Immaculate Conception Church & St. Raphael

From the Physicians' Clinic in Cedar Rapids perhaps the most interesting building in view is a church.  While eating lunch in the skywalk between rounds of our latest chess tournament, we speculated on its denomination.  

Our top guesses were Orthodox, Catholic, and Episcopalian.  I zoomed in on the sign with my camera, and Catholic it was.  We decided to walk over to see if the church was open.  I grasped the handle of one of the sturdy doors.  It opened, and we filed in.  Inside, the church was quiet and empty.

The original, much smaller, church was constructed in 1858 by a Father Gillespie.  In 1906, Irish Father Toomey came to Cedar Rapids after serving at St. Raphael's Cathedral in Dubuque.  He bought the land where the church now stands and raised $125,000 to build the current structure.

The stained glass windows are beautiful works of art depicting the life of Jesus and various Biblical characters.  As we finished our tour, a group came in for what looked like either a christening or, more likely, a christening rehearsal.  

Below I've included photos of St. Raphael's Cathedral, which we saw in Dubuque last summer. Unfortunately, it was locked.  The note on the door said to visit the parish to ask for a tour, but we were on our way to crash a wedding, and didn't have enough time (Priorities first!).

Similar posts: The Basilica of St. Francis Xavier, St. Donatus and the Way of the Cross

Have you ever crashed a wedding, graduation, or similar event?
Can you guess denominations just by looking at church buildings?

"He who works with his hands is a laborer.  He who works with his hands and his head is a craftsman.  He who works with his hands and his head and his heart is an artist."   --St. Francis of Assissi