SALT LAKE CITY — "There is so much to know. All the time you’re learning something new," said Gary Topping, archivist for the Diocese of Salt Lake City, about the Cathedral of the Madeleine. Indeed. The cathedral, for example, has 257 angels. And, the Madonna and Child in the Chapel of Our Lady of Zion by Utah artist Avard Fairbanks has the features of a pioneer woman and child. These are facts only an archivist or an expert on the cathedral’s art might know. Sara Colosimo, a parishioner of the cathedral, is neither an archivist nor an art expert, but she does know that St. Mary Magdalene Church served as the first cathedral from 1887 to 1907 and that it was later sold and demolished. She learned this during a short stop at the photo exhibit in the Scanlan Hall of the cathedral. Roberto Taddeo, a member of Blessed Sacrament Parish in Sandy, learned from the exhibit that the cathedral’s original interior was green and white, something he considered "a little weird and different." It is hard to imagine the cathedral with plain green and white walls after being used to the colorful and delicate artistry that now embellishes it. But that is exactly the purpose of the exhibit: to make us reflect on where the edifice and the Catholic people of Utah have been. It also makes us think about where we are going as Catholics for the next 100 years, said Laurel Dokos-Griffith, development director. Dokos-Griffith, Topping, and Marty Seiner, an art historian and parishioner of the cathedral, put the photo exhibit together to get people prepared and excited about the centennial celebration, said Topping. The exhibit consists of 20 black and white photographs that date from the 1870s to 1936, when the cathedral was consecrated. Each photo has a caption written by Topping. The exhibit starts with a photograph of St. Mary Magdalene Church. It then includes a photo of the laying of the cornerstone of the Cathedral of the Madeleine followed by a series of photographs depicting the progress in the construction of the edifice. It continues with photos of the dedication on August 15, 1909, its renovation in 1917, and its rededication celebration in November 1936. "1936 is important because the cathedral was painted light-green and white. Then Bishop Joseph S. Glass, during World War I, painted all the lovely colors there now," said Topping. Bishop Glass contracted renowned artists from throughout the country to redecorate the then called St. Mary Magdalene Cathedral. When the redecoration and reconstruction of the church was completed, Bishop Glass renamed it the Cathedral of the Madeleine. The result was astonishing and the debt was big. Bishop Glass died in 1926. Bishop James E. Kearney finished paying off the debt in 1936 and consecrated the church. A parallel story to the cathedral’s is that of the Catholic people in Utah. "When people think of Utah, they think Mormon. I met this lady in Texas and she couldn’t believe I was a Catholic from Utah," said Topping. "We Catholics brought ethnic and cultural diversity to Utah… Our contribution is a really important one," he said. The development of the cathedral has been thanks to devoted Catholics like the late Bishop Lawrence Scanlan (1843-1915), the first bishop of the Diocese of Salt Lake City. "I’m impressed by what he was able to do. He built schools, hospitals, orphanages, and the cathedral’s rectory with a handful of Catholics. He was really remarkable and amazing," said Topping. People from that generation had great commitment and left the cathedral as a testimony of their faith, said Dokos-Griffith. Catholics from today are interested in learning about their Church’s past. "We have had such a good response. People are really excited about seeing it," said Dokos-Griffith. Those interested in the exhibit can see it only after Mass, when the Scanlan Hall is open, but could soon see it in a public space like the City Library, said Dokos-Griffith. She also said there are plans to expand the exhibit with two more series: one covering from 1936 – 1993, when the church was restored; and another one covering from 1993 until the present. "I want to bring it all the way into the future. I would like this current generation to think about what is the legacy it wants to leave," said Dokos-Griffith. The community is invited to contribute to the expansion of the photo exhibit. "We are seeking photos of weddings, graduations, baptisms… We would love for them to help us build (the last series)," she said. The photos need to be accompanied by a brief explanation of the story behind them and addressed to Laurel Dokos-Griffith or Attention: Cathedral history.
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