The cathedral was built and consecrated under the leadership of
James Aloysius Griffin, fourth bishop of the diocese. Griffin was the first bishop to be based in Springfield, as the diocese had previously been seated in
Quincy, Illinois, then
Alton, Illinois). The cathedral complex is faced with
Kasota limestone, also called "Mankato Kasota stone," a golden limestone quarried in
Mankato, Minnesota. Like many cathedral complexes, it also contains working space for the
bishop and staff. An
elementary school building forms the southern component of the complex. The cathedral itself is consecrated to the doctrine of the
Immaculate Conception of the Virgin Mary, and is under the patronage of the
Blessed Mother. The cathedral is the second building in Springfield to be consecrated to the Immaculate Conception, the first being a Catholic church in use from 1858 until 1928. When the seat of the diocese moved to Springfield in 1923, it needed a larger structure to serve as cathedral. After completion of the cathedral, the nearby
Lincoln-era church was de-consecrated and demolished. ==See also==