12/03/2025
On April 4, 1997, Pope John Paul II honored the Cathedral of Saint Louis by making it a Basilica, a place of worship of special distinction. As a Basilica, the Cathedral displays two special symbols-the tintinnabulum or bell and the ombrellino or umbrella.
The Cathedral Basilica of St. Louis is a one-of-a-kind work of art. With its lofty vaults and radiant mosaics, the sheer scale of beauty is a thing of awe. More than a dozen architects' and artisans' concepts and works have coalesced in a magnificently well-integrated and harmonious whole for more than 60 years to complete it.
