Capitol Avenue, Cheyenne, Wyoming, USA
Cathedral of St. Mary
The cathedral of the Diocese of Cheyenne, a Gothic Revival church on Capitol Avenue in Wyoming's capital — the mother church of one of the least populated dioceses in the United States.
St. Mary's sits on Capitol Avenue in Cheyenne, a solid Gothic Revival building in tan stone with a square tower and pointed-arch windows. The parish was established in 1869, just two years after the city was founded as a railroad town. The current building dates to 1907 and has the sturdy, no-frills quality of churches built in the American West, where materials had to be shipped long distances and congregations were small. The interior is clean-lined and bright, with good stained glass, a wooden barrel ceiling, and a marble sanctuary. Wyoming's Catholic population is tiny — the whole diocese has fewer people than a single large parish in Chicago — but the faith was planted here by railroad workers, ranchers, and soldiers stationed at Fort D.A. Russell.
Diocese: Diocese of Cheyenne
Style: Gothic Revival
What to See
The building is handsome in a plain Western way — built to last on the high plains. The stained glass is better than you might expect for a town this size. The barrel ceiling adds warmth. Outside, the view down Capitol Avenue toward the state capitol is a nice bit of small-city American scenery.
Pilgrim Notes
Cheyenne is along I-25 in southeastern Wyoming. The cathedral is downtown, easy to find. If you visit in late July, Cheyenne Frontier Days is one of the largest rodeos in the world. The high-plains weather is dry and windy year-round.