Basilica of St. John the Baptist
| Basilica-Cathedral of St. John the Baptist | |
|---|---|
| Religion | |
| Affiliation | Catholic Church |
| Diocese | Archdiocese of St. John's |
| Ecclesiastical or organizational status | Minor basilica Metropolitan cathedral |
| Leadership | Archbishop Peter Hundt |
| Location | |
| Location | 200 Military Road St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador A1C 5M3 |
Interactive map of Basilica-Cathedral of St. John the Baptist | |
| Coordinates | 47°34′02.48″N 52°42′36.36″W / 47.5673556°N 52.7101000°W |
| Architecture | |
| Architect | John Philpot Jones |
| Type | Latin Cross, basilica |
| Style | Lombard Romanesque |
| Completed | 1855 |
| Specifications | |
| Direction of façade | East |
| Capacity | 2,500 seated |
| Length | 85 metres (279 ft) |
| Width | 65 metres (213 ft) |
| Width (nave) | 16 metres (52 ft) |
| Height (max) | 48 metres (157 ft) |
| Materials | Irish granite & limestone Newfoundland sandstone Italian marble Egyptian travertine |
| Official name | Basilica of St. John the Baptist National Historic Site of Canada |
| Designated | 1983 |
| Website | |
| thebasilica | |
The Basilica-Cathedral of Saint John the Baptist in St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador is the metropolitan cathedral of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of St. John's, Newfoundland. The building sits within the St. John's Ecclesiastical District, a National Historic District of Canada. The Basilica-Cathedral was the largest building project to its date in Newfoundland history.
Construction lasted from the excavation of the ground in May 1839, through the laying of the cornerstone in May 1841, until the completion and consecration on 9 September 1855. At this time, it was the largest church building in North America and remains the second largest church in Canada after Saint Joseph's Oratory in Montreal and the largest cathedral church in Canada. The Basilica-Cathedral is one of the few buildings in St. John's to survive the Great Fire of 1892.
Pope Pius XII raised the cathedral to the status of minor Basilica via his decree Terra Novæ Cæruleis in 30 May 1955, coinciding with its centennial anniversary. The decree was signed and notarized by the Apostolic Chancellor Ermenegildo Brugnola.
On 12 December 2018, Bishop Peter Hundt of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Corner Brook and Labrador was appointed Archbishop and took canonical possession of the diocese on 29 January 2019.