Cathedral of St. John the Baptist

History & Significance

Cathedral · Est. Dedicated July 31, 1870; elevated to cathedral in 1937

The Cathedral of St. John the Baptist in Paterson, New Jersey, grew from a parish whose cornerstone was laid in September 1865; the neo-Gothic church, designed by noted ecclesiastical architect Patrick C. Keely, was dedicated on July 31, 1870. Bishop Winand M. Wigger consecrated it on June 29, 1890, after completion of the Lady Chapel and tower spire. On December 9, 1937, Pope Pius XI established the Diocese of Paterson and named the church its cathedral, with Thomas H. McLaughlin as first bishop. It remains the mother church and seat of the Diocese of Paterson.

Neo-Gothic (Gothic Revival)

• •Seat and mother church of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Paterson, designated when the diocese was established on December 9, 1937 by Pope Pius XI
• •Cornerstone laid September 1865; dedicated July 31, 1870; consecrated June 29, 1890
• •Designed by architect Patrick C. Keely, who also designed the cathedrals of Boston and Chicago
• •Listed on the National Register of Historic Places on December 16, 1977 (ref. No. 77000903)