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Basilica of St. Louis, King of France
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The Basilica of Saint Louis, King of France, formerly the Cathedral of Saint Louis, and colloquially the Old Cathedral, was consecrated in 1834. It was the first cathedral west of the Mississippi River and until 1845 the only parish church in the city of St. Louis, Missouri. It is one of two basilicas in St. Louis, and is named after Louis IX of France, the namesake of Saint Louis.
It is located on the historic riverfront of Saint Louis, near the Gateway Arch. Because of the historical significance of the church, it was left intact while the neighboring buildings were all torn down to make way for the Gateway Arch.
The church is especially noted for its neo-classical marble altars, a painting given by Louis XVIII of France of a vision of Saint Louis, and an accurate copy of the painting of the Crucifixion by Diego Velázquez.
The church basement has a number of artifacts associated with the history of the Diocese (and later, Archdiocese) of St. Louis. Bishop Joseph Rosati, who had the Old Cathedral built, is buried within a vault underneath the sanctuary.
By the early 20th century, the Old Cathedral had become too small and the population center had moved west with the expansion of the city. For these reasons, Archdiocesan officials began planning for a new Cathedral.
In 1914 the Catholic archdiocesan seat was moved to the New Cathedral, and the Old Cathedral was renamed the Church of Saint Louis IX, King of France. On January 27, 1961, Blessed John XXIII signed the decree naming the original Cathedral of Saint Louis a Basilica, giving it the present name, the Basilica of Saint Louis, King of France.
- Basilica's official website
- Fact Sheet, from the website of the St. Louis Convention & Visitors Commission