Truth be told, it was the promise of air conditioning that first spoke to me as we followed the city sidewalks to St. John the Evangelist Cathedral. It was 100 degrees in Boise, Idaho, the Sunday we arrived.

My family and I were nearing the end of our road trip west and we were much the worse for wear. At the time, my mind was not properly disposed to receive the Lord at Mass. Instead, I was desperately hoping our travel clothes wouldn’t offend the folks who had to sit next to us.

I was still smoothing out my blouse when we turned the last corner. Looking up, I caught my first glimpse of the massive stone structure soaring into the sky. Suddenly the minor wrinkles meant nothing. We were going into a house of God that was worthy of the designation.

The dog days of summer are now a fading memory. But the Dec. 27 feast of St. John the Evangelist is a perfect time for a spiritual communion aided by the memories of what we saw and learned in Boise’s first cathedral.

The church was the brainchild of Bishop Alphonse Glorieux, the second bishop of the Boise Diocese. No doubt the wise shepherd believed the cathedral was needed not only canonically but also to give a feeling of unity to the small band of Catholics — just 1,500 or so — scattered throughout the Gem State.

Bishop Glorieux began construction in 1906. Not wanting the diocese to incur debt, he built in stages on a “pay as you go” plan.

The first Mass was said here in 1912, in the basement. Another nine years would pass before the cathedral as it now stands was completed. It was dedicated on Easter Sunday of 1921, under the care of the diocese’s third bishop, Bishop Daniel Mary Gorman.

The edifice was designed by a popular Boise architectural firm, Tourtellotte & Hummel, in the Romanesque style. The sandstone façade gives the cathedral an impregnable countenance; grand arches over doors and windows add to its aura of assertiveness.

A tower, topped with a cross, rises from the rear. The structure recalled for me some of the grand European churches I have visited.

Sacrificial Stations

We climbed the steps to the front doors and stepped inside. Immediately I found myself drawn into prayer, thankful that we had some time before Mass began. Forgetting my plans to absent-mindedly cool off in a pew, I roamed around the nave, allowing my heart and mind to be lifted to Christ.

We seemed surrounded by saints, reverently depicted in both statuary and stained glass.

Of particular note: the Blessed Mother standing at the front of the church, to the left of the sanctuary. Her head is bowed and her hands clasped together in prayer. She is showing us that, like a true mother, she is always interceding for us and showering us with the blessings of her son.

To the right of the sanctuary is good St. Joseph. He holds a lily, calling us to imitate his life of steadfastness and purity.

With the few moments I had left until Mass began, I stopped before a few of the Stations of the Cross. Painted in vivid colors, these refreshed my memory about Christ’s suffering. I was now properly disposed for the sacrifice of the Mass.

Mass began and, as we made the Sign of the Cross, I thought of the stained-glass window I had noticed behind us. Set above the choir loft, it is a wheel window of St. Cecilia. The patroness of music thoughtfully composes, all the while surrounded by singing angels who are inspiring her.

Memorable Mass

The stained-glass windows, most of which were paid for by parishioners, provide rich aids to prayer and contemplation. Christ’s life is told on either side of the church; the Four Evangelists are represented above the altar in the apse surrounding the central window. This is the Holy Spirit window.

After Mass, my family and I lingered for a few moments before returning to our car. We thanked God for the gift of his Son and for an opportunity to join in the holy sacrifice of the Mass in such a beautiful setting.

The next day we hit the road again, heading back to our Minnesota home. We are happy to report that, when we returned, we found ourselves nourished and refreshed not only in our bodies, but also, and most especially, in our souls.

Just as St. John must have felt when, at the Last Supper, he laid his head upon Jesus’ breast.

Joy Wambeke writes from

St. Paul, Minnesota.

Information

Cathedral of St. John the Evangelist

775 N. 8th St.

Boise, ID 83702

(208) 342-3511

stjohnsparishboise.org

Planning Your Visit

Daily Mass is celebrated Mon.-Fri. at 8:30 a.m. Sunday Mass is celebrated Saturday at 5 p.m. (Vigil) and Sunday at 8, 10, 11:30 a.m., plus 1 (Spanish) and 6 p.m. (LifeTeen). Confessions are heard Saturdays from 3:30 to 4:30 p.m.