Third Cathedral on the Edge of the Black Hills
The Cathedral of Our Lady of Perpetual Help stands on a hill overlooking Rapid City, South Dakota, a reinforced-concrete structure sheathed in split face Mankato limestone that rises into a 107-foot bell tower topped with an additional 18 feet of wood, metal and gold-leaf cross. It is the third cathedral of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Rapid City, and the spiritual home of a parish of 1,400 families that worships in its nave every day of the year. Construction began in 1960 and the building was dedicated in 1963, with Bishop William McCarty, a Redemptorist from New York, presiding over its completion just as the Second Vatican Council was beginning. Like the granite spires of the Black Hills that frame the city to the west, the Cathedral reaches upward; like the sweeping vest prairie to the east, it expands into a sanctuary where the parish proclaims that God chooses to live on earth.
The parish traces its life to the larger story of the diocese. Before the first Catholic Mass was celebrated in these parts, the Lakota people had already been catechized by missionaries who brought the faith across the Missouri River. The 1902 establishment of the Diocese of Lead, the transfer of the see to Rapid City in 1929, and the long succession of bishops - Stariha, Busch, Lawler, McCarty, Dimmerling, Chaput, Cupich, Gruss, Muhich and now Scott E. Bullock - shape the history the Cathedral has inherited. The current bishop was ordained the tenth Bishop of Rapid City at the Cathedral on September 23, 2024, choosing for his motto the words of Jesus in Matthew 26:46, "Surgite Eamus - Rise, let us be on our way." The portraits and photographs of every bishop in that line stand on the south wall of the main entrance, a reminder that the Cathedral is both a parish church and the seat of the diocese.
What Visitors See: Stone, Glass, and the Perpetual Help Icon
The exterior tells the building's Marian identity before anyone walks through the door. Stone reliefs of Our Lady of Lourdes, Our Lady of Perpetual Help, the Immaculate Heart of Mary and the Pieta ring the walls, and a 30-foot anodized aluminum cross fleche, open work and gold leaf, crowns the roof of Our Lady's Chapel. The main entrance is composed of three canopied double doors whose stained-glass panels were added in 1995 by the Baut Studios of Pennsylvania. Six images from the Litany of Loreto - Mirror of Justice, Health of the Sick, Queen of Peace, Vessel of Honor, Mother of Good Counsel, and Refuge of Sinners - look out across the entry plaza. Above the doors, mosaics depict Christ the eternal teacher flanked by Saint Peter with the keys of authority and Saint Paul with the sword of truth. The bell tower on the north side carries a mosaic of Jesus the Good Shepherd at its base and the bark of Peter, the ship of the Church, on the wall above the north entrance.
Inside, the eye is drawn first to the great icon of Our Lady of Perpetual Help that hangs above the high altar. It is the largest known replica of the eleventh-century original housed at Our Lady of Perpetual Help Church in Rome, painted on composition panel overlaid with pure gold leaf and bearing the official seal of the Redemptorists. Mary wears a dark red dress that recalls the passion of Jesus and a blue mantle of perpetual virginity; her veil covers a star on her forehead signifying Star of the Sea. The child Jesus looks toward the Archangels Michael and Gabriel, who hold the lance, sponge, cross and nails of the crucifixion, while Mary gazes out at the worshipper as perpetual help. A choir of carved, gilded angelic hosts frames the icon, and a reredos of marble and smalto chips powdered with gold mosaic rises from the sanctuary floor.
The nave, 61 feet tall, 50 feet wide and 235 feet long, is bathed in light through eighteen clerestory windows whose saints - Joseph, Elizabeth, Joachim, Anne, Luke, Irenaeus, Cyril of Alexandria, Ephram, Anselm, Dominic, Simon Stock, Bernard, Bonaventure, Ignatius Loyola, Alphonsus, John Eudes, Catherine Labouré and Bernadette of Lourdes - honor the Blessed Virgin in a flowing abstract palette. Below them, the side aisle windows depict the original fifteen mysteries of the rosary, from the Annunciation to the Coronation. The Stations of the Cross in hand-carved wood, with garments in gilt and flesh in bleached ivory, follow Saint Alphonsus Ligouri's Way of the Cross. A Della Robbia choir of robed singing angels fashioned in ceramic bas-relief in Florence, Italy adorns the choir balustrade. The pews, light oak and originally built to hold 1,000, were reconfigured in 2007 to add handicapped seating in the front rows.
