Prepare your heart for Christmas!

The Gathering Space and Bishop's Memorial Hall are readied to minister to needy community families at Christmas as part of the Jubilee Christmas festivities. St. Mary parish, along with several other local churches of many denominations, in conjuction with the Lafayette Urban Ministries, host low-income parents who can select new toys, clothing, and gift certificates for their children. Jubilee spreads the joy of the season in a way that supports the strength of the family unit and the dignity of parents. Jubilee serves over 600 families and over 1600 children. St. Mary parish has participated in this event for over 10 years and hosted some 35 families this year.

The story of the three trees is illuminated in this display. The story is about three little trees who dream about what they will be one day. One wishes to be made into a treasure chest. The second wishes to be made into a strong boat to carry the most powerful kings in the world on the oceans. The third didn't want to leave the mountaintop and instead wanted to be the biggest tree in the world so when people looked up at her, they would raise their eyes to Heaven and think of God. All three trees were eventually cut down. The first became a feed trough for animals, the second a simple fishing boat, and the third was cut into beams and just left in the lumberyard.

All three eventually recognized their dreams as the feed trough became the cradle for the Baby Jesus, the fishing boat carried Jesus and his disciples on the waters, and the tree cut into beams became the crucifixion cross.

Volunteers help get ready for the Christmas trip to Haiti. These "packing parties" take place a couple of weeks before mission trips to visit and minister to St. Mary's sister parish in Pendus, Haiti, St. Joseph. The Christmas trip is highlighted by a children's benediction in Pendus where some 400-500 children from the surrounding villages and mountains come to celebrate. During the children's benediction there is singing, praying, and messages of hope delivered by the priest. The children are then invited to pick a toy, underwear and socks, and usually a toothbrush or hair ribbons at the conclusion of the benediction.

May is the month of Mary, the Holy Mother of God and the Mother of the Church. Students from the 2nd grade, who just celebrated their First Communion, participated in a May crowning ceremony where they crowned the statue of our patron saint with a crown of flowers and presented Mary with a gift of a bouquet of flowers. During May, the faithful draw closer to Jesus through His mother, Mary, by praying the rosary.

2nd grade children, making their First Communion, created banners during a day of reflection as they prepared to receive this most holy sacrament. Each child included their name and images representing their thoughts about the Eucharist.

More banners from the 2nd grade students who just made their First Communion.

During the Reflection Day, children preparing to make their First Communion colored the cloth squares. These squares were then ironed on to the altar cloth by Mrs. Witt, a parishioner. Next year, the squares will be cut apart and returned to the children as reminders of their First Communion.

A blooming dogwood, outside of the Cathedral, heralds the beginning of spring and represents the new life brought to us all in the celebration of Easter.

He Is Risen! Alleluia! Alleluia!

The fragrance of Easter lilies still lingers in the Cathedral well into Easter Week. The lily, sometimes called "white-robed apostles of hope" symbolize hope and life and adorn the Cathedral during this most sacred of times to commemorate the Lord's ressurection and the hope of eternal life.

Easter morn with lilies fair

Fills the church with perfumes rare,

As their clouds of incense rise,

Sweetest offerings to the skies.

Stately lilies pure and white

Flooding darkness with their light,

Bloom and sorrow drifts away,

On this holy hallow'd day.

Easter Lilies bending low

in the golden afterglow,

Bear a message from the sod

To the heavenly towers of God.

-Louise Lewin Matthews

Fr. Bob, a chatecumen, and her sponsor at an Easter Vigil baptism.

In the Book of Tobit, we are reminded, “Prayer and fasting are good, but better than either is almsgiving accompanied by righteousness ... for almsgiving saves one from death and expiates every sin.” (Tobit 12:8a, 9a). During Lent, parishioners are encouraged to perform acts of almsgiving that help bring us closer to God and to our fellow Man. Operation Rice Bowl, started in 1975 by Catholic Relief Services, is a Lenten solidarity program that offers help to our brothers and sisters around the world and at home by offering our prayers, by fasting, by learning, and by giving. Seventy-five percent of the proceeds are used by Catholic Relief Services to support development projects (agricultural enrichment, water sanitation, maternal/child health, microfinance and job training, and HIV/AIDS programs) in 40 countries around the world. Twenty-five percent of the proceeds stay with the local diocese to help support local hunger and poverty alleviation projects.

An empty baptismal font and the absent Paschal candle remind us during Lent that we are wandering in the desert searching for Life and the Light of Salvation. At the Easter Vigil Mass, the waters will flow and the light will be replaced as we welcome new members into the Catholic faith as we celebrate the Resurection of Jesus Christ.

Teachers, parents, and other adult parishioners extend their hands in a blessing over the school children of St. Mary Elementary School during the Holy Thursday school prayer service. Members of the third grade class re-enacted the event of Jesus washing the feet of His disciples where Jesus provides a model of servitude for His disciples.

A life-sized cross is placed near the front altar during Lent as a constant reminder of Christ's ultimate sacrifice for us.

At the Chrism Mass, the oil of the sick, the oil of catechumens, and the holy chrism are blessed by the bishop. These oils are used throughout the year for the sacraments of baptism, anointing of the sick, confirmation, and holy orders. The oils are then presented to the local parish community. Since St. Mary is the cathedral for the diocese, the diocesan supply of oils, in addition to her own parish supply, are reserved at the Cathedral. The parish supply of oils is depicted in the picture.

Located in the Gathering Space, this memorial honors the veterans of St. Mary parish.

