About Cathedral of the Madeleine · Salt Lake City, Utah
The Cathedral of the Madeleine is the mother church of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Salt Lake City and the only cathedral in the United States under the patronage of St. Mary Magdalene. Built of Utah sandstone between 1900 and 1909, the cathedral sits at 331 East South Temple Street in downtown Salt Lake City, directly across from the headquarters of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. It combines a predominantly Romanesque exterior with a richly decorated Gothic and Spanish-Gothic interior, and was thoroughly renovated between 1991 and 1993 at a cost of $9.7 million. The cathedral serves as a downtown parish, the seat of the diocesan bishop, and a cultural center, anchored by the Cathedral Choir (founded 1909) and The Madeleine Choir School (founded 1996).
- Established
- 1909
- Patron
- St. Mary Magdalene
- Rector
- Very Reverend Christopher Gray, STL (Rector)
- Diocese
- Diocese of Salt Lake City
Why belong here
The Cathedral of the Madeleine offers a rare combination: it is the seat of the diocesan bishop and the spiritual home of Catholic life in Utah, yet it functions as a warm downtown parish with daily Mass in both English and Spanish, weekday Eucharistic Adoration (4:00–5:00 pm), Saturday and weekday confessions, sung Vespers and Benediction, and a robust calendar of ministries. Visitors and parishioners are drawn by its world-class sacred music — the historic Cathedral Choir (founded 1909), the internationally acclaimed Madeleine Choir School choristers, and the celebrated Eccles Organ Festival — by the social outreach of the St. Vincent de Paul Soup Kitchen and Good Samaritan Program, and by ministries spanning young adults, OCIA (RCIA), Respect for Life, and liturgical service at the altar. Few parishes in the country can claim a Romanesque-Gothic cathedral that is itself a National Historic Place and a working cultural-artistic center for an entire state.
Mass times at Cathedral of the Madeleine
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Monday 4:05 PM – 4:45 PM
- Tuesday 4:05 PM – 4:45 PM
- Wednesday 4:05 PM – 4:45 PM
- Thursday 4:05 PM – 4:45 PM
- Friday 4:05 PM – 4:45 PM
- Saturday 3:30 PM – 4:30 PM
- By appointment
Adoration times
- Monday 4:00 PM – 5:00 PM
- Tuesday 4:00 PM – 5:00 PM
- Wednesday 4:00 PM – 5:00 PM
- Thursday 4:00 PM – 5:00 PM
- Friday 4:00 PM – 5:00 PM
About the Cathedral
The Cathedral of the Madeleine is the mother church of the Diocese of Salt Lake City, the seat (cathedra) of the diocesan bishop, and the only American cathedral under the patronage of St. Mary Magdalene. Built between 1900 and 1909 of locally quarried Utah sandstone by architects Carl M. Neuhausen and Bernard O. Mecklenburg, it combines a predominantly Romanesque exterior with a richly decorated interior redesigned in the Spanish Gothic style by John Theodore Comes beginning in 1917. The building is listed on both the Utah Register of Historic Sites and the National Register of Historic Places (NRHP #71000845). The cathedral is also a living parish: it serves downtown Salt Lake City Catholics with daily Mass in English and Sunday/Saturday Mass in Spanish, hosts weekday Eucharistic Adoration, Vespers and Benediction, and operates an extensive array of social and cultural ministries.
- Located at 331 East South Temple Street, Salt Lake City, UT 84111-1226
- Listed on the Utah Register of Historic Sites and the National Register of Historic Places (added March 11, 1971)
- Patron: St. Mary Magdalene (feast day July 22)
History
Construction began in 1900 under the direction of Bishop Lawrence Scanlan, the first bishop of the newly erected (1891) Diocese of Salt Lake, and was completed in 1909 at a cost of about $344,000. Cardinal James Gibbons dedicated the cathedral on August 15, 1909. The plain interior was transformed beginning in 1915 under Bishop Joseph S. Glass, who commissioned architect John Theodore Comes to overlay the building with Spanish Gothic polychrome, shrines and reredos, working with muralist Felix Lieftuchter and woodcarver Johannes Kirchmayer. In 1916 Glass changed the cathedral's English spelling from "Magdalene" to "Madeleine" after a pilgrimage to Saint-Maximin-la-Sainte-Baume in France. After the Second Vatican Council, the liturgy was reordered and the interior thoroughly restored: a new altar, a relocated cathedra, a separate Blessed Sacrament Chapel, and a more ample baptismal font were installed. The $9.7 million project (1991–1993), led by Bishop William K. Weigand and the New York firm Beyer Blinder Belle, also included a seismic retrofit, the rebuilding of the lower level (Scanlan Hall), a new annex entrance and a plaza. The cathedral was rededicated on February 21, 1993 in a ceremony at which LDS leader Thomas S. Monson participated and which Cardinal Roger Mahony noted the contributions of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and the Episcopal Diocese of Utah.
