Cathedral of the Madeleine

I had seen pictures of the Catholic cathedral in Salt Lake City and knew I wanted to visit. For sure, the Mormons own that town--rather the state of Utah--but apparently there are a few other faiths practiced there. This place of worship is both holy and drop-dead gorgeous. The structure was begun in 1900 and completed nine years later.

However, much of the interior was created about 1917. This shows the colorful view toward the altar. My pictures do not do it justice.

The huge stained glass windows line the side walls.

The rose window below can be seen on the front of the cathedral. It was up with the huge pipe organ in the balcony.

 Inspiring paintings of Christ are under the windows. Even the frames were works of art.  I was struck with how distinctly Hispanic-Indian he was depicted and how even cacti were worked into the scene.

The visit was particularly meaningful as it gave me a beautiful place to continue my prayers for a dear friend who was undergoing a five-hour surgery that day at Shands Hospital in Gainesville. She is a devout woman who was raised Catholic. 

This website has a wonderful 360 panoramic camera view of the cathedral.

http://www.utcotm.org/panorama/Madeleine_swf.html