The Baptistry, the Adoration Chapel, and Our Lady's Chapel
To the right of the main entrance, an eighteen-foot circular baptistery is connected to the nave by a short hallway with a black metal gate patterned after water waves. The font of Verde Issarie Tipo marble carries the traditional symbols of baptism, and the walls, set in wave-like windows separated by Rojo Alicanto marble pilasters, are inscribed with Old and New Testament scenes of salvation through water - Moses parting the Red Sea, Moses striking the rock, Noah's ark, the descent of the Holy Spirit as a dove, the ship of the Church, the white garment and candle of new life, and the cross, tree and serpent of original sin. Above the font a metal sculpture of the Holy Spirit with seven flames hangs from the ceiling.
The Adoration Chapel, officially called Sacred Heart Chapel, sits behind the north entrance. Ozark Formasa marble and Light Clifdale marble line the floor and walls, and a Red Botticino marble altar with a Moroccan onyx paleotto anchors the room. A life-size hand-carved wooden figure of Christ stands with outstretched arms in a symbolic gesture of all-embracing love beneath a canopy of Venetian red polychrome linden wood. In 1985 the chapel was enclosed in glass and the tabernacle was moved here from the former high altar; in 2024 the tabernacle was returned to the high altar, and the chapel continues as a place of quiet prayer before the Blessed Sacrament. Across the nave, the St. Patrick shrine by the south entrance honors the patron of the diocese's first cathedral in Lead, and Our Lady's Chapel - 30 feet high, 30 feet wide, 55 feet long - holds about 160 people on laminated African walnut pews whose backs flip backward so the chapel can serve overflow crowds on major feast days. The presider's chair in Our Lady's Chapel is the cathedra from the former cathedral, refinished for its new location, and a Roger Alexandria electronic organ supports smaller liturgies.
Mass Times, Confession, and the Livestream
The Cathedral's daily rhythm is generous. Monday through Thursday, Mass is offered at 7:00AM and 5:30PM; on Friday at 7:00AM; on Saturday morning at 8:00AM; Saturday vigil at 5:30PM; and Sunday at 8:00AM, 10:30AM and 5:30PM. Confession is heard on Wednesday from 12:00PM to 1:00PM, 4:30PM to 5:30PM and 6:30PM to 7:30PM, and on Saturday from 3:00PM to 4:00PM and 7:00PM to 8:00PM. Sunday Mass is livestreamed on the Cathedral's YouTube channel, and past streamed Masses and other liturgies remain available there. An Act of Spiritual Communion prayer is printed for those who worship from home.
The livestream reflects the Cathedral's wider communication work. Sunday bulletins are produced weekly and submissions are accepted through the Cathedral's communications office, with deadlines of 10 days in ordinary weeks and 20 days during Lent and Advent. A parish app - built around the Pushpay platform - puts forms, calendars and community notices in the hands of parishioners, while Facebook and Instagram carry parish news and event photography. Daily readings from the USCCB are linked from the home page so Catholics can carry the liturgy of the hours into their day.
The Seven Sacraments
The Cathedral prepares Catholics for each of the seven sacraments of the Church, drawing language about each from the Catechism of the Catholic Church.
Baptism is the gateway to Christian life, the door that gives access to the other sacraments. Parents of infants begin the process by joining the parish, then attend a three-session Baptismal Preparation Class that remains current for three years; they are asked to begin the work three months before the birth of the child. Older children and unbaptized adults are directed to OCIA, the Order of Christian Initiation of Adults, the parish's year-round process for full incorporation into the Church.
Confirmation is open to all baptized youth in seventh grade or above who are participating in the life of the parish and who petition the Church for the sacrament. Child readiness is evaluated by the formation team, and preparation takes place on Wednesdays during Faith on Fire, the parish's family catechesis night, for twelve weeks.
The Eucharist completes Christian initiation. As the parish teaches on its website, the devout are encouraged to receive Holy Communion frequently on the Lord's Day and weekdays as confession and conscience allow. To receive worthily, communicants fast from solid food for one hour and must not be conscious of grave sin; a person who is conscious of grave sin and lacks an opportunity to confess should make an act of perfect contrition with the intention of confessing as soon as possible, citing canon 916.
Confession is offered on the schedule above. Confessionals are located in the entryway of the Cathedral next to the stairwells on both sides of the main entrance, and a special welcome goes out to anyone returning after a long absence - "if you haven't made your confession in a while, just tell the priest how long it's been and he'll talk you through the process." First confession for children takes place as part of Faith on Fire once they have turned seven and the formation team has evaluated their readiness.
