Co-Cathedral of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary

History & Significance

Cathedral · Est. Present church built 1910; elevated to cathedral 1951

Catholic worship in Juneau began in 1885 when Fr. John Althoff was sent by Bishop Charles John Seghers to the mining community in the Silverbow Basin, and a first church was built in 1886 on Fifth Street. The present wood-frame church replaced it on the same block in 1910, and was consecrated and elevated to cathedral status in 1951 when the Diocese of Juneau was established. On September 17, 2020, the Diocese of Juneau merged into the Archdiocese of Anchorage, and the building now serves as a co-cathedral of the Archdiocese of Anchorage-Juneau (with Our Lady of Guadalupe in Anchorage). It is often cited as the smallest cathedral in the United States.

Wood-frame church building

• •Parish origins date to 1885 (Fr. John Althoff, sent by Bishop Charles John Seghers); present building constructed 1910
• •Consecrated and elevated to cathedral of the new Diocese of Juneau in 1951
• •Became a co-cathedral on September 17, 2020, when the Diocese of Juneau merged into the Archdiocese of Anchorage
• •Co-cathedral of the Archdiocese of Anchorage-Juneau, alongside Our Lady of Guadalupe Cathedral in Anchorage
• •Frequently cited as the smallest cathedral in the United States