Father Francis Pierz established Saint Mary’s Parish in 1855. Two previous churches were replaced with the Cathedral of Saint Mary in 1931. Architect Nairne Fisher is credited with the Roman Catholic church’s Italianate design featuring a 75 foot bell tower. The brick structure is located in St. Cloud, Minnesota. The namesake for the city is Saint Clodoald. Nicknamed Cloud, he was entitled to divide the Kingdom of Orléans with his brothers in the early 6th century. Instead, he became a celebrated priest. His relics are buried near Paris in Saint-Cloud, France.
