St. Mary's Cathedral Basilica of Holy Family Parish

History & Significance

Basilica · Est. Current structure dedicated November 26, 1848 (parish founded 1842)

St. Mary Cathedral Basilica in Galveston, Texas grew from an 1842 wooden church into a permanent brick cathedral whose cornerstone was laid in 1847 and which was dedicated on November 26, 1848. Designed by architect Theodore Eugene Giraud, with later additions by Nicholas J. Clayton, it served as the seat of the Diocese of Galveston (established 1847 under first bishop Jean-Marie Odin) and survived the catastrophic 1900 Galveston Hurricane with minimal damage. Pope John Paul II elevated it to a minor basilica in 1979, and it remains a co-cathedral of the Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston.

Gothic Revival brick cathedral, inspired by King's College Chapel, Cambridge

• •Mother church of the Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston; oldest cathedral in Texas
• •Diocese of Galveston established May 4, 1847, with Jean-Marie Odin as first bishop
• •Designated a minor basilica by Pope John Paul II in 1979
• •Added to the National Register of Historic Places on June 4, 1973 (Texas historic landmark 1967)
• •Co-cathedral with the Co-Cathedral of the Sacred Heart in Houston since the 2004 elevation to archdiocese