History of the Basilica of St. John the Baptist

The Basilica-Cathedral of Saint John the Baptist in St. John's was built between 1839 and 1855. 

At the time of its construction, it was the largest church in North America. Even today, it is the second-largest church in Canada after Saint Joseph's Oratory in Montreal and the largest cathedral church in Canada. 

It is located on the highest ridge overlooking St. John's.

During the Great Fire of 1892, it was one of the few buildings to survive.

The cathedral was raised to the status of Basilica by Pope Pius XII in 1955. The building has also been designated as a Registered Heritage Structure.

The Basilica-Cathedral was constructed using limestone and granite imported from Galway and Dublin, Ireland, as well as 400,000 bricks from Hamburg, as well as local sandstone and Newfoundland bluestone quarried from St. John's and Kelly's Island in Conception Bay.