About the Cathedral Basilica of Saint John the Baptist in Savannah, Georgia:
Immigrants fleeing turmoil in Haiti and France established Savannah’s first parish, the Congregation de Saint Jean-Baptiste, near the end of the 18th century.
1799-1800.
The first Bishop of the Diocese of Charleston (1820), which encompassed all of Georgia, was Bishop John England, and he placed the cornerstone of the new brick church on Drayton and Perry Streets. On April 1, 1839, Bishop England dedicated the Church of Saint John the Baptist, which seated 1,000 people. Pope Pius IX erected the Diocese of Savannah on July 19, 1850, with the Right Reverend Francis X Gartland as the first bishop.
Saint John the Baptist Church (the only Catholic church in Savannah) was repaired following hurricane damage.
A devastating fire on February 6, 1898, destroyed all of the Cathedral but the outside walls and the two spires. The rebuilding began immediately, and the seventh bishop of Savannah, Benjamin Keiley, celebrated the first mass in the rebuilt Cathedral on December 24, 1899. The rebuilt Cathedral was dedicated October 28, 1900, by the apostolic delegate to the United States, Archbishop Sebastian Martinelli.
Note: There is a Church of Saint John in Savannah as well. It is not Catholic, it is an Episcopal Church in the Anglican tradition. Although we appreciate the reverence of their services, it is not in communion with the Catholic Church. We hope some day that will change!
Visiting the Cathedral Basilica of Saint John the Baptist in Savannah, Georgia:
Address: 222 E Harris St, Savannah, GA 31401
Tel: (912) 233-4709
Click here for the official website of the Cathedral Basilica of Saint John the Baptist in Savannah, Georgia.
