About St. Patrick Co-Cathedral · Billings, Montana
St. Patrick Co-Cathedral is the Roman Catholic cathedral in Billings, Montana, sharing its cathedra status with St. Ann's Cathedral in Great Falls as co-seat of the Diocese of Great Falls-Billings. Built in 1904 in the Gothic Revival style and constructed of brick, the church stands at 215 N. 31st Street in downtown Billings and has served the Yellowstone County Catholic community continuously for over a century. It is the spiritual home of one of Billings' oldest parishes, offering daily and Sunday Mass, Reconciliation, Eucharistic Adoration, youth ministry, faith formation, and outreach to the poor and homebound.
- Established
- 1904
- Patron
- St. Patrick
- Rector
- Rev. Leo McDowell
- Diocese
- Diocese of Great Falls-Billings
Why belong here
St. Patrick Co-Cathedral is the historic Catholic heart of Yellowstone County and serves as a co-seat of the Diocese of Great Falls-Billings, so it offers the full rhythm of cathedral life: a daily Mass schedule (Tuesday-Friday 6:30 am and 12:10 pm), two Sunday Masses, Saturday Vigil, regular Reconciliation (twice weekly), and the diocesan ceremonies one expects from a co-cathedral. The parish runs an active faith formation and youth ministry program, a Vacation Bible School, a young-adult group, parish outreach to the sick and homebound, a music program with a forward-placed choir, and many ways to serve in ministry. It is a warm, downtown parish with a century-old Gothic Revival sanctuary where visitors, newcomers, and lifelong Montanans are equally welcome.
Mass times at St. Patrick Co-Cathedral
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Saturday 3:00 - 4:30 pm
- Wednesday 4:00 - 6:00 pm
History
The roots of St. Patrick Co-Cathedral go back to 1886, when Billings' first Catholics built the small St. Joachim frame church under Fr. Francis Van Clarenbeek. By the early 1900s the parish had outgrown that building, and the present Gothic Revival brick church was begun in 1905, consecrated in 1908, raised to Co-Cathedral status in 1980, and has served the diocese continuously since. The full narrative — including the Fratt school bequest, the 1954 Byzantine renovation, the Vatican II updates, and the 1990s restoration — is told in the 'Our Story' section of the parish website.
- 1887: St. Joachim Parish founded by Fr. Francis Van Clarenbeek
- 1905: Ground broken for the present St. Patrick Church
- 1906 (Aug 12): Cornerstone laid by Bishop Lenihan
- 1908 (March 1): Solemn dedication
- 1910: Fr. Cyril Pauwelyn becomes pastor; begins school
- 1919: New parish school opens (170 students)
- 1954: Major renovation — Byzantine dome, rose window, new furnishings
- 1960s-1980s: Sanctuary updated for Vatican II
- 1980 (Feb 14): Diocese renamed Great Falls-Billings; St. Patrick named Co-Cathedral
- 1990s: Choir moved forward, new sacristies and gathering space added
- 1997: Side altars reopened, dome repainted
Architecture & Art
The cathedral is a brick Gothic Revival building completed in 1904-1908 and long distinguished by a tall spire that once dominated the Billings skyline. Its most striking interior features are the Byzantine-style painted dome (added 1954 and repainted 1997), the rose window above the choir loft, the stained-glass windows along the nave, and a hand-carved statue of St. Anthony carved by an Italian sculptor who traveled to the United States for the project. The sanctuary was redesigned several times to comply with Vatican II; the present marble altar, ambo, and wood paneling date from those mid- to late-20th-century renovations.
- Style: Gothic Revival
- Material: Brick
- Original cost: ~$64,000
- Spire: once tallest in Billings
- 1954 Byzantine-style painted dome
- Rose window over choir loft
- Hand-carved Italian statue of St. Anthony
- Stained-glass windows
- Marble altar, ambo, and wood paneling (Vatican II era)
Clergy & Staff
St. Patrick Co-Cathedral is staffed by a pastor, a parochial vicar, and a Pastor Emeritus who continues hospital and jail ministry, alongside a small lay staff handling parish administration, the bulletin, the library, building maintenance, faith formation, youth ministry, and outreach.
