St. Mary's Cathedral
Natchez, Adams County, Mississippi
Marker Inscription
St. Mary's Cathedral. In 1837 Natchez was designated the See of the Roman Catholic Church in Mississippi. In 1842 Bishop J. M. Chanche began construction of this structure, the only church built as a cathedral in Mississippi.
Erected by Mississippi Department of Archives and History
The Story
In 1837 Natchez was named the seat of the new Roman Catholic diocese covering Mississippi, and in 1842 Bishop J. M. Chanche began building this church—the only one in the state actually constructed as a cathedral. Rising in a bustling antebellum river town, it reflected the growing Catholic presence in the Deep South.
Why it matters
St. Mary's marks the establishment of the Catholic Church in Mississippi and remains the state's only purpose-built cathedral.
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Related people
- · J. M. Chanche
Themes & tags
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