During the first half of the 19th century, the Catholic population in
Eastern Massachusetts grew tremendously. The cathedral for the Diocese of Boston,
Holy Cross Cathedral, was built in 1808. By 1860, it was too small to fulfill the needs of the diocese. Bishop
John Fitzpatrick wanted to replace it with a larger cathedral. However, with the outbreak of the
American Civil War in 1861, he was unable to start its construction. When the war ended in 1865, Bishop
John Williams took over planning for the cathedral project. He decided to locate the building in the
South End neighborhood of Boston. The South End was initially developed for Boston's emerging Protestant middle class. However, by the time the cathedral was being built, the South End was transitioning to a hub for new immigrants, mostly
Irish, as the original residents moved out.To finance the new cathedral, the diocese sought donations from wealthy Catholics. It also established a Church Debt Society among
working class Catholics; members would donate 50 cents a month for the cathedral construction. The diocese also sponsored
dramatic readings, concerts, fairs and raffles to raise money. Cardinal
Richard Cushing in January 1964 celebrated a
requiem mass at Holy Cross for US President
John F. Kennedy, who had been assassinated in
Dallas, Texas, in November 1963. The mass was taped and broadcast nationally on radio and television. During the mass, the
Boston Symphony Orchestra accompanied the
Mozart Requiem. On October 1, 1979,
Pope John Paul II held a 38-minute prayer service for 2,000 priests in the cathedral during his first
papal visit to the United States. Mother Teresa visited Holy Name in 1988, where she spoke about her charitable missions. A Vermont man in August 2010 surrendered the relic to the
Vermont State Police, saying that he received it from another man. The police returned the relic to the archdiocese, which now displayed only on special occasions. In April 2013, the cathedral hosted an interfaith prayer vigil in memory of the victims of the
2013 Boston Marathon bombing. US President
Barack Obama delivered the
eulogy. In 2018, the archdiocese undertook the first major renovation of the cathedral since its construction. The contractors removed 8,000 square feet of oak flooring, replacing it with stone. The
pews were restored, the electrical system was updated, a fire protection system was provided and air conditioning was installed. The $26 million renovation was completed in April 2019. An
Attleboro, Massachusetts, man in October 2023 vandalized the large
crucifix mounted on the cathedral lawn, causing $20,000 in damage. ==Cathedral==