Qualla: Cathedral of Saint Helena

Cathedral of Saint Helena: Introduction

Mon, 26 Jan 2026 00:00:00 GMT

Photo credit Chris06, CC0. Thomas Cruse made his fortune in Montana gold. In 1905, he gave $25,000 to purchase a site for a new cathedral in Helena. Nine years later, on December 26, 1914, Cruse became the first person to have his funeral held in the building his donation made possible. The Cathedral of Saint Helena, modeled after Vienna's Votivkirche, took sixteen years to complete at a cost of $645,000. Its 230-foot twin spires, topped with twelve-foot gold-leafed crosses, now define the skyline of Montana's capital, a slice of European Gothic architecture transplanted to the American West.

Image: Chris06 | CC0

Cathedral of Saint Helena: Vienna on the Plains

Mon, 26 Jan 2026 00:00:00 GMT

Photo credit MarkusMark, CC BY-SA 3.0. Architect A.O. Von Herbulis of Washington, D.C., had studied at university in Vienna and knew the Votivkirche intimately. When Helena's Building Committee chose between Romanesque and Gothic designs for their new cathedral, they selected Gothic unanimously, and Von Herbulis drew ...

Image: MarkusMark | CC BY-SA 3.0

Cathedral of Saint Helena: Windows from Munich

Mon, 26 Jan 2026 00:00:00 GMT

Photo credit LeeZurligen, CC BY-SA 3.0. The F.X. Zettler Firm of Munich, Germany, created the cathedral's stained glass, and by the time of dedication, 46 of the planned 59 windows had been installed. The Zettler Firm made an extraordinary claim about the 37-window set depicting the Christian story from the fall of Ada...

Image: LeeZurligen | CC BY-SA 3.0

Cathedral of Saint Helena: Shaken but Standing

Mon, 26 Jan 2026 00:00:00 GMT

Photo credit LeeZurligen, CC BY-SA 3.0. In fall 1935, a series of earthquakes struck Montana. The cathedral's south tower was almost completely destroyed. Reconstruction and reinforcement work continued until 1938, designed to prevent future catastrophe. But the building would face another unexpected threat decades lat...

Image: LeeZurligen | CC BY-SA 3.0

Cathedral of Saint Helena: Bells and Bronze

Mon, 26 Jan 2026 00:00:00 GMT

Photo credit LeeZurligen, CC BY-SA 3.0. Fifteen hand-cast bells hang in the cathedral's north tower, each representing one of the fifteen mysteries of the Rosary. The limestone exterior features 29 statues of saints and biblical figures gazing down on the streets of Helena. Inside, the interior remained largely unchang...

Image: LeeZurligen | CC BY-SA 3.0

Cathedral of Saint Helena: Living Stone

Mon, 26 Jan 2026 00:00:00 GMT

Photo credit LeeZurligen, CC BY-SA 3.0. The cathedral continues to evolve while honoring its past. Renovation in 1982-1983 under Bishop Elden F. Curtiss addressed liturgical changes from the Second Vatican Council, including extensive restoration of the stained glass windows. The most recent renovation, begun in 2002, ...

Image: LeeZurligen | CC BY-SA 3.0