Cathedral of Saint John the Baptist

CHARLESTON, UNITED STATES · LATE 19TH–EARLY 20TH CENTURY

Cathedral of St. John the Baptist

The mother church of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Charleston, built to replace a cathedral destroyed by fire in 1861.

At a glance

The Cathedral of St. John the Baptist is the mother church of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Charleston. Located in Charleston, South Carolina, it was designed by Brooklyn architect Patrick Keely. Construction began in 1890 and the cathedral was dedicated in 1907. It stands as the seat of the fourteenth bishop of Charleston.

History

The cathedral replaced an earlier one that burned down in 1861. Work on the new building started in 1890, following a design by Patrick Keely of Brooklyn. Dedication came in 1907. The cathedral has since remained the liturgical center of the diocese, with Bishop Jacques E. Fabre consecrated and installed there in 2022.

What you see

The cathedral has four chapels. One of them contains a crypt. Throughout the chapels, the doors and the upper church are numerous stained glass windows, all created in France. The upper church seats 720 worshippers. Its pipe organ was manufactured in the United States, while the steeple bells were cast in France.

Cultural significance

As the mother church of the Diocese of Charleston, the cathedral is the formal seat of the diocese’s bishop. It has witnessed the consecration of Bishop Fabre, the fourteenth bishop of Charleston, in 2022. The rector as of 2025 is the Very Rev. Gregory B. Wilson.

Key facts

Country: United States
City: Charleston
Coordinates: 32.7765, -79.9345

Practical information & getting there

The cathedral is in Charleston, South Carolina. Specific visiting hours are not listed here; check local parish announcements before planning a visit.

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Cathedral of Saint John the Baptist (Charleston, South Carolina)