Cathedral Basilica of St. Louis

History & Significance

Basilica · Est. Ground was cleared in 1907; the cathedral was dedicated October 18, 1914, and consecrated June 29, 1926.

The Cathedral Basilica of Saint Louis, often called the "New Cathedral," was built to replace the older riverfront cathedral; ground was broken in 1907, it was dedicated in 1914, and consecrated in 1926. It serves as the seat of the Archbishop of St. Louis and the mother church of the Archdiocese of St. Louis. The church is renowned for its interior mosaics, which were created over decades by studios including Tiffany Studios, Emil Frei, and Ravenna Mosaic Company and were not fully completed until 1988. In 1997, Pope St. John Paul II designated it a minor basilica, and in 1999 he led an evening prayer service there during his visit to St. Louis.

Byzantine Revival exterior with a Romanesque-influenced design, famed for its mosaic-clad interior.

• •Dedicated in 1914 and consecrated in 1926
• •Seat of the Archbishop of St. Louis and mother church of the Archdiocese of St. Louis
• •Designated a minor basilica by Pope John Paul II in 1997
• •Holds one of the largest mosaic installations in the world, covering roughly 83,000 square feet with tens of millions of glass tesserae
• •Mosaics were completed over decades and finished in 1988