Prairie Cathedrals

So a few days ago after finishing up at the monastery I crossed the highway to take a look at the cathedral that Muenster is known for.

The drive up to the church gave me a "church in the country feel" - dusty dirt road lined by trees on either side - and the cathedral itself was nice enough from the outside with a basic design (sadly, some of the siding was vinyl), but what really impressed me was the interior.

 

It wasn't as impressive as the cathedral in Gravelbourg (below), but still, it blew me away: a massive structure, "in the middle of nowhere" (the church in Gravelbourg seats 1000 and Gravelbourg itself only has about 1000 inhabitants; the church in Muenster is smaller, as is the town itself), with so much love, care, and effort invested in it.

I know very little about either of these towns or their spiritual histories, but I can't help but think that there must have been a thriving faith community present once.  The frescoes in particular point towards hours and hours of love labour.

And we, subsequent generations, have been left a lasting legacy by those who came before us.

The question that comes to mind is: What kind of a legacy are we leaving behind?