Archbishop John Glennon began building this beautiful cathedral in 1907 with a ground breaking ceremony and it wasn't offically completed until 1987. Its unique design combines architecture of the Romanesque style on the exterior with an amazingly beautiful Byzantine-style interior. This "New Cathedral", as the locals call it, contains the largest mosaic collection in the world; it was created by 20 different artists and covers 83,000 square feet. The installation, which contains almost 42 million pieces of glass tesserae in more than 7,000 colors, began in 1912 and was completed in 1988.
Visitors are encouraged to tour the cathedral on their own whenever there is not a service or ceremony in progress. The Mosaic Museum, on the lower level of the cathedral, provides additional information on the church's construction and the installation of the artwork. The Cathedral Shop, located on the west side of the vestibule, stocks postcards and books that provide detailed information on the history of the church. In 1997, during his visit to St. Louis, Pope John Paul II gave the designation of "Cathedral Basilica" to the cathedral. The Cathedral Basilica holds special concerts and event throughout the year. Especially popular are the "Christmas at the Cathedral" concerts held during the Christmas season.
Daily Mass is held at the Cathedral Basilica. See website for additional information on the days and times that Mass is held.
Cathedral Basilica of Saint Louis
4431 Lindell Blvd
St. Louis, MO 63108
314-373-8200
Cathedral Basilica of Saint Louis Website, St. Louis City Landmarks