Another favorite stop when we visited the Twin Cities was the Cathedral of St. Paul in…you guessed it, St. Paul! It is an absolutely structure built in the Beaux Arts style, and made with granite from Saint Cloud.

The interior is stunning:

Like the cathedral in St. Louis, there is a Pietà:

I especially liked the shrines honoring the national patron saints of some of the immigrant groups in the area. In no particular order: Saint Anthony of Padua (Italy), John the Baptist (French Canada), Saint Patrick (Ireland), Saint Boniface (Germany), Saints Cyril and Methodius ( the Slavic Nations), and Saint Therese (protector of all missions). A really cool detail about these shrines is that each contains marble from the country they represent.

Don’t forget to look up!

A peek into the baptistry:

In addition to the shrines, there are also four chapels, dedicated to Saint Peter, the Sacred Heart of Jesus, Saint Joseph, and the Blessed Virgin Mary.

There are four piers supporting the dome, and at the base of each is a statue of one of the Gospel writers. I especially liked the statue of Saint Luke, which included an illustration of Mary on the scroll, as church tradition states that Luke was the first to create an icon of the Blessed Mother:

There were beautiful stained glass windows, and an exceptional organ:

Here’s a closer look at the grand high altar and the baldachin:

I love church architecture, and this beautiful building did not disappoint!