A BRIEF HISTORY OF THE CATHEDRAL BASILICA OF SAINT LOUIS
The foundation of Cathedral parish may be traced to the need for a new cathedral as Saint Louis rapidly grew beyond the limits of the pioneer village. A location at the corner of Lindell Boulevard and Newstead Avenue was selected. The Cathedral Chapel, on Maryland Avenue in back of the property, was blessed on October 18, 1896, by the first pastor, Reverend J. McCaffrey.
On May 1, 1907, construction began on the present Cathedral, with the cornerstone laid on October 18, 1908. The first Mass was celebrated in the new building in 1914. The entire city joined in the celebration of the consecration of the Cathedral Church on June 29, 1926. The mosaics in the interior were gradually added and finally completed in 1988.
The Cathedral of Saint Louis was designated a Basilica by Pope John Paul II on April 4, 1997. As a result, on October 19, 1997, in the 150th anniversary year of the elevation of the Diocese of Saint Louis to the Archdiocese of Saint Louis, the church was elevated to a minor basilica and now bears the name of Cathedral Basilica of Saint Louis.
The Cathedral Basilica contains 41.5 million mosaic pieces, covering 83,000 square feet. There are over 7,000 shades of color used to create the magnificent pictorial displays. The Cathedral has one of the largest collections of mosaic art in the world.
THE JUBILEE PRAYER GARDEN
The Jubilee Prayer Garden extends from the west side of the Cathedral to the east side of the parish rectory. The purpose of this garden is to create a peaceful place to enjoy the fellowship of friends and the magnificence of God’s work. The initial phase of the garden was completed during the summer of 2000. The garden is intended to be a living and changing environment, a reflection of our growing relationship with God and each other. In order to achieve this goal, we are offering paving bricks inscribed with your name or that of someone you wish to honor. The bricks can be given as a celebration of a birth, a graduation, a marriage, or as a final remembrance. The bricks are placed throughout the walkway and will be enjoyed by all those visiting the area.
Questions - Please call Jennifer Stanard at 314-373-8220.
Prayer Garden
The Signature Brick:
The Signature Brick has a bronze plaque overlaying the brick bearing the honoree's name. The name of the person being memorialized can be presented as an actual replication of the honoree’s signature, or the name can be presented in a simple block font.
