{"id":10798,"date":"2018-07-17T09:00:42","date_gmt":"2018-07-17T13:00:42","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/snappingtheglobe.com\/?p=10798"},"modified":"2018-07-11T23:15:57","modified_gmt":"2018-07-12T03:15:57","slug":"cathedral-of-the-madeleine","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/snappingtheglobe.com\/?p=10798","title":{"rendered":"Cathedral of the Madeleine"},"content":{"rendered":"

\u00a9 2018 Snapping the Globe, L.L.C. All rights reserved<\/i>.<\/p>\n

The Mormans…yes, when you think of Utah and religion, you think of the Mormans.<\/p>\n

Salt Lake City may be the headquarters of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latterday Saints (LDS), but a couple of blocks away from the infamous Temple Square, there are Catholics.<\/p>\n

Leave it to me to find a beautiful Cathedral in Utah…The Cathedral of the Madeleine.<\/p>\n

Lawrence Scanlan, an Irish Catholic missionary priest, took on the task of running St. Mary Magdalene church in the Utah Territory in 1873.\u00a0 It was the only church and Catholic institution in the territory and served approximately 800 members from the region’s mining camps.\u00a0 Traveling by horseback, stagecoach or rail, he made monthly visits to say mass in various areas.<\/p>\n

After being appointed Vicar Apostolic of Utah and Titular Bishop of Lavanden by Pope Leo XIII, he received his episcopal consecration in 1887.\u00a0 Finally being named as the first Bishop of Salt Lake, he took to the task of initiating construction of the Cathedral in 1900.<\/p>\n

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Situated on its second site within the city, it lies only a couple of blocks from the monumental\u00a0 complex of the Latter Day Saints and fills the skyline with its twin towers.\u00a0 Before entering, make sure to take a walk around the church and try to spot all of the gargoyles!<\/p>\n

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Though I was awe-struck at the ornate interior when I entered, I learned that originally the church was not this way upon its completion.\u00a0 \u00a0In 1909, the church was mostly unadorned with plain green walls and white columns, yet was fitted with exquisite stained glass windows from Germany.\u00a0 Additionally, plans for the exterior called for a plain sandstone building however, the exterior was built in the Neo-Romanesque style.\u00a0 Eventually, after the dedication, renovations commenced to modify the interior, resulting in a Neo-Gothic style with a Spanish influence.\u00a0 Colorful murals, including the Stations of the Cross, interior panels, statues of carved wood and ceiling frescoes were added along with ornate shrines.<\/p>\n

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\"\"Over the years, many renovations have been completed, including the addition of a new altar, movement of the bishop’s chair, the addition of a separate chapel for the Blessed Sacrament and a more ample baptismal font.\u00a0 Though the baptismal font was dry, I was able to visit the new chapel in which the casket of the Lawrence Scanlan, was placed, as per his request. On top of the casket is a reliquary containing a small piece of Saint Mary Madeline making the Cathedral one of only two in the world to contain a first class relic of the saint that the Cathedral is named for.<\/p>\n

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\"\"Masses are said in both English and Spanish many times a week and it is my understanding that tickets for the choral concerts are a hot commodity.\u00a0 The Cathedral, home to the only co-educational Catholic Choir School in the United States (established in 1996), has over 350 students from Pre-Kindergarten through Eighth Grade.\u00a0 Performing over 9,000 hours every year in the Cathedral as well as concert series, the choristers take part in tours throughout the world in addition, to singing regularly with local arts organizations, including the Utah Symphony and The Morman Tabernacle Choir.<\/p>\n

There are many religious experiences to be had in Salt Lake City…make The Cathedral of the Madeleine one of them.<\/p>\n

Check out Facebook, Snapping the Globe and Instagram, @snappingtheglobe for more pictures.<\/p>\n

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The Cathedral of the Madeleine<\/strong><\/p>\n