A large prairie field flanked by woods and bordered by a stream may seem like an unusual setting for Canada’s newest cathedral. But then one might remember Constable’s paintings of Salisbury Cathedral in which the stream, woods and field are complemented by grazing cattle. 
The new Cathedral of the Holy Family on the outskirts of Saskatoon offers a comparable vista without the cattle although it is next door to the local zoo.
The exterior of the cathedral rises in a soaring spiral crowned by the cross. The vertical beam of the cross is lifted high by all of the supporting beams of the structure, and serves as the peak of the octagonal church that one parishioner described as God’s tent pitched amongst His people. The church floor is divided in half by a path of stones from the Holy Land. The path begins outside the building in the spot where the Easter holy fire is lit, leads through the deep Baptismal pool and ends in a rererdos composed of the same stone that forms the backdrop for the altar and the ambo on each side of the path. The bishop’s chair sits in its midst.
The materials of the construction are simple wood, stucco and steel that form the walls and arches. The design is such that the sanctuary is clearly visible from every seat in the church. The stained glass windows fill the building with a coloured light that infuses this sacred space.
These windows were designed by Toronto artist, Sarah Hall, whose works are an integral part of many North American churches and synagogues – including the chapels of Manresa Retreat House and Réné Goupil Infirmary in Pickering, Ontario. Sarah’s theme is salvation history. The first of the five windows begins this history in Creation. Its rich blues of water and sky gathering in the reds and yellows of the light and sun of the new universe greet the visitor above the left side of the church. The Spirit brightly broods over the water abyss. That light takes shape in the second window to the left: the Covenant. The sun of Creation beams above the fire of the burning bush as the waters of the Flood and of the Red Sea surround it. God’s people are there as well shining as the flames of little candles that flank the glory of the centre panels.
The window of the Incarnation is the third in the sequence. Here the Word has become the Light of the World in midst of the images of the trees and stream that border the cathedral. The light is still rising – the end time has not yet come, but it fills the growing world. The window of the Resurrection appropriately lights the sanctuary in the middle of the building. The rays of Christ’s glory are surrounded by the leaves and stems of new life. The rays themselves are the Aramaic words of the Beatitudes, the Lord’s Prayer and the Creed. The deep reds, greens and yellows reflect the presence of the Word Made Flesh in His resurrected life.
The final window to the far right gathers elements of all the other windows into a reflection of God’s glory in the end time. In the centre is the Tree of Life is surrounded by flying doves. Behind the Tree is the Lord’s Cross, the throne of glory.
Lighting the whole cathedral, high within the spiral below the cross, are immense stained glass windows that cast coloured rays throughout and furnish electricity by incorporating solar elements for the cathedral complex. 
The visitor is compelled to sing: “How lovely is thy dwelling place, O Lord of hosts!” (Psalm 84) See for yourself in the virtual tour of the cathedral at holyfamilycathedral.ca or in Transfiguring Prairie Skies: Stained Glass at Cathedral of the Holy Family by Donald Bolen and Sara Hall, Saskatoon: Roman Catholic Diocese of Saskatoon, 2012.