St. Mary Cathedral Basilica
2011 Church St., Galveston, Texas 77550
St. Mary Cathedral Basilica is one of two cathedrals of the Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston. Located in Galveston, TX, it is the mother church of the Catholic Church in Texas, as well as a minor basilica.
On February 6, 1842, one month before his consecration as a bishop, Fr. Jean Marie Odin, C.M. dedicated a small wooden-framed church to the Blessed Virgin Mary. A small sacristy was later added, as well as the addition of thirty benches.
In 1847, construction began on a larger, permanent church. On May 4, 1847, Pope Pius IX approved the establishment of the Diocese of Galveston and named Odin as its first bishop.
St. Mary Cathedral was dedicated on November 26, 1848. St. Mary Cathedral was named a Texas state historic landmark in 1968 and a national historic landmark in 1973.
In 1979, in recognition of the Cathedral's importance to the community and the State of Texas, as well as the historical impact it had on Catholicism in the state of Texas, Pope St. John Paul II elevated St. Mary Cathedral to the status of a minor basilica.
St. Mary Cathedral Basilica is a part of Holy Family Parish.