that immigrant communities have played in the history of the Cathedral.
These shrines surrounding the sanctuary honor Saints who were important
to the many different ethnic communities that helped to build the Cathedral
that we see today. These saints include:
- Saint Anthony of Padua - Italy
- Saint Patrick - Ireland
- Saint Boniface - Germany
- Saint John the Baptist - France
- Saints Cyril and Methodius - The Slavic Nations
- Saint Therese - Protector of all Missions
The Archdiocese supports many
educational programs. There are 31 pre-school programs, 89 elementary and
11 secondary schools that serve over 7,000 students. In addition, more
than 70,000 children and 31,000 adults are enrolled in parish religious
education programs.
Together with their member
parishes, the Archdiocese supports programs that provide advocacy support
for the poor, the handicapped, persons with AIDS/HIV, pregnant women
and their families, the divorced and separated, prisoners, refugees
and others with special needs.
The Parish - A Community of Faith
The parish at the Cathedral of Saint Paul is growing
and vibrant. More than 1,500 households from almost 141 different ZIP
codes claim the Cathedral as their home parish. The average age of
parishioners is 38.
Having the beautiful Cathedral
building as a place of worship is a blessing for the parish, but it
is the people who comprise a parish and it is the faith of the people
that brings a parish to life. With numerous parish groups and spiritual
opportunities to grow in faith, the Cathedral's people, both parishioners
and visitors, give a human face to our church.
For the wider community, as well as
for our parishioners, the Cathedral provides opportunities to enhance
our appreciation for the arts. The parish hosts a regular organ concert
series showcasing the Cathedral's two Skinner organs. The Minnesota
Orchestra and Vocal Essence are some of the groups that also present
concerts at the Cathedral each year.
Community outreach is one of the missions of the parish. Parish groups and
individuals regularly support and volunteer in a number of organizations,
including the Dorothy Day Center, Cathedral Hill Homes, Summit University
Teen Center and Listening House.
In addition, the Cathedral is an active
partner with CommonBond, the largest provider of low-income housing in
Minnesota, and collaborates with the Saint Paul Council of Churches in
Project Home to provide housing for families when regular shelters are
full. Through these efforts, the Cathedral supports efforts to provide
nearly 3 million meals, over 5,000 places for the homeless to sleep, 2,000
low-income housing units and a home for troubled children.
The Cathedral is the Mother
Church of the Archdiocese of Saint Paul and Minneapolis, Minnesota.
Long a symbol of faith, the Cathedral is a place for all to find peace
and hope. All Catholics, regardless of where they are members, can take
pride in this building, this monument to the glory of God, and in the
presence of Christ Who is found within.