- 1900–1909: construction under Bishop Lawrence Scanlan; architects Neuhausen & Mecklenburg
- 1909-08-15: dedicated by Cardinal James Gibbons
- 1915–1917: interior Spanish-Gothic decoration by Comes, Kirchmayer, Lieftuchter
- 1971-03-11: added to the National Register of Historic Places
- 1991–1993: $9.7 million restoration; rededicated February 21, 1993
- 1996: Madeleine Choir School founded in the cathedral basement
Architecture, Art & Furnishings
The cathedral's cruciform plan uses local Utah sandstone for the Romanesque exterior, articulated by rounded arches and twin towers. The Neo-Gothic interior is dominated by Comes' richly polychromed Spanish Gothic overlay of 1917 and by stained glass. The body-of-church windows, originally designed by F. X. Zettler of the Royal Bavarian Institute in Munich and installed in 1908, were completely rebuilt in 1992 by Rohlf Studios of New York. The west-side windows portray the Joyful Mysteries of the Rosary; the east-side windows the Glorious Mysteries, with a Resurrection medallion of Christ appearing to St. Mary Magdalene. The Blessed Sacrament Chapel holds 1918 windows by George W. Sotter of Pittsburgh depicting the twelve apostles, and the great Rose Window above the organ loft shows St. Cecilia with musical angels. The tympanum carved by Francis Aretz depicts Christ the High Priest flanked by angels and the twelve apostles, with the four Doctors of the Church (Augustine, Jerome, Ambrose, Gregory of Nyssa) above.
- Tympanum by Francis Aretz (Pittsburgh)
- Stained glass by F. X. Zettler (Munich, 1908) / Rohlf Studios (1992)
- Sotter windows in Blessed Sacrament Chapel (Pittsburgh, 1918)
- Rose Window of St. Cecilia over the organ loft
- Gargoyles (steel-reinforced concrete, 1993, replacing 1917 originals)
- Comes Spanish Gothic reredos, polychrome, murals by Felix Lieftuchter, woodwork by Johannes Kirchmayer
The Organ and Sacred Music
Sacred music has been central to the cathedral's identity since 1909. The original Kimball organ (1909, 27 ranks, electro-pneumatic) was rebuilt by Schoenstein in 1953 and ultimately replaced in 1992 by a 77/79-rank mechanical-action English-style organ with 4,066 pipes, built by Kenneth Jones and Associates of Bray, Ireland, and housed in a Gothic case designed to harmonize with the Comes woodwork. Its signature element is a horizontal Fanfare Trumpet extending from the choir gallery. The cathedral hosts the Eccles Organ Festival, an internationally recognized free recital series funded by the George S. and Dolores Doré Eccles Foundation, running from September through May with both Sunday-afternoon and Friday-evening concerts.
- Kenneth Jones & Associates organ (Bray, Ireland, 1992) — 4,066 pipes, 77/79 ranks
- Fanfare Trumpet projecting from the choir gallery
- Eccles Organ Festival (free Sunday 5:30 PM recitals, September–May)
- Cathedral Choir (founded 1909) sings 11:00 AM Sunday Mass and Solemnities
- Three CD recordings: Sing Joyfully, Let the Bright Seraphim, O' Great Mystery and Wondrous Sign
Sacraments
The cathedral prepares parishioners and visitors for all seven sacraments. Baptisms are coordinated in English by Deacon John Kranz and in Spanish by Deacon Guillermo Mendez (who also coordinates catechesis and OCIA in Spanish). First Communion, Confirmation, Marriage (including Quinceañera) are coordinated through the parish office, with Socorro Mendez as Wedding and Quinceañera Coordinator. The Anointing of the Sick is available on request. Sacramental records are managed by the receptionist Debra Allred. The cathedral's 1993 renovation installed a more ample baptismal font and a separate Blessed Sacrament Chapel as part of the post-Vatican II liturgical reordering.