- Fr. Leo McDowell — Pastor
- Fr. John Pankratz — Parochial Vicar
- Fr. John Houlihan — Pastor Emeritus; Hospital/Jail Ministry
- Greg Contrerez — Maintenance / Building Supervisor / Security
- Faye Urbanski — Administrative Assistant / Bulletin / Bookkeeper
- Sherri Gunderson — Administrative Support / Library
- Valerie Roozen — Director of Youth Ministry and Religious Education
- Rynee Stewart — Parish Census / Parish Outreach
Faith Formation & Religious Education
Parish faith formation is led by Valerie Roozen, Director of Youth Ministry and Religious Education. Programs include ongoing religious education for parish children, youth ministry, a Vacation Bible School, and a Young Adults group. Catechesis and Bible study round out the formation offerings for adults.
- Religious Education for children
- Youth Ministry
- Vacation Bible School
- Young Adults
- Catechesis
- Bible study
Liturgy & Music
The cathedral maintains a robust music ministry; in the 1990s renovation the choir was relocated forward into the worship space to enhance congregational participation. The music program supports Sunday Masses, holy days, and the liturgies of Holy Week and Christmas.
- Parish choir (forward-placed since 1990s)
- Music at Sunday and weekday Masses
- Holy Week and Christmas liturgies
Sacraments
St. Patrick Co-Cathedral prepares Catholics for and celebrates the seven sacraments, with dedicated pages on its website for Marriage/Weddings and Funerals. Reconciliation is offered twice weekly, Anointing of the Sick and Viaticum are brought to the homebound and hospitalized through parish outreach, and the parish coordinates Baptism, First Communion, and Confirmation preparation through its Faith Formation program.
- Baptism
- First Communion
- Confirmation
- Marriage (Wedding)
- Funerals
- Anointing of the Sick
- Reconciliation
Outreach & Charity
The parish operates an outreach ministry under Rynee Stewart (Parish Census / Parish Outreach) and Fr. John Houlihan (Pastor Emeritus, Hospital and Jail Ministry), bringing Communion, prayer, and the sacraments to the sick, the homebound, and those in the hospital or jail. The parish website also lists a 'Parish Support' volunteer sign-up for parishioners who want to serve in ministry.
- Visits to the sick and homebound
- Hospital ministry
- Jail ministry
- Parish Census / Outreach coordination
- Volunteer sign-up
Diocese & Co-Cathedral Status
St. Patrick Co-Cathedral is one of two cathedrals (with St. Ann's Cathedral in Great Falls) of the Diocese of Great Falls-Billings, currently led by Most Rev. Jeffrey M. Fleming. The diocese was created in 1904 as the Diocese of Great Falls and renamed the Diocese of Great Falls-Billings by Pope John Paul II on February 14, 1980, the same year St. Patrick's was named Co-Cathedral. The cathedral parish hosts diocesan liturgies in addition to its regular parish schedule.
- Co-Cathedral of the Diocese of Great Falls-Billings
- Companion cathedral: St. Ann's Cathedral, Great Falls
- Bishop: Most Rev. Jeffrey M. Fleming
- Diocese renamed by Pope John Paul II on February 14, 1980
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Fr. Francis Van Clarenbeek1886-
First pastor in Billings; founded St. Joachim parish (1887) and invited the Sisters of Charity of Leavenworth to start St. Vincent Hospital.
- Fr. Cyril Pauwelyn1910-
First pastor of St. Patrick Parish after its organization; immediately built a school in the old St. Joachim Church; later a parish school was built from the Kate Fratt bequest and opened in February 1919 with 170 students. He is memorialized by the Knights of Columbus Assembly 587 ('Fr. Pauwelyn Assembly') in Billings.