Pictured are the freshly fastened cedar shingles on the south side of the Cathedral of Our Merciful Saviour’s roof. Though cheaper roofing options were available, cedar shingles help keep the structure in its original, historical form. (Michelle Vlasak/southernminn.com)

Central Roofing crew members work on removing shingles from the north side of the Cathedral of Our Merciful Saviour roof in early May. (Michelle Vlasak/southernminn.com)

Bishop Henry Whipple laid the cornerstone of The Cathedral of Our Merciful Saviour in 1862. The Cathedral was completed — without the tower — and consecrated in 1869 by prominent American architects James Renwick Jr. and Ralph Adams Crams.

The gothic-revival cathedral still stands tall today on the corner of Second Ave. NW and Sixth St. NW in Faribault. Legacy grant funds offered through the Minnesota Historical Society allowed the Cathedral to undergo some updates, allowing the historical structure to continue on as a place for the community.

Central Roofing crew members work on removing shingles from the north side of the Cathedral of Our Merciful Saviour roof in early May. (Michelle Vlasak/southernminn.com)

June Muchow, junior warden of the Cathedral, said Bishop Whipple was a towering figure in Minnesota history and beyond, and he was well known as an advocate for the Native Americans.

“His vision was to have a missionary church with justice and mercy for all,” Muchow said. “The Cathedral today is fulfilling his vision, by hosting a number of nonprofit organizations.”

One of those nonprofits includes the Community Cafe, which has a mission to “Build Community One Meal at a Time,” by offering free meals on Tuesday evenings around 4:30 p.m.

Other organizations that meet weekly are Narcotics Anonymous, Sertoma, and early morning coffee groups. Muchow said the Cathedral hosts Red Cross Blood Drives, quilt shows, community concerts and services, and also rents out its space to another faith community, and will rent space for weddings, showers and birthday parties.

Many people, including those from outside the Faribault area, participate in tours of the historic Cathedral. In 2017, a woman who was participating in a tour of the Cathedral by Father Henry Doyle suggested that given the historic value of the Cathedral, it would be a good candidate for the Legacy grant funds offered through the Minnesota Historical Society.

Muchow said Dean Justin Chapman applied for a grant, and the Cathedral was awarded a grant in 2018 to develop a historical structures report. The Cathedral chose MacDonald & Mack Architects to complete the report, and had them continue when grants funded Cathedral roof replacement and Guild House chimney repair.

The congregation and the report both listed the Cathedral roof replacement as the No. 1 priority, said Muchow. Angela Sammon was hired to be the Cathedral’s grant writer, and Muchow said she has been instrumental in helping with the grant process.

A small grant was awarded in 2019 to develop construction documents to replace the Cathedral roof. Cost Planning & Management International estimated the cost in 2019 at $771,000. The architects recommended the Cathedral to divide the project into three phases, so it would be more manageable financially, said Muchow.

Phase one of the project is the sanctuary roof, followed by the chapel roof for phase two and the apse roof for phase three.

The Minnesota Historical Society awarded the Cathedral a grant of nearly $258,000 in October 2020 to start phase one of the roof replacement. A bid was accepted from Central Roofing in March 2021, but due to increases in cost, and the supply and demand issue of building materials, construction didn’t begin until April 2022.

While a good portion of the old singles have now been replaced, Muchow said some setbacks with the stonework led them to extending the project’s completion date to June of 2023.

Given the acceptance of the Cathedral on the National Register of Historic Places in 1979, Muchow said it has a lot of value to the community and beyond. Certain parameters must be followed to keep the structure as close to its original form as possible.

”It’s not just our building. We are just here to take care of it,” Muchow said. “It’s for all community members. People love to come here. Though we have a small congregation, we have lots of hardworking and dedicated volunteers who step up to help.”

Pictured are the freshly fastened cedar shingles on the south side of the Cathedral of Our Merciful Saviour’s roof. Though cheaper roofing options were available, cedar shingles help keep the structure in its original, historical form. (Michelle Vlasak/southernminn.com)

In particular with the Community Cafe, Doyle said it is something they wouldn’t be able to operate without the support of others. It brings volunteers from different religious and non-religious groups together.

”It wouldn’t exist without the support of many volunteers from diverse backgrounds and diverse religions,” Doyle said. “The Episcopal church has a very small and aging congregation. The Cathedral is very appreciative, grateful and fortunate for the people in our community who volunteer. It’s just amazing to see the support.”

Muchow said the Cathedral congregation is committed to ongoing stewardship of its historic buildings. While the congregation is able to support maintenance for continued use of the building, Muchow said large preservation projects are beyond the scope of what the congregation is able to pay for.

It is likely the Cathedral will continue to seek out grants to help defray the costs of continued restoration projects.

”The Cathedral leadership is forever grateful for all the support it has received for our Capital Campaign Fund from its members and the community,” Muchow said. “We hope and pray for additional contributions so we can continue restoring the beautiful Cathedral and to be a beacon of light in the Faribault community.”

{span}Reach reporter Michelle Vlasak at 507-333-3128. ©Copyright 2022 APG Media of Southern Minnesota. All rights reserved.{/span}

Gifts and pledges can be sent to: The Cathedral of Our Merciful Saviour, P.O. Box 816, Faribault. Contributions can be made online at onrealm.org/thecathedralfaribault/give. Donations are requested to be made under the Capital Campaign Fund. 

To schedule an event at the Cathedral, contact the church office at 507-334-7732. 

Data included is taken from the Minnesota Department of Health Daily reports. Because all data is preliminary, the change in number of cumulative positive cases and deaths from one day to the next may not equal the newly reported cases or deaths.

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