Mary Magdalene in Salt Lake City - Magdalene Publishing

Meet my new friend Jacque Smithe, a licensed clinical social worker for 23 years, who quit her job and opened Magdalene Religious Goods and Coffee Grotto on November 20, 2013 with her husband Tim in Salt Lake City, Utah.

2030 South 900 East Suite A, Salt Lake City, UT 84105

Yesterday I received an Etsy “convo” from Jacque: “I own a religious goods store in Salt Lake City, Utah named Magdalene Religious Goods and I would absolutely love to sell your anointing oils!” I guess she had just visited my Etsy Shop, MaryofMagdala.

One of the first things I asked was, “How did you come up with the name for your shop?” Jacque informed me that Mary Magdalene is the patroness of the Salt Lake Diocese. This was a surprise to me. I had no idea that Mary Magdalene was in Salt Lake City…. I was under the impression that Salt Lake City was all Mormon.

Then Jacque added, “….she (Mary Magdalene) was there with Jesus at the foot of the cross, which is amazing given how brutal and emotional that must have been. (And she was a) Strong woman that I think is the perfect role model for our secular society.” Jacque told me that their cathedral was named after Mary Magdalene, so I decided to do some research….

Salt Lake City’s
Cathedral of the Madeleine

Face of the Cathedral of the Madeleine

Interior of the Cathedral of the Madeleine

Construction of the Cathedral of the Madeleine was under the leadership of the Irish Roman Catholic missionary and first Bishop of Salt Lake City, Utah, Lawrence Scanlan.

Father Lawrence Scanlan
1843-1915

Lawrence Scanlan was ordained a priest in Dublin, Ireland in 1868 (age 25). The following year he arrived in the Archdiocese of San Francisco and served as a curate at St. Patrick’s Church and later at St. Mary’s Cathedral. In 1869 he became pastor of Pioche, Nevada.

Fr. Scanlon then volunteered for the mission in the Utah Territory and arrived in Salt Lake City in August 1873, assuming charge of the church of St. Mary Magdalene. It was the only church and Catholic institution in the territory, serving 800 members largely scattered among the region’s various mining camps. Fr. Scanlan traveled by horseback, stagecoach, or rail, making monthly visits to the mining camps at Park City, Bingham Canyon, Mercur, Stockton, Ophir and Silver Reef.

Fr. Scanlan accomplished much as a missionary priest. He introduced the Sisters of the Holy Cross from Indiana, and founded St. Mary’s Academy and later Holy Cross Hospital. He opened numerous parishes and schools, and also established All Hallows College, Kearns-St. Ann’s Orphanage, and Judge Mercy Hospital. He even celebrated Mass at the LDS tabernacle (Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints) in St. George, Utah in 1879.

His Episcopacy—On November 23, 1886 Fr. Scanlan was appointed Vicar Apostolic of Utah and Titular Bishop of Lavanden by Pope Leo XIII. He received his episcopal consecration in 1887. In 1890 Fr. Scanlon purchased and area of land for $35,000 to establish a cathedral. In 1891, when the vicariate was elevated to the rank of a diocese Fr. Scanlon was named the first Bishop of Salt Lake. The construction of the cathedral began in 1900 and was completed in 1909. On August 15, 1909, the cathedral was dedicated by Cardinal James Gibbons of Baltimore. The total cost of the construction itself was $344,000, a small fortune for Utah Catholics of that time.

His Legacy—The greatest achievement of Father Lawrence Scanlan was the Cathedral of the Madeleine. Bishop Scanlan died at the age of 71 at Holy Cross Hospital and is buried in the cathedral he built.

Jacque told me she thought the the Salt Lake cathedral was the only cathedral in the world named after Mary Magdalene. I was thinking about the Basilicas of Saint Mary Magdalene in St-Maximin-la-Sainte-Baume and Vézeley, France, but neither of these are cathedrals. A basilica may or may not also be the cathedral of the diocese. A cathedral is the church where the bishop’s throne (called cathedra) is located. It is the main church of a diocese. But I did find one other cathedral in the world named after Mary Magdalene. It is the Cathedral of Saint Mary Magdalene in Warsaw, Poland.

Cathedral of Saint Mary Magdalene, Warsaw

Magdalene Religious Goods and Coffee Grotto

Jacque and Tim Smithe are devout Catholics. Before Jacque married Tim she was even discerning a religious vocation (Adrian Dominicans in Michigan). Salt Lake City’s Mancusso Religious Goods, that had operated for 22 years, was closing due to their poor health. Jacque and Tim decided to fill this void and opened Magdalene Religious Goods and Coffee Grotto. “We added a coffee shop in order to draw younger people in and as part of our mission we hold various events as an outreach community,” explained Jacque. “We are near a college (Westminster) and therefore have students come down for coffee and some are beginning to use our prayer and meditation room. Not many places where you can find quiet,” relays Jacque. They are proud of receiving the “Best of Utah” Award for the “Most Divine Coffee.”

When asked what they carry in their shop Jacque replied, “We sell rosaries, crucifixes, books, novenas, missals, bibles, first communion dresses, etc. We also have local artists create things (religious themed of course, and try to support local artists) for our shop. We specialize in unique rosaries. We sell most of the usual religious goods. We also sell candles, communion hosts, incense, charcoal and other things churches need for their services. We are in the middle of ordering palms for churches in Utah, Nevada, Idaho and Wyoming.”Among the many activities they have held at Magdalene Religious Goods, (planting wheat seeds with the kids on the feast of St. Lucy, an art exhibit featuring artists with mental illness in honor of St. Dymphna’s feast day, a mother daughter first communion tea party, helping the girl scouts on St. Agatha’s feast day, art exhibit featuring local artists on the theme Our Lady of Guadalupe, lay third order Dominicans Advent retreat, and more) for the feast of Saint Mary Magdalene (July 22, 2014), Fr. Carl Schlicte, OP, a Dominican from Saint Catherine of Siena Catholic Newman Center celebrated the Mass in the shop. Jacquie very pleased said, “It was packed.”

Again Fr. Carl returns to Magdalene Religious Goods to bless a meal….

“Periodically we have live music at night,” says Jacque. Sugarhouse, the area of Salt Lake where Magdalene Religious Goods lives and thrives, had a winter carnival with local stores participating.

Magdalene Religious Goods had the African Choir from St. Patrick’s Church come and sing.

How pleased I am to have found a new friend in Saint Mary Magdalene just over an Etsy “convo” or “conversation.” I have never been to Salt Lake City, but when I go one day, I will be sure to visit the Cathedral of the Madeleine and stop in for a cup of coffee and enjoy the ambiance of Magdalene Religious Goods.

2 Responses to “Mary Magdalene in Salt Lake City”

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Tanya Vaughn says:

March 16, 2015 at 7:01 pm

What a fantastic place, I would love to visit! I am reading a book called Magdala and this would no doubt be the best place to turn pages! It’s a great book by Valerie Gross. I only wish this place was near me!

Mike Barber says:

February 22, 2022 at 4:11 pm

I lived in Salt Lake City, directly across the street from the Cathedral of the Madeleine, for more than 20 years. I bought my first set of Rosary beads at Mancuso’s. The family was always friendly and helpful.

2 Responses to “Mary Magdalene in Salt Lake City”

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