Among my husband’s wish list of places to visit was the Cathedral Basilica. I didn’t realize that he had never been inside since my brother lived across the street for a number of years and I’ve been there several times. It’s hard to describe when you enter the church and try to absorb the enormity of the beauty that surrounds you on all sides. When we walked through the door, his mouth literally dropped open and the only word he could come up with was “wow”.

 

 

Construction of the cathedral began on May 1, 1907, and by 1914, enough of the building had been completed to have a dedication ceremony, but it was not fully consecrated until June 29, 1926. Even after the consecration, the mosaics were not completed until 1988.

There is a gift shop on the main floor and a museum in the basement.