Easter Celebration Marks 100 Years At St. Paul Cathedral

ST. PAUL, Minn. (WCCO) -- Sunday's Easter holiday marks a centennial celebration for a Midwest Landmark.

The St. Paul Cathedral held its 100th Easter this morning. The first mass held here was 100 years ago on Palm Sunday. And on each holiday since, nearly 3,000 worshipers have filled the pews to celebrate.

The capitol city takes its name from the first St. Paul Cathedral. which was built in the 1840s as a log church. The current building has become a landmark within the city and a symbol of the Catholic faith within the Twin Cities community.

"It was built by many immigrant workers. The financing of the church wasn't just big money people coming in and donating to the church. It was pretty much the entire Catholic community coming together contributing to the church," Architectural Historial Larry Millett said. "There's a list of the small donations, which literally range from a dime to thousands of dollars. It really was, as built, a people's church."

The St. Paul Cathedral is one of the largest churches in the country. And it was built with many materials native to Minnesota, like rock-billed granite and stone from Mankato.