Feast of Saint Cloud Ushers in Cathedral Block Party

(KNSI) – Saturday is the annual St. Mary’s Cathedral Block Party.

The event begins at 4:00 p.m. with mass inside the church. Normally Saturday evening service is at 5:00 but Diocese Rector Scott Pogatchnik says they’re bumping that up to accommodate the festivities set for later in the evening. He runs down the schedule.

“Deuces Wild is the headliner…dueling pianos. So, they’ll be playing for four hours from 6:00 to 10:00 p.m. The event is free and so, we have a silent auction and a number of other ways people can support the cause.”

Pogatchnik says last year was more like a reunion following pandemic interruptions. Saturday should look like a traditional party. There will also be bounce houses and other forms of family entertainment. Food is provided, as well.

Pogatchnik says the cathedral’s location is a blessing but also presents challenges. Funds raised during the event help with day-to-day operations.

“Being downtown we do a lot of outreach work. Providing a place for people to come away and pray a little bit. Take some peace and quiet in the busy world.”

The annual tradition happens in early September for a reason, says Pogatchnik. It is a celebration of St. Cloud the man, something that is done more discreetly throughout the year.

“So, it’s really close to the feast of St. Cloud, which is always September 7th. And so we just have one big evening event. You know, in the Catholic Church, we really venerate the saints. And so what we do is because their bodies were so holy, we’ll have relics actually of their bodies. We have one of St. Cloud’s vertebrae, one of his backbones, in one of our side altars.”

St. Cloud was born in 522 A.D., turning 1,500 years old Wednesday. Pogatchnik says the anniversary is inspiring educational efforts this fall. Eventually, about 40 parishioners and representatives from the diocese are traveling across the Atlantic to mark the occasion.

“We’re gonna be having a few kinds of educational and prayerful events throughout the fall, culminating with doing a big pilgrimage trip over to France to see the tomb of St. Cloud, just in the west suburbs of Paris. Kind of finding a way to shine a light on the man behind the name of our city.”

While there are other towns and municipalities in America named after St. Cloud, there is only one diocese that enjoys the honor and that is here in central Minnesota.

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