St. Mary's Cathedral
historic place
St. Mary's Cathedral in Austin, Texas, began its history in the 1850s. In 1851, Austin's Catholics sought a clergyman and built a small stone church, St. Patrick's, at the corner of Ninth and Brazos streets. The parish name changed to Saint Mary's of the Immaculate Conception in 1866. In 1874, at the invitation of Bishop Claude M. Dubuis, Holy Cross priests, brothers, and sisters from Notre Dame, Indiana, came to Austin to serve at Saint Mary's and establish a school, now Saint Edward's University. Upon their arrival, the present church, designed by architect Nicholas J. Clayton of Galveston, was built of native limestone. It was dedicated in 1884. A 2000-pound bell first tolled from the tower on July 4, 1886. Stained glass windows from Germany and France were added in the 1890s. Saint Mary's was designated the cathedral for the newly established Diocese of Austin in 1947. This site, recognized as a Recorded Texas Historic Landmark in 1977, reflects the growth of Austin's Catholic community and its architectural development.