Preserving the Cathedral of the Madeleine takes constant effort

Intermountain Catholic

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The sanctuary of the Cathedral of the Madeleine underwent complex renovations from 1990 to 1993 to make it more consistent with the changes of Vatican II. A new marble altar was installed and placed to face the congregation. IC photo by B. Lee

The Bishop’s Dinner: A Benefit for the Cathedral of the Madeleine will be held Wednesday, Sept. 24, 2008, with Bishop Wester at the Grand America Hotel. We hope all patrons of the Cathedral will continue to support this ongoing effort for preservation of this historic and architecturally significant building that stands as a beacon in our community.

SALT LAKE CITY — People look to a cathedral for excellence in liturgy, said Father Joseph M. Mayo, rector or pastor of the Cathedral of the Madeleine, the mother church of the Diocese of Salt Lake City. "They look to the cathedral for good preaching, the proper celebration of the liturgy, and the best elements of liturgical tradition.

"When Gregory Glenn was hired in 1988 to be the organist, he and Msgr. (M. Francis) Mannion, who was rector of the cathedral at the time, analyzed the proper expression of the liturgy of the Eucharist," Fr. Mayo said. "They applied those standards to the lectors, the ministers of the Eucharist, the cantors, the organists and the servers. That standard was applied to the Madeleine Choir School when it began. They wanted the Cathedral of the Madeleine to be the bright star of North America."

What is done at the cathedral, he said, "does not come easily."

"All of our liturgies are carefully planned by Greg; the Christmas liturgy, the Easter liturgy, the organ concerts. They are planned to highlight the organ in the same way the Madeleine Choir School concerts are planned to highlight the choir school."

Fr. Mayo said it was Msgr. Mannion’s plan to develop an adult choir first, "but when Gregory Glenn came, he worked for the inclusion of young voices."

What began as a choir in rehearsal after school at Kearns- St. Ann School, eventually became the Madeleine Choir School. Glenn even went to London to study how the choir school is run at Westminster Cathedral. He came home and began working with parents. They developed a mixed boys and girls choir with young people from grade four to grade eight. With the school’s first principal, Betsy Hunt, the school began in the basement of the cathedral.

"The school was an overwhelming success," Fr. Mayo said. "By the fall of 1996, more young choristers were included. The choir school expanded in 2002, taking over the upper campus in what used to be Rowland Hall-St. Mark’s. Today the school has students from pre-kindergarten through grade eight.

"We take music very seriously here," Fr. Mayo said. "Greg Glenn has given this school the best years of his life. Now we are seeing other cathedrals beginning programs."

Fr. Mayo said the Madeleine Choir School gets many requests for students to sing with and for other arts organizations. "They have good rapport with the arts organizations, the Utah Opera and Ballet West. And graduates of the school continue to sing. All of this has grown from the vision of Msgr. Mannion and Gregory Glenn."

This sacred space, Fr. Mayo said, "is more than a large room. With this organ, we have heard concerts with new and classical music. We enjoy the historical Latin music and the modern music sung in the vernacular, and now Spanish is being added. The Spanish Mass is as well thought out as the English Mass. The good music draws people to the cathedral."

Now, the goal of the Cathedral of the Madeleine is to built an endowment. That is the goal of the Bishop’s Dinner.

"We want people to be aware of the cathedral and of our gifts," said Fr. Mayo. "In its first 80 years this building and the ones that surround it slowly fell apart. We’re trying to be smarter now.

"Preserving the Cathedral of the Madeleine includes preserving the rectory and the stone building at the end of the block.

"We’re preserving things bit by bit," he said. "We refurbished the front doors and the bells. The work is constant, and so is the effort. That’s why we began having the Bishop’s Dinner. With the proceeds going toward an endowment, we are assuring the Cathedral of the Madeleine’s future."

For further information on the Bishop’s Dinner contact Father Joseph Mayo or Ms. Laurel Dokos-Griffith at 328-8941