THE EXTERIOR  The architecture of the Cathedral is a mixture of Tudor and modified Gothic.  The Tudor influence is present in the exposed beams within the church.  The Gothic influence which came from the Germanic tribes is present in the pointed arches over the doorways and at the main altar, side altars and between the columns within the church.  It is modified Gothic because it does not have the flying buttresses present in true Gothic architecture.  The cornerstone, laid in 1927 and written in Latin, loosely translated, reads:

On July 31, 1927, while Pope Pius XI is happily reigning and Cornelius Van de Ven is Bishop, under the good auspices of the Jesuit Fathers ... this special stone is blessed, dedicated and placed in a solemn ceremony as a stone commemorating the building of the Church in honor of St. John Berchmans and for the greater glory of God.

This church is one of only eight dedicated to the patronage of this young Jesuit Saint. (pictured left)  His statue is located high above the main entrance.  This is a replacement of the original statue, and was dedicated in October of 1962.  He is the patron of youth and of altar boys.  If you will look above the main entrance you will see large letters cast in stone.  They stand for Ad Majorem Dei Gloriam “For The Greater Glory of God.”

                 

THE VESTIBULE was part of an extensive renovation in 1992-1994.  As we step inside there are two statues, the one on the left is St. Francis Xavier and the one on the right is St. Alphonsus Rodriguez, both Jesuits (a priest and a brother, respectively) who achieved sainthood. 

The room on the west end of the vestibule was originally the baptistery.  Its three stained glass windows are: Jesus and Nicodemus, John the Baptist, and Jesus and St. Francis Xavier.  The marble and mosaic Baptismal font rested in the middle of the room.  Later this room was turned into the Bride's Room, but when the church was remodeled it became the Bishop's Dressing Room.

On the East side of the Vestibule, are restrooms large enough to accommodate wheelchairs.   The stairs go up to the choir loft.  The two stained glass windows above the stairway depict St. Theresa of Avila, a doctor of the Church (pictured right) and St. Gregory the Great.

THE CHOIR LOFT  The three great windows, the one in the choir loft and the two in the transept, tell the complete story of the life of St. Ignatius Loyola, and the founding of the Jesuit order; they were executed by Emil Frei.

In the two center panels of the Choir Window, we have St. Ignatius' vision of Christ, his King, entitled "King of Kings" (pictured left) and the portrayal of Mary as Queen of the Society of Jesus.  At the top of these center panels we see the coat of arms of St. Ignatius and of the Pope.  Below the center panels Ignatius is shown writing his famous Book of the Spiritual Exercises in the cave of Manresa and chastising himself.  In the left hand panels, from top to bottom, there are:  St. Michael the Archangel; St. Ignatius converting St. Francis Xavier; and St. Raphael the Archangel.  In the right hand panels, from top to bottom, there are:  St. Gabriel, the Archangel, St. Ignatius kneeling before an altar, entitled "Master of Spiritual Exercises;" and St. George in armor.