Cathedral of St. Joseph

History & Significance

Cathedral · Est. Parish founded 1850; present church dedicated June 24, 1887; elevated to cathedral in 2018

St. Joseph's parish in Burlington, Vermont, was established in 1850 as the first French-Canadian (national French) parish in the United States. The present church was designed by Rev. Joseph Michaud, a self-taught architect from Montreal, with its cornerstone laid in 1884 and the building dedicated on June 24, 1887 (Feast of St. John the Baptist), blessed by Archbishop Édouard-Charles Fabre of Montreal. Named co-cathedral of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Burlington in 1999, it became the sole diocesan cathedral in 2018 under Bishop Christopher Coyne after the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception closed.

19th-century French-inspired design (architect drew on the Chapel of the Palace of Versailles)

• •Cathedral (seat) of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Burlington, which covers the entire state of Vermont
• •Established 1850 as the first French-Canadian / national French parish in the United States
• •Present church dedicated June 24, 1887; designed by Rev. Joseph Michaud of Montreal
• •Co-cathedral 1999-2018, then elevated to sole diocesan cathedral in 2018 by Bishop Christopher Coyne
• •Remains the largest church in Vermont, seating over 1,200