IN THIS SEASON of gratitude, the Faribault community now has one more reason to give thanks. And that’s for a new food pantry recently installed outside the Guild House at The Cathedral of Our Merciful Saviour.
The pantry, housed in a custom-built replica of the historic cathedral, is a joint endeavor of Our Merciful Saviour and of the Community Cafe and Triumphant Life Assembly of God Church, both based in the Guild building along Northwest Sixth Street. The pantry will be dedicated during the 10 a.m. Sunday, November 30, worship service at the Cathedral.
When I first saw this approximately 3-by-5-foot structure rising some four feet, I just stood there looking, impressed by the details, the artistry, the craftsmanship, the likeness to the mammoth stone cathedral built between 1862-1869.
The smaller version took the builder, Don Greeley of Stillwater, an estimated 200-300 hours (he didn’t tally time) over 1 ½ years to complete. The results are stunning, right down to the signature red doors, the stained glass windows, the limestone walls, the cedar shingles and the cross above the front door.
CONNECTIONS & A CHALLENGE
The Faribault native, who grew up in this church where he served as an acolyte and where his parents’ cremated remains lie in the lower level columbarium, agreed to take on the project because, “Why not?” he said. He has a strong connection to the cathedral, is always up for a challenge and is an avid do-it-yourselfer. The retired Minneapolis Police Department crime prevention specialist likes designing, creating and building things. He’s been working on his house for 30 years. And he’d already built a food pantry for his church in Stillwater, Ascension Episcopal.
It was that church replica, seen by the Cathedral’s the Rev. James Zotalis, that got Don involved. Zotalis mentioned the mini Stillwater church to parishioner Candy Greeley, who then informed him that her brother built it. One thing led to another and the food pantry project was underway. Candy provided measurements, which Don used as guides along with photos. He started with the church doors, then scaled his model around those, admitting that he also “winged it.”
“I love it,” his clearly proud sister said. “I could not believe what came out of his head.”
CAREFUL, PLANNED CONSTRUCTION
In talking with Don, I realized just how much thought, time and effort he invested in planning and constructing this 80 to 100-pound cathedral replica to withstand a Minnesota winter. He learned from the Stillwater project that he needed to improve weatherproofing. To that end, Greeley used treated plywood for the walls, which he then painted with four to five layers of paint mixed with sand. He used an electric saw to cut lines into the walls to resemble stone. Epoxy adds another layer of protection.
The bell tower is crafted from plastic. Sheets of layered heavy black plastic under the entire structure add more waterproofing. And the handcrafted cedar shingles are protected by an oil-based varnish. Don did everything he could to prevent rotting. The church sits on a wrought iron base crafted by Myron Hanson of Eagan, who previously did wrought iron signage for the Guild House exterior.
FROM TABLE TO TABLE
There’s one more aspect of this food pantry project that I find compelling. Don, without a heated workshop to build the mini cathedral, did about half the work inside, in the dining room of the Stillwater home he shares with wife Emily. The church sat on a work stand. And sometimes on the dining room table.
This project has come full circle. Now those in need can put food on their tables, find personal care items and much more in this mini streetside cathedral partially crafted atop a table. What’s inside the pantry varies, depending on donations. It supplements already existing food shelves and services in the community. But the need is great and growing.
In this season of thanksgiving, I feel gratitude for this new food pantry in Faribault, for the talents and generosity of Don Greeley and for the Cathedral of Our Merciful Saviour, the Community Cafe and Triumphant Life Church. I expect Bishop Henry Whipple, who long ago led this mission-minded congregation in service to others, would be pleased with the Cathedral’s ongoing community outreach. Says Candy Greeley of the newly-placed food pantry, “It’s getting used.” And that is enough to understand its value in our community.
FYI: Additional food resources in Faribault include St. Vincent de Paul Society, two blocks from the cathedral food pantry; the Community Action Center, also in Northfield; and local churches.
© Copyright 2025 Audrey Kletscher Helbling
Minnesota Prairie Roots 
“Evening Prayer for Our Nation” planned at Bishop Whipple’s church in Faribault February 2, 2026
Tags: "Evening Prayer for Our Nation", America, Bishop Henry Whipple, Bishop Henry Whipple Federal Building, Cathedral of Our Merciful Saviour, commentary, community gathering, faith, Faribault, history, immigrants, Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Minnesota, news, prayer service, refugees, social justice
FIFTY MILES FROM THE NON-DESCRIPT Bishop Henry Whipple Federal Building currently housing ICE detainees in Minneapolis, a beautiful, aged cathedral rises high in the heart of Faribault. Wednesday evening, February 4, that magnificent, massive cathedral—Bishop Whipple’s church—will center a community gathering.
Beginning at 7 p.m. the historic Cathedral of Our Merciful Saviour will open its doors for “Evening Prayer for Our Nation” in support of Faribault’s refugees and immigrants. The Cathedral’s pastor, the Rev. James Zotalis, and the Rev. Henry Doyle will lead the event, which includes prayers, readings, music and teachings from Bishop Whipple.
Organizers also promise networking opportunities and information about ways to help others.
Bishop Whipple, who shepherded this congregation while serving as the first Episcopal bishop of Minnesota beginning in 1859, would surely be pleased with the upcoming gathering just as he would surely be displeased with the imprisonment of detainees at the federal building bearing his name. He would likely be standing alongside protesters protesting immigration enforcement and asking to visit detainees inside.
This clergyman focused his ministry on “justice and mercy for all.” And that is evidenced in his ministry to the Dakota both in Faribault and parts west in Minnesota and then at Fort Snelling. Whipple went to the fort and ministered to the Dakota held captive there following the U.S.-Dakota War of 1862.
When 303 Dakota were sentenced to hanging after the war, Whipple traveled to Washington DC to ask President Abraham Lincoln to spare their lives. Lincoln pardoned most, but 38 were still hung in the nation’s largest mass execution.
If Bishop Whipple was alive today, I expect he would be doing everything in his power to help anyone threatened and/or taken by ICE and CBC. But because he is not here, it is up to us to help. I know many people in my community are helping quietly behind the scenes. Walking kids to bus stops. Giving co-workers rides. Delivering groceries. Donating money and food. Volunteering.
Wednesday evening’s “Evening Prayer for Our Nation” is needed, too. It’s needed to bring people together in community, to unite, to uplift, to pray, to share, to recharge, to publicly support our neighbors, to find tangible ways to help. Bishop Whipple would feel grateful. He cared. And so should we.
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FYI: Whether you live near or far, Faribault nonprofits are in need of donations to help families sheltering in place during ICE operations in Minnesota. This is not just a Twin Cities metro enforcement. Many communities in greater Minnesota, including mine, are suffering.
Please consider helping immigrants and refugees in my community via a monetary donation to the Community Action Center in Faribault (Community Response Fund) or to St. Vincent de Paul. The need for rental assistance, especially, is growing.
© Copyright 2026 Audrey Kletscher Helbling