The 15th Anniversary of the Rededication of the Cathedral of the Madeleine

Intermountain Catholic

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Bishop John C. Wester concelebrates the Mass of the 15th anniversary of the rededication of the Cathedral of the Madeleine Feb. 21. Concelebrating with the bishop were Father Joseph M. Mayo, rector of the cathedral, Father Omar Ontiveros, and (pictured) Diocesan Vicar General Msgr. J. Terrence Fitzgerald, and Msgr. M. Francis Mannion, who was rector of the cathedral during its renovation and the rededication. IC photo by Barbara S. Lee

SALT LAKE CITY — "Each year we recall the dedication of this church to your service, Oh Lord," Bishop John C. Wester prayed at the opening of the Mass of the 15th anniversary of the rededication of the Cathedral of the Madeleine after its extensive interior renovation completed in 1993.

The voices of the students of the Madeleine Choir School resounded in the cathedral, and Bishop Wester told them it is helpful to look at the physical church as a mirror of the Catholic Church at large. "It marks the passing of time."

He spoke of the Church of St. John Lateran in Rome, after it was bombed during World War II. "The church was a symbol of the people and their struggle with all the problems of society."

The Cathedral of the Madeleine was dedicated by Bishop Lawrence Scanlan in 1909, during which a time capsule was installed in the cornerstone. In 1920 it underwent an extensive renovation of its interior under Bishop Joseph S. Glass, during which many of the colors we see today were added. In the 1970s the exterior of the cathedral was renovated under Bishop Joseph Lennox Federal, and Bishop William K. Weigand oversaw the interior renovations during the 1990s.