- Baptism — English (Deacon John Kranz) and Spanish (Deacon Guillermo Mendez)
- First Communion and Confirmation
- Marriage / Quinceañera coordination (Socorro Mendez)
- Anointing of the Sick
Parish Life, Ministries & Outreach
Beyond liturgy, the cathedral runs a broad program of evangelization, formation, and service. The Young Adult Ministry gathers after the Sunday 6:00 PM Mass for fellowship, with retreats, Bible studies, Eucharistic adoration and service projects. The Respect for Life Ministry pursues the diocese's pro-life apostolate through Walking with Moms in Need, a partnership with the Pregnancy Resource Center, and outreach to those wounded by abortion. Outreach to those in need is anchored by the St. Vincent de Paul Soup Kitchen and the Good Samaritan Program (Director: Darren Williams). Liturgical ministries include Ushers (Ujieres), Lectors, Altar Servers (Monaguillos), Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion, and Ministers of Holy Communion to the Homebound and Elderly Care Centers. Newcomers are encouraged to register through the parish office.
- OCIA (RCIA) — English and Spanish
- Young Adult Ministry (post-6 PM Sunday Mass)
- Respect for Life Ministry — Walking with Moms in Need
- St. Vincent de Paul Soup Kitchen
- Good Samaritan Program
- Tour Guide Ministry (guided tours most Sundays at 12:30 PM)
The Madeleine Choir School
Founded in 1996 as a choir-training middle school in the cathedral basement, The Madeleine Choir School is the only co-educational Catholic choir school in the United States. It expanded to a complete K–8 campus in the Avenues neighborhood of Salt Lake City in 2003 and added a Pre-K program in 2007. The school is accredited by the Western Catholic Educational Association (WCEA) and offers a full liberal-arts curriculum in addition to its renowned choral training. Choristers sing the 11:00 AM Sunday Mass and the weekday 5:15 PM Masses at the cathedral, and perform during the major liturgical seasons of Christmas and Easter.
- Pre-K through Grade 8
- Founded 1996; K–8 campus moved to the Avenues in 2003
- Accredited by WCEA
- Choristers sing at the 11:00 AM Sunday Mass and weekday 5:15 PM Masses
- Mission: 'engaged scholars, effective communicators, dedicated liturgical musicians, and responsible world citizens'
Madeleine Arts & Humanities Festival
Held on the five Sunday evenings following Easter, the annual Madeleine Arts & Humanities Festival presents performers and artists chosen from talent across Utah and the West, continuing the traditional cultural role of the cathedral as a community arts center. The festival is organized by a volunteer committee.
- Annual festival: the five Sunday evenings after Easter
- Local and regional Utah/Western performers
- Free admission
Clergy & Staff
The Cathedral of the Madeleine is led by its Rector, supported by a parochial vicar, two deacons and a professional lay staff. Pastoral, liturgical, musical, educational, communications and operational roles are all represented on the parish team.
- Very Reverend Christopher Gray, STL — Rector
- Reverend André Sicard, JCL — Parochial Vicar; Hospital Chaplain, LDS Hospital
- Deacon Guillermo Mendez — Spanish Baptisms, Catechism, OCIA, Religious Education
- Deacon John Kranz — English Baptisms
- Kim Tosti — Director of Operations
- Socorro Mendez — Wedding and Quinceañera Coordinator
- Tracey Fredman — OCIA (English); Administrator of Liturgy
- Anthony Mazur — Director of Communications
- Amanda Rodriguez — Religious Education Coordinator (English)
- Debra Allred — Receptionist / Sacramental Records
- Matthew Murray — Accountant
- Gregory A. Glenn — Director, Liturgy and Music
- Gabriele Terrone — Organist and Assistant Director of Music
- Julian Petrallia — Assistant Organist and Administrator of Music
- Darren Williams — Director, Good Samaritan Program
- Willie Green — Principal Sexton; James Yost — Sexton
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Bishop Lawrence Scanlan1891–1915
First Bishop of Salt Lake (1891); purchased the site in 1890 for $35,000; commissioned the architects and oversaw construction 1900–1909; dedicated the cathedral Aug 15, 1909; buried in the Blessed Sacrament Chapel he built.
- Bishop Joseph S. Glass1915–1926
Second Bishop of Salt Lake; changed spelling to 'Madeleine' in 1916; commissioned John Theodore Comes to redesign the interior in Spanish Gothic style beginning 1917.
- Bishop William K. Weigand1980–1993+
Led the 1991–1993 $9.7 million interior restoration and Vatican II reordering by Beyer Blinder Belle; cathedral rededicated Feb 21, 1993.
