By: WJAC Web Staff ALTOONA, Pa. -- The beauty of the Cathedral of the Blessed Sacrament in downtown Altoona is nearly unmatched, and its size is hard to miss by anyone looking into the city. Many people coming to the Blair County community think the cathedral may be a city hall or a courthouse, more so than a house of worship. The cathedral is located at the corner of 13th Street and 13th Avenue and is a venue beaming with Altoona history and is a one-of-a-kind structure. Cathedral Rector Msgr. Robert Mazur said Bishop John McCort broke ground on the cathedral in September 1924. He wanted it to be a massive structure, a symbol of Altoona that would be seen far away from the city. Construction started during the roaring 1920s and money was plentiful, so extravagance was a given. Limestone for the building's exterior was shipped in from the state of Indiana, and huge steel columns were hauled in from Johnstown's Bethlehem Steel Company to support the church's massive dome. "Bishop McCort insisted that a cathedral have a dome," Mazur said. The area's Catholics were excited for the new cathedral, but just as the construction was being completed on the outside, the Great Depression struck, Mazur said. The inside of the building remained bare and rather plain for nearly 30 years until a new bishop was picked for the diocese and wanted to finish what Bishop McCort started. "Bishop [John] Carroll arrived and said 'We're going to finish the cathedral,'" Mazur said. Bishop Carroll was appointed in 1958 and started to have art work delivered and coordinated the displaying of the pieces, Mazur said. Some of the art work, like the Lady of the Blessed Sacrament piece, was created in Italy specifically for the cathedral. That piece shows Mary presenting her son, Jesus. Another piece shows Jesus breaking bread. "They're rather unique. The art is beautiful," Mazur said. "The crucifix, the candle stands, the sunburst over the alter all commissioned in Belgium, Spain." In front of the church is a statue of Bishop Carroll. Also in front of the church, across from the bishop, is a statue of Demetrius Gallitzin. He was a pastor in the Altoona area in the 1790s. Currently a campaign is underway to have Gallitzin declared a saint for his work spreading the faith throughout the nearby area of Loretto. Also inside the cathedral is a Steinmeyer Organ. "This is our pearl," Mazur said. "There are only two in the western hemisphere. This is the only one that's been restored." It was built in Bavaria, Germany, and boasts 4,759 pipes, Mazur said. People travel from throughout the world asking for the honor of playing the organ. Last year, people from Scotland and Germany traveled to the church, asking if they can play the historic pipes. "This cathedral is an expression of their catholic faith," Mazur said. "It's quite beautiful." Over the course of the summer, the stone exterior of the church will undergo a deep cleaning, Mazur said. An extensive cleaning like that hasn't happened since the 1980s.