History & Significance
Basilica · Est. Parish founded 1822; first church dedicated August 28, 1823; present building completed 1903
St. James was founded in 1822 as the first Catholic parish on Long Island, its first church dedicated by Bishop John Connolly on August 28, 1823. After the Diocese of Brooklyn was established in 1853, St. James served as its cathedral; the present building, designed by architect George H. Streeton, was completed in 1903 to replace the original church. It was reaffirmed as cathedral of the diocese in 1972 by Bishop Francis Mugavero and elevated to a minor basilica by Pope John Paul II on May 6, 1982. It remains the seat of the Diocese of Brooklyn.
Neo-Georgian (Georgian Revival) style, 1903, by architect George H. Streeton
- •First Catholic parish on Long Island, founded in 1822
- •Seat (cathedral) of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Brooklyn
- •Designated a minor basilica by Pope John Paul II on May 6, 1982
- •Present church building completed in 1903, designed by George H. Streeton
- •Became the diocesan cathedral after the Diocese of Brooklyn was established in 1853
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