See that tiny door in behind the plaque? There's a story behind it that I didn't know when I snapped this picture.
In our travels in the summer of 2023 to see various cathedrals between South Carolina and Michigan, St. Joseph's Cathedral in Columbus, Ohio was the first one that we came across that was locked.
Believe me, we tried all of the main doors.
Then we said a prayer. We told the kids to ask St. Joseph to let us in if there was any way.
Oh, and did I mention that our 9 month old had an explosive diaper, so not only did I really want to see the cathedral, we also really needed a place to change her.
My husband walked past that sign and tried that back side door...and it opened.
...to a dark hallway.
We let ourselves and, lo and behold, there was a bathroom. I quickly changed our daughter's diaper and prayed, again, that we could find a way into the main church.
We left the bathrooms and found another door, one that we thought would lead us straight into the sanctuary, but a quick tug told us otherwise.
Then we heard movement in another direction, behind a different locked door.
A man opened the door and asked us how we got in, so we told him. We also told him how much we wanted to see the cathedral and asked if we could get into the church.
The man introduced himself as Bob, told us that he was in charge of maintenance and had no one idea how we managed to get in because he was sure he locked every door after Mass.
I knew. St. Joseph made a way!
He decided to let us into the church, and even turned on the lights for us as we walked around and took it all in.
As it turns out, this was just the first in a continuing series of miraculous entries into locked cathedrals. Honestly, it is one of my favorite parts of seeing cathedrals: watching prayers be answered and doors be opened. It never gets old.
