Basilica of St. Louis King, King of France (The Old Cathedral)

Story of the Basilica

Dating to 1770, the parish of the Old Cathedral is the 'Mother Church' of St. Louis. St. Louis founders Pierre Laclede and Auguste Chouteau dedicated a parcel of land — the original 'church block,' one of three central blocks of the new city — to the people of St. Louis in 1764 for religious purposes. For decades it was the only church of any denomination in the area, the social and educational hub of the settlement, and the seedbed from which Saint Louis University grew. Today, the building is a prominent example of Greek Revival architecture in the United States and remains an active parish and a major destination in downtown St. Louis.

Founding Through the 1834 Cathedral

1764 — Laclede and Chouteau deed land for a one-room log church, the first Catholic church west of the Mississippi. 1776 — A second, larger log church replaces the first. 1818 — Bishop Louis William Valentine DeBourg lays the cornerstone of a brick church on the site and founds the Academy of St. Louis (predecessor of Saint Louis University). 1826–1827 — St. Louis is constituted a separate diocese from New Orleans; Bishop Joseph Rosati becomes the first Bishop of St. Louis. 1831 — Rosati lays the cornerstone of the present cathedral on August 1, after the 55-year-old log church can no longer serve the growing parish; about $63,360.85 is raised. 1834 — The Greek Revival church designed by Laveille and Morton is completed and consecrated on October 26, 1834, at a ceremony featuring the local militia and parishioners.

From Cathedral to Basilica

1843–1845 — Bishop Peter R. Kenrick succeeds Bishop Rosati; on November 20, 1845 the first Council of the St. Vincent de Paul Society in America is established at the parish. 1853 — Bishop Kenrick completes Rosati's original vision with extensive interior alterations. 1905–1914 — Archbishop John J. Glennon receives the pallium at the Old Cathedral in 1905, the last great ecclesiastical function held there; the new Cathedral Basilica of Saint Louis at Lindell and Newstead Avenues is blessed and dedicated in 1914. 1958–1961 — Cardinal Joseph Ritter commissions a major renovation by Murphy and Mackey with Don C. Musick Construction; an oval window over the altar is uncovered during the work and the project is completed in 1961. 1961 — On January 27, Pope John XXIII decrees that the church be elevated to a basilica with the name Basilica of St. Louis, King. 2011–2015 — Mackey Mitchell and the Musick Construction Company carry out the first major restoration in over fifty years; the $9.5 million, 2014–15 renovation is coordinated with the CityArchRiver 2015 initiative to renew the riverfront beneath the Gateway Arch. 2023 — Under All Things New, the parish is restructured effective August 1 as both a personal parish and the territorial successor of the former St. John the Apostle and Evangelist Parish; Fr. Nicholas Smith continues as rector.

Architecture & Interior Art

The basilica is a textbook Greek Revival design — Joliet limestone columns and façade, a Doric portico spanning the entrance, and dimensions of roughly 134–136 feet long by 84 feet wide and 95 feet tall. A Latin inscription across the portico reads 'In Honorem S. Ludovici. Deo uni et trino dicatum. A. MDCCCXXXIV' (In honor of St. Louis. Dedicated to the one and triune God. A.D. 1834); Hebrew letters intended to spell the Tetragrammaton are inscribed in Hebrew above it. Inside, visitors see marble altars, a painting of Saint Louis venerating the Crown of Thorns given by King Louis XVIII of France, and a high-quality copy of the Crucifixion by Diego Velázquez installed in the latter half of the 20th century. A bell given by the governor of the Territory of Louisiana hangs in the basement, and Bishop Joseph Rosati is interred in a vault beneath the sanctuary.

• Greek Revival style by Laveille and Morton (1831–1834)
• Joliet limestone façade and Doric portico
• Gold Latin dedication across the portico and Hebrew Tetragrammaton inscription above
• Marble altars; painting of St. Louis and the Crown of Thorns (gift of Louis XVIII)
• Copy of Velázquez's Crucifixion (late 20th century)
• Bishop Rosati's tomb beneath the sanctuary

Old Cathedral Museum

Established in the 1940s and located on the west side of the church, the Old Cathedral Museum was completely renovated by the Archdiocesan Office of Archives and Records (led by director Eric Fair and archivist Rena Schergen) and funded by parishioners, donors, and the Annual Catholic Appeal. Archbishop Rozanski blessed the reopened museum in May 2024. Exhibits walk visitors through the early Catholic Church in St. Louis — predating the Old Cathedral — the construction of two log structures and a brick church before the present cathedral, and 'The Changing Landscape' from the demolition of buildings to make way for the Jefferson National Expansion Memorial to the building of the Gateway Arch and surrounding National Park. A lift added between the two floors (funded by the Annual Catholic Appeal) provides accessibility, alongside reconfigured lighting and new artifact cases.

• Museum entrance on the west side of the church
• 'Changing Landscape' exhibit on the Gateway Arch construction
• 18-minute documentary on the Old Cathedral in the 20th century
• Story of the 2014–15 $9.5 million renovation
• Lift for accessibility between the two museum floors

Tours & Visiting

The Basilica is open for prayer and visitation Monday–Friday 6:45 AM – 2:00 PM, Saturday 6:45 AM – 6:30 PM, and Sunday 7:30 AM – 6:00 PM. A free First Sunday tour of the Old Cathedral and Museum follows the noon Mass on the first Sunday of each month (no registration required). Group tours for parties of 10 or more are led by volunteer docents — requested donation $5 per person, $3 per student — and may be arranged by emailing [email protected]. A self-guided Visitor's Guide brochure is available on the pedestal inside the main entrance.

• First Sunday Tour (free, public, after noon Mass)
• Group Tours ($5/$3 suggested donation, 10+ people)
• Self-guided Visitor's Guide brochure at the main entrance

All Things New & Personal Parish Status

On Pentecost Sunday 2023, Archbishop Mitchell Rozanski issued a decree (effective August 1, 2023) reorganizing the parish under the All Things New pastoral planning initiative. The Basilica of Saint Louis, King of France, Parish is now both a personal parish (drawing members from across the Archdiocese of St. Louis) and the territorial successor of the former St. John the Apostle and Evangelist Parish. Fr. Nicholas Smith continues as rector and Director of the Office of Sacred Worship, while pastoral care is to be provided to former St. John the Evangelist parishioners.