Matrimony is described in the language of the Catechism: a partnership of the whole of life ordered toward the good of the spouses and the procreation and education of offspring, raised by Christ to the dignity of a sacrament. Engaged couples begin with the parish office and move through marriage preparation resources through the diocesan Office of Marriage and Family Life.
Holy Orders - the episcopate, presbyterate and diaconate - continues the mission entrusted by Christ to his apostles until the end of time. The Cathedral lists three permanent deacons in active ministry and three retired deacons, alongside three priests who make up the pastoral team. The parish hosts the diocesan Pontifical Servers, a group of well-trained young men who serve at liturgies presided over by Bishop Bullock at his home church.
Anointing of the Sick is offered any time a Catholic faces a serious medical procedure, a long-term or terminal illness, or the health issues of old age. It is a prayer for physical and spiritual healing and for the strength, peace and courage to bear the burden of illness, and the parish makes clear that the sacrament is not only for those near death - a person who recovers may receive it again in any future grave illness.
Faith on Fire: A Family Catechesis Built for Western South Dakota
The parish moved in 2020 from a traditional CCD model of religious education to a family catechesis model that equips, assists and supports parents as the primary formators of their children in the faith. The heart of that work is Faith on Fire, a Wednesday evening program that gathers children, youth and adults in the same building at the same time.
Children in kindergarten through fifth grade meet in dedicated atria in All Saints Hall for the Catechesis of the Good Shepherd, the Montessori-rooted program that began in Rome in 1954 with Sofia Cavalletti and Gianna Gobbi and that the Cathedral calls "where a child can fall in love with God." Level I, for ages three to six, introduces the Good Shepherd who knows and calls his sheep by name. Level II, ages six to nine, deepens the moral parables of Jesus and the gestures of the Mass. Level III, ages nine to twelve, listens to the Old Testament and the history of God's plan of salvation. CGS runs on Wednesdays at 4:00PM to 5:15PM and 6:00PM to 7:15PM, on Thursdays at 4:00PM to 5:15PM, and on second and fourth Fridays at 9:00AM to 10:30AM.
Middle and high school students gather for FIAT Youth, a YDisciple-based ministry with weekly encounters with Christ, monthly Praise and Worship nights, food and fellowship, real conversations about faith, and games and community events. Adult formation runs in three- to four-week micro-courses on Wednesdays from 6:30PM to 7:30PM during Faith on Fire, with topics that change several times a year. The parish asks for an army of prayer warriors to accompany the work - people who will add the names of those preparing for sacraments, those serving as catechists, and those newly encountering the Lord to their own prayer time.
Alpha, Connect Groups, and Continuing Formation
The parish runs the Alpha course twice a year as the front door for anyone exploring the Christian faith - Catholics, Protestants, Orthodox, the unchurched and the curious. Alpha is a series of more than ten sessions plus a retreat weekend, beginning with a free dinner in Saint Joseph Hall at 5:30PM, followed by a short video and small-group discussion. Topics include "Who is Jesus?", "Why did Jesus die?", "How can I have faith?" and the like. The course is free, takes about two hours per evening, and welcomes drop-ins. The Cathedral explicitly invites anyone to come as they are: "Don't hesitate to come because your past is too messy. So are ours. You'll fit right in."
Connect Groups are the small faith communities people move into after Alpha or simply join on their own. Four Connect Groups meet monthly on Sundays, Mondays and Thursdays in parishioner homes, beginning with a potluck meal, hearing a reflection from a group member, discussing in small groups, and closing in prayer. There is no registration and no attendance requirement - "these aren't sessions, and these meetings don't build upon the week before."
Other adult formation opportunities include That Man is You, an interactive men's program that meets Saturday mornings at 6:15AM for breakfast, a presentation and small group; Mom's Group, a social and spiritual gathering for Catholic mothers; After Cana Date Nights, a monthly marriage enrichment series sponsored by the diocesan Office of Marriage and Family Life; Cinema with the Shepherd, a monthly film series with Bishop Bullock on the virtue of hope; the Bishop's Book Club; Veritatis Splendor Institute, a Saturday catechist certification program that meets monthly at Terra Sancta Retreat Center; and Cor ad Cor, a small-group adaptation of the Spiritual Exercises of Saint Ignatius of Loyola. The Sodalitas young-adult community gathers across the diocese for fellowship and formation.
