St. Joseph the Workman Cathedral -- La Crosse, Wis.

(https://commons.wikimedia.org/) 

 Destination: If you plan to drive north to see the leaves in the next few weeks, you may want to visit the Cathedral of St. Joseph in La Crosse, Wis., during this Year of St. Joseph.

Masses are offered daily at the cathedral. Check the website for the most recent COVID-19 regulations.  

Photos: Top -- The exterior of the Cathedral of St. Joseph shows the bell tower before the restoration project began. Below -- Guilding on the ceiling of the Marian Chapel is being repaired as part of the cathedral’s ongoing restoration project. 

Why to go: The parish that became St. Joseph was founded on Jan. 4, 1863, to serve the community’s German Catholics. But the demands of the Civil War delayed completion of the church. When the Diocese of La Crosse was established in 1868, it was decided to finish St. Joseph Parish as the cathedral. The first church was finished — but without a bell tower — and dedicated on Oct. 2, 1870. The bells that were hung in the completed tower in 1884 still ring out from the present tower.

The present cathedral was finished and dedicated during the week of May 14-19, 1962, when it was given the title St. Joseph the Workman, in honor of a new feast established by Pope Pius XII in 1955, celebrated each year on May 1. The cathedral features a bas-relief statue of St. Joseph dedicated on his feast day in 1961.

(https://cathedralsjworkman.org/)

The cathedral is undergoing maintenance in its Christ Our Cornerstone Restoration project.  One area of repair will be the gilding throughout, such as on the vaulted ceiling of the Marian Chapel. New gold leaf (or gilding) will be applied once the plaster is repaired.

There is also scaffolding around the bell tower.

Accessibility: Some parts of the church may be hard to enter during construction. Parking is also less convenient. Check the website for details, including live video of the progress. 

(Grand) Kid friendly: All ages are welcome.

Info: Address — St. Joseph the Workman Cathedral, 530 Main St., La Crosse, WI 54601
Phone — 608-782-0322
Website — https://cathedralsjworkman.org/

— Sharon Boehlefeld compiled this story

Send Destinations ideas to seasonedobserver@rockforddiocese.org