Generations of faithful celebrate Easter at Saint Helena Cathedral

HELENA, Mont. — As the world grieves over the fire that devastated so much of Notre Dame in Paris this week, it's a reminder for many, just how close our connections are to our places of worship.

For Christians it's especially true this Easter Sunday.

In this week's Montana Moment, NBC Montana takes us to our Capital City for mass at the Cathedral of Saint Helena.

With it's magnificent Gothic architecture the Cathedral is the pride of Helena.

For Catholics it's a sacred touchstone.

For parishioners throughout the Diocese," said the Administrator for the Diocese of Helena, Kevin O'Neill," it is their mother church."

For Rick and Jennifer Ahmann and their seven sons it's both their mother church and their home parish.

The family's ties to Saint Helena stretch back a long way.

"On any given Sunday," said Rick, " there are four generations of my family that will be in this church."

On this Sunday, a couple weeks before Easter, the family, including six of their sons, Christian, Morgan, Greyson, Matthias, Isaac and Declan attended 11 a.m. mass.

The oldest Ahmann son, Schuyler is away at college.

Holding four-month old Declan, Jennifer said she loves the Cathedral.

"For me it's the Eucharist," she said, "The body and blood of Jesus is up on the altar in the tabernacle. That's the most important part for me."

Jennifer wasn't raised Catholic.

She met Rick while she was a student at Carroll College and started going to mass at the Cathedral.

" We were married in the Cathedral," she said. "I was drawn to Catholicism and I converted."

After Easter, Christian, his twin brother Morgan and their younger brother Greyson will receive their Confirmation at Saint Helena's.

"All of my extended family will be there, " said Christian. " Our grandparents, great-grandparents and aunts and uncles."

Rick said you don't need a cathedral to find joy in the mass.

"But Saint Helena's," he said, "is a gift."

"It's so steeped in tradition for our family," he said. " It's an incredible place to come in to worship on Sundays."

The appeal of the great cathedral is secular too.

You don't have to be Catholic or even religious to marvel at just how stunning it is.

" People stop and ponder and stay awhile," said Monsignor O'Neill," because there is beauty here. And it's a peaceful beauty."

The cathedral was modeled after a church in Vienna, Austria.

Construction began in 1908.

In 1914 the first mass was celebrated.

"But the intervention of WWI and then the flu pandemic which followed," said Monsignor O'Neill, " delayed the arrival of artisans and materials."

So the church wasn't completed and consecrated until 1924.

The total cost was $645,000, a huge amount of money for its day.

Monsignor O'Neill said donors of great means contributed to construction as well as people who could only give "nickels and dimes."

Original plans called for the cathedral to be even larger than it is.

But the stained glass windows, which came from Bavaria, Germany were not reduced in size.

"They really are captivating because of that," said the Monsignor, "and the marble work and wood carving are extraordinary."

Since 1908 the cathedral has gone through several renovations and restorations.

"It certainly rivals any of the cathedrals in this part of the world," said Rick. "It's unique."

"I think in all humility it is a sacred place," said Monsignor O'Neill," not only because of the presence of God here. But because the presence of God people bring here since they are made in his image and likeness."

"Jesus is in here and you can feel that," said Jennifer," whether there's a lot of people in here or whether it's empty."

On this Easter Sunday many people feel that presence in the Cathedral of Saint Helena.