At-home formation is anchored by two digital subscriptions the parish offers free to parishioners. FORMED, produced by the Augustine Institute, is a parish-wide subscription that gives every member access to movies, e-books, audio talks, study programs such as Symbolon and Catholicism Series with Bishop Robert Barron, Lectio: Peter with Dr. Tim Gray, and 33 Days to Morning Glory with Fr. Michael Gaitley. Hallow, the prayer and meditation app, is also provided free; its features include the Bible in a Year podcast with Fr. Mike Schmitz, guided lectio divina, the rosary, Gregorian chant and more.
Liturgy, Sacred Music, and the Church Universal
The Cathedral describes its music ministry as the preservation and development of a "treasure of inestimable value" - the musical tradition of the Universal Church. The choirs study, rehearse and sing sacred music from across the eras, with the aim of elevating the celebration of Mass and growing in faith through musical and spiritual formation. Gregorian chant is held up as the supreme model of sacred music, polyphony is honored when it accords with the spirit of the liturgical action, and the pipe organ is esteemed as the traditional instrument of the Latin Church. The Cathedral's own pipe organ, Opus 2659, was designed by the Casvant Frères Company of Quebec and installed in 1983, replacing the original three-manual Baldwin electronic organ. The choir loft now holds about fifty singers and instrumentalists after the 2024 move of the piano from the sanctuary.
More than 80 lay liturgical ministers exercise a variety of ministries at the Cathedral each weekend. Active disciples may serve as altar servers (children and youth in fifth grade or later), Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion, Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion to the Sick and Homebound, lectors, sacristans, hospitality ministers, cantors and choir members. The Cathedral Altar Server Corps describes its mission as building a community of youth "who strive towards excellence and reverence in the liturgy," carrying out the duties of the Church with joy "in order to create an environment conducive to encountering Christ." The Pontifical Servers, recognized by the Vatican's 2004 instruction Redemptionis Sacramentum, are a select group of young men who serve at diocesan celebrations in the traditional black cassock and surplice under the patronage of Saint John Vianney and Saint Tarcisius.
Mercy Nights, Perpetual Adoration, and St. Monica's Holy Hour
Once a month, on the third Saturday, the parish hosts Mercy Nights from 7:00PM to 8:00PM. The church lights are dimmed, a monstrance is placed on the altar for adoration, musicians perform sacred songs ranging from traditional hymns to Taizé prayer, prayer teams are available to pray with attendees, and priests hear confessions. Mercy Nights are described as "a chance to encounter Jesus in quiet prayer, song and the sacrament of confession," with the welcome extending to all regardless of denomination.
Outside Mercy Nights, the Cathedral maintains perpetual Eucharistic adoration in Our Lady's Chapel. The exterior doors are unlocked daily from 6:00AM to 10:00PM, and during that time anyone may enter the chapel to pray before the Blessed Sacrament. Adorers commit to a specific weekly hour and can request a substitute by texting the word SUB to 605-939-3176, calling the same number and pressing 1, or using the online We Adore Him dashboard. The parish explains adoration as a posture of love - "the personal relationship with Jesus Christ that grows with time in prayer before the Blessed Sacrament is a unique source of encouragement and peace." St. Monica's Holy Hour is a separate prayer gathering that lifts up those away from the faith.
The Parish Hall, Saint Joseph Hall, and All Saints Hall
The Cathedral's lower level, the Cathedral Hall, was remodeled in 2000 with moveable walls that allow the large open space to be subdivided for parish events. In the summer of 2024, as part of the Saint Joseph Hall construction, the Cathedral Hall was renovated further: classrooms were added, the stage was removed, and the kitchen was renovated into the new Knights of Columbus Hall. On January 15, 2025, the renovated lower level was rededicated as All Saints Hall.
Saint Joseph Hall itself was begun on May 7, 2022. The first phase was the relocation of the baptistry from the south side of the Cathedral to the north, with the original baptistry carefully reconstructed on the north side of the church. Construction continued until the spring of 2024 and the ribbon cutting was held on May 7, 2024 - the 61st anniversary of the Cathedral's dedication. A second phase through the summer and fall of 2024 finished the basement, with restrooms, permanent classrooms, meeting spaces, and the renovated Knights of Columbus Hall kitchen. The hall is the gathering place for Coffee and Donuts after the 8:00AM and 10:30AM Sunday Masses, for Knights of Columbus pancake breakfasts on the third Sunday of the month, for Alpha dinners, for Adult Formation micro-courses, and for funeral luncheons coordinated by parish volunteers.