Parishioners enjoy fellowship at the recent CRHP Reunion. Held annually, the reunion provides an opportunity for past CRHP teams together and celebrate the growth of the program and the enormous gifts that we have individually, and as a parish, been blessed with because of parishioner involvement in this faith-filled experience.

View of the Cathedral's main entrance (from the Columbia Street). The original church, although construction started in 1861, was not completed until 1866 as construction was halted at the outbreak of the Civil War in 1861.

Elementary school students at All School Mass during the school year.

Bishop's Memorial Hall (view from Columbia Street). The upper level houses a large reception/dining area while the lower level houses several rooms for meetings, ministry and apostolate of the laity activties, and storage facilities in support of parish activities. The meeting rooms are named for the bishops of the Diocese of Lafayette-In-Indiana: The Most Reverend John G. Bennett (1945 - 1957), The Most Reverend John J. Carberry (1957 - 1965), The Most Reverend Raymond J. Gallagher (1965 - 1983), The Most Reverend George A. Fulcher (1983 - 1984), and The Most Reverend William L. Higi (1984 - present).

Parishioners enjoy lunch and fellowship at a Christ Renews His Parish weekend.

View of the Cathedral from the South Street parking area.

The Diocesan Memorial Plaza is a permanent memorial on the west side of the Cathedral honoring the people and communities of the Diocese of Lafayette-in-Indiana. The center of the plaza is an outline of the counties which comprise the diocese. Within each county outline are bricks with the names of the parishes and missions in that county. Each memorial brick is recognition of a gift to the cathedral renovation.

Fr. Ambrose Ziegler (Fr. Ziggy) blesses a new car for Fr. Bob at the Welcome Back Reception held in honor of Fr. Bob's return to St. Mary.

View of the Cathedral interior from the choir loft.

Parishioners participate in the Cancer Relay for Life. St. Mary parishioners can often be found supporting community outreach and charity activities.

The canvases behind the altar depict the 11 apostles who were present at the first Mass and at the Ascension of Jesus Christ. Judas was not present at the first Mass, having left to betray Jesus, and was dead at the time that the risen Christ ascended into Heaven. At that time, Matthias had not yet been chosen. The images remind us that "we too can become a missing apostle" and that faith must never be taken for granted.

The risen Christ is centered in the apse wall as He has been since 1976. The figure was carved in linden wood by an Italian Tyrol wood carver in the region of Ortisei.

Also visible is the "cathedra" or bishop's chair. It is the chair from which the bishop presides and thus exercises his liturgical and spiritual authority. The chair is made of red oak and bears the bishop's coat-of-arms.

Local area priests, joined by Fr. Ronel Charelus from St. Mary's sister parish in Haiti, participate in the groundbreaking ceremony for the Habitat for Humanity Catholic House.

A view of the choir loft from the altar.

Parishioners right before Mass service at the Annual Haiti Golf Outing.

View of the Tabernacle from the Cathedral interior. The Tabernacle is original to the church. The railing on the ramp leading to the Tabernacle (which makes the access handicap-accessible) was previously used as the Communion rails.

A St. Mary parishioner shares fellowship with Haitian parishioners on a recent visit to St. Mary's sister parish, St. Joseph, in Pendus (pronounced pahn-doo), Haiti.

The Annual Fall Festival provides a fun atmosphere for parishioners to gather and share fellowship while helping to generate funds to support St. Mary Cathedral Elementary School.

The Baptistry, located at the church entrance, contains a mosaic, designed by Stephan Goffinet and fabricated in Italy. It depicts four white doves that represent the Holy Spirit at the four corners of the world. The railing around the font, like the railing on the ramp leading to the Tabernacle, was part of the former Communion rail.

The Blessed Sacrament exposed for adoration in the old parish office chapel during a Christ Renews His Parish weekend.

Inside the Blessed Sacrament Chapel with a closer view of the Tabernacle. Although not a perpetual adoration chapel, the Blessed Sacrament Chapel is available for daily prayer even in instances when the Cathedral itself may be closed. The chapel is visible from most angles of the church.

Parishioners from St. Boniface and St. Mary share a social and spiritual bond with each other during this Christ Renews His Parish Seed Weekend. Parishioners from St. Mary formed a "seed" team to help sow the seeds of the Christ Renews His Parish program at our sister parish, St. Boniface. Fr. Tim Alkire (pastor of St. Boniface) can be seen toward the back of the picture talking with a St. Mary parishioner while Fr. Bob (pastor of The Cathedral of St. Mary of the Immaculate Conception) can be seen in the foreground talking with parishioners from St. Boniface.

The Cathedral's Stations of the Cross date from at least the 1890s. While the stations were being shipped for restoration during the Cathedral's renovation, the names of the parishioners who donated the money for the stations were found inscribed on the back of each station.

Replicates of the Cathderal's stations of the cross have been donated to several churches in the area of Pendus, Haiti where St. Mary's sister parish, St. Joseph, is located. They provide a physical link of solidarity between the people of Haiti and the parishioners of The Cathedral of St. Mary of the Immaculate Conception.

St. Mary parishioners can also be found volunteering their time to help the youth of the area. In this picture, parishioners volunteer to coach the players of the Central Catholic Little Gridiron football teams. These 3rd through 6th grade players are members of The Cathedral of St. Mary of the Immaculate Conception, St. Boniface, and St. Lawrence (and other local churches). Despite the focus on football, the young men are also taught the things in life that are even more important than football are faith, family, and school.

View of two of the Cathedral's stained glass window sets taken from the parking lot at night.