St. Mary's Cathedral Basilica
St. Mary's Cathedral Basilica, the oldest church building in Galveston, was built in 1847 and was the first Catholic Cathedral in Texas, it was also the first Cathedral west of the Mississippi. It served the then Galveston Diocese (now the Galveston-Houston Diocese), which encompassed the entire State of Texas. In 1979, Pope John Paul II recognized the importance that St. Mary's Cathedral played in the development of Texas and the entire West, and elevated the status of St. Mary's Cathedral to Cathedral Basilica.
The Galveston-Houston Catholic Diocese is unique because it has two Cathedrals. One being St. Mary's Cathedral Basilica in Galveston and the other Sacred Heart Co-Cathedral in Houston. St. Mary's Cathedral Basilica is the original Cathedral for the Diocese, constructed in 1847. However in 1959, the Most Reverend Wendelin J. Nold, fifth bishop of the Galveston Diocese, was permitted by Rome to build a Cathedral of convenience in Houston; and that is Sacred Heart Co-Cathedral. This did not change the status of the City of Galveston as a Episcopal* city, however it did permit full Episcopal* ceremonies to be held in Houston, as well as Galveston. Both Cathedral's are coequal in rank, however since St. Mary's is the original Cathedral for the State of Texas and holds the higher status of Cathedral Basilica, it has the distinction of being the Mother Cathedral for all the Catholic Dioceses in Texas.
*Note: The word Episcopal, as used above, is in no relation to the Episcopal Church, but rather a term used by the Catholic Church when describing cities designated by Rome to be the home the Bishop and center of the Diocese. In the Galveston-Houston Diocese, the cities of Galveston and Houston are both recognized by Rome as Episcopal cities, and this can never change.
St. Mary Cathedral Basilica
2011 Church Street
Galveston, Texas 77550
Phone 409.762.9611 · URL: http://www.marycath.org
