St. Mary's Basilica (Minneapolis, Minnesota)

Although "The Twin Cities" moniker is more of a geographic designation, and not a reference to St. Paul and Minneapolis being identical to one another, the two cities have competed since they were founded, oft times resulting in a duplication of efforts. One example of this rivalry might be found between The Cathedral of St. Paul (see my post below) and here in Minneapolis, the Basilica of St. Mary (the churches are actually Co-Cathedrals of the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis).  Located in downtown Minneapolis, St. Mary's Basilica is the first church in the United States to be designated a Basilica. The church itself, built between 1907 and 1915, is an outstanding example of the French Beaux-Arts style architecture, and designed by architect Emmanuel Louis Masqueray, who also designed St. Paul's Cathedral. The interior of the church is filled with incredible artwork, including 675 angels in a multitude of artistic mediums: glass, marble, steel, bronze, plaster, and wood. Besides being an architecturally and historically significant site, the Basilica of Saint Mary enjoys a thriving congregation of over 6,000 households. Music is an important tradition at St. Mary's, and the Basilica hosts musical events throughout the year with performances of traditional music and classical concerts. The Basilica is most famous for the annual Basilica Block Party, a festival held over several days in the summer. The block party attracts around 25,000 people, with the proceeds going towards maintenance and restoration of the Basilica. As with St. Paul, it is just about impossible to take pictures that capture the essence of this incredible church, but here's our best attempt at it.