Becoming Catholic, OCIA, and the Return of Lapsed Catholics
The Cathedral welcomes inquirers through OCIA, the Order of Christian Initiation of Adults. Sessions run year-round, so a person can begin at any time, and there is no cost and no minimum degree of commitment to enter the process. Each journey is unique; volunteers meet one-on-one with inquirers first to listen to their story and then to lay out a custom conversion roadmap. The parish writes plainly to those who have been away from the Church: "You always have a home in the Catholic Church! We know life has its ups and downs, twists and turns. Maybe you left decades ago or just this morning. Maybe you never really decided one way or the other but just sort of drifted away. Maybe you felt burned or betrayed by an individual who was supposed to represent the Church. Whatever your situation, there is a place for you here with us."
Community Outreach: Saint Vincent de Paul and New Hope Jail Ministry
The parish operates its outreach through two main apostolates. The Society of Saint Vincent de Paul of Rapid City, based at the Cathedral, helps with rent, housing and utilities, grocery and gas money, and spiritual and emotional needs; the helpline is 605-718-5896. New Hope Jail Ministry offers Bible study and fellowship to prisoners in the Pennington County Jail. The Knights of Columbus Council 1489 supports the parish, its families and religious orders with volunteering, social events and fundraisers, including an annual Thanksgiving Dinner for those on the margins of the community.
Parish Schools: Rapid City Catholic School System
The Cathedral proudly supports the Rapid City Catholic School System, a Pre-K through 12 private Catholic school serving about 700 students. The system includes St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Preschool (Preschool, Pre-Kindergarten, Preschool Plus and Child Care programs serving children from age three through fifth grade, available 6:00AM to 6:00PM with play-based learning and weekly library, music and physical education), St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Elementary (kindergarten through fifth grade, 8:00AM to 3:00PM with before- and after-school care on site), St. Thomas More Middle School, and St. Thomas More High School, a fully accredited college-preparatory school focused on the spiritual, academic, service and social formation of its students. The system is located a short distance from the Cathedral in the Black Hills of South Dakota.
Clergy, Deacons, and Staff
The pastoral team is led by Very Rev. Brian Christensen, Pastor, joined by Rev. Matt Fallgren and Rev. Leonard Ssennyonjo as Parochial Vicars. Permanent deacons in active ministry are Dcn. Rich Olsen, Dcn. Josiah Hanson and Dcn. Brad Palmer; retired deacons are Dcn. Raul Daniel, Dcn. George Gladfelter and Dcn. Jim Scherr. The administrative team includes Jacob Bennett (Director of Parish Operations), Beth Strain (Director of Finance, Human Resources, and Safe Environment), Lisa Kinyon (Parish Bookkeeper), Nicole McDonell (Director of Communications) and Madi Mazur (Director of Food Services). Evangelization and Discipleship is led by Susan Safford (Director), Holly Baughman (Director of Children and Youth Formation), Alexis Cherveny (Director of OCIA and Formation Associate), Alan Ponto (Coordinator of Youth Formation), and Dori O'Connor (Administrative Assistant). Liturgy and Sacred Music is led by Emilie Esker (Director of Sacred Liturgy), Justin Stephens (Coordinator of Sacred Liturgy) and Angela Weber (Coordinator of Sacred Music). Petrina Hauser serves as Catholic Life Coach. Dan Johnson directs Maintenance, with Paul Yantes and the rectory housekeeping staff keeping the buildings in order.
Becoming Part of the Cathedral
Newcomers can register through the parish office by phone or online, attend Coffee and Donuts in Saint Joseph Hall after the Sunday morning Masses, and join the next Welcome Weekend on the third Sunday of the month, when the Knights of Columbus serve a pancake breakfast and the Welcome Committee answers questions. Anyone interested in becoming Catholic or in simply learning more about the faith may fill out a Becoming Catholic Interest Form on the parish website or email the Director of OCIA directly. Safe Environment Training is required of all who volunteer in any parish ministry, and the trainings are scheduled regularly. The Cathedral's mission statement gathers all of this into a single sentence: "Drawing forth the gifts and talents of our community and embracing the treasure of the Catholic Faith, [the Cathedral] encounters Jesus in a welcoming community so that each person may experience an ongoing intimate friendship with Him that compels them to serve others and share His friendship."