We drive by many of these places and probably never consider what’s inside.  Like the old line that you can’t judge a book by its cover, many of Idaho’s churches don’t look ordinary on the outside.  Then you walk inside and you’re stunned.

Credit Bill Colley.
Credit Bill Colley.
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There’s history at these places.  In Helena, Montana, the Roman cathedral was funded by immigrants who made fortunes mining.  They thanked God for their fortunes by building a house of worship.

When the Cathedral of St. John the Evangelist was constructed, Boise was still a small city. Many Catholic immigrants saved their nickels and dimes to build the church, and the same is true for most denominations. Planting a church eventually means a permanent home is needed. Some fine modern buildings exist, but most have been built frugally, and many of the old stone masons and craftsmen are scarce today.

There’s an old Episcopal Cathedral a few blocks away from St. John, but I didn’t have time to explore.  I was in Boise for the March for Life, and there was a Mass for Life before the rally celebrated by the Roman Catholic Diocese.

After the rally, there was a reception in the basement of the church with cookies and coffee. There are no concrete blocks in the foundation.  The work was hard.  Stones were hewn and then sealed with mortar.  It looks like it could stand for millennia.

Cataldo Mission. Credit Bill Colley.
Cataldo Mission. Credit Bill Colley.
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I’m reminded that the oldest still-standing building in Idaho is a church.  The Cataldo Mission is a testament that someone recognized indigenous peoples were fully human and children of God.  History shouldn’t overlook the positive aspects of our past.

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