St. John the Evangelist Parish was established by the Rev. James Morris in 1863. It is the oldest Catholic parish in Rochester. At the time of its founding, the property where the parish's buildings continue to stand was acquired. A church was completed in 1872 and dedicated by Bishop
Thomas Grace of
St. Paul. As the parish grew, a larger church building was completed in 1905. Three schools, a grade school, a girls' high school and a boys' high school opened in 1913. Plans for the present church were completed by
New Ulm architect Edward F. Wirtz, and construction began in 1955. Local contractors completed construction two years later. The
Modern structure features an exterior composed of
Mankato stone and a seating capacity of 1,200. It was extensively renovated from 2001 to 2002. On March 27, 2018,
Pope Francis elevated the church to be the co-cathedral of the newly renamed Diocese of Winona–Rochester. The new designation reflects the economic growth of the city of Rochester and the demographic changes that have occurred since the diocese was founded in 1889. Three-quarters of the diocese's population now resides between Rochester and
Mankato. St. John the Evangelist Church was elevated to cathedral status at a liturgy on June 24, 2018, the
Nativity of Saint John the Baptist. File:1907StJohnCatholicRochesterMN.jpg|Postcard image of the 1905 church File:CathSJE.jpg|Interior of the church, looking east File:CathedraRochesterMN.jpg|Cathedra File:BishopsSJE.jpg|Mass of elevation ==See also==