About Saint Mary’s Cathedral in Galveston, Texas:
Named the mother church of the Galveston-Houston Diocese by Pope Pius IX in 1847. At that time the Diocese encompassed the entire state of Texas.
Saint Mary’s is perhaps the most famous church in the city. It is the mother church of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston and a designated minor basilica. Founded in 1847 and dedicated in 1848, it is the oldest cathedral in Texas. It was built in 1847 by Bishop Jean Marie Odin using bricks imported from Belgium and designed in the Gothic Revival style, inspired by King’s College Chapel in England. It features historic Gothic Revival architecture and a stunning 1878 statue of Mary, Star of the Sea.
Pope St. John Paul II designated it a Minor Basilica in 1979. It was named a Texas state historic landmark in 1968 and a National Historic Landmark in 1973.
During Hurricane Ike in 2009, Saint Mary’s Cathedral was extensively damaged and closed for a period of over four years. It finally re-opened to services beginning with the Easter Mass of the Resurrection in April 2014, but on a limited basis.Services are shared with several other churches to form one parish
Traveling to Saint Mary’s Cathedral in Galveston, Texas:
Address: 2011 Church Street, Galveston, Texas.
Visit the official website of Saint Mary’s Basilica in Galveston, Texas.