View source for Cathedral Basilica of St. Joseph (San Jose)

{{short description|Historic church in California, United States}}
{{Use American English|date=July 2025}}
{{Infobox church
| name                   = Cathedral Basilica of Saint Joseph
| native_name            = {{langx|es|Catedral Basílica de San José}}
| image                  = StJosephDusk.jpg
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| caption                = Cathedral Basilica of St. Joseph

| pushpin map            = United States San Jose
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| coordinates            = {{Coord|37.334036|-121.890816|format=dms |type:landmark_region:US-CA |display=inline,title}}
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| location               = 80 South Market Street<br />[[San Jose, California]]
| country                = {{flag|USA}}

| denomination           = [[Roman Catholic]]
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| website                = [http://www.stjosephcathedral.org/ www.stjosephcathedral.org]

| former name            = 
| bull date              = 
| founded date           = {{start date|1877|04|22}}
| founder                = 
| dedication             = [[Saint Joseph]]
| dedicated date         = 1990
| consecrated date       = 1803, 1877
| cult                   = 
| relics                 = 
| events                 = 
| past bishop            = [[Pierre DuMaine|The Most Rev. R. Pierre DuMaine]]<br>[[Patrick Joseph McGrath|The Most Rev. Patrick Joseph McGrath]]
| people                 = 
| status                 = [[Minor Basilica]], [[Cathedral]]
| functional status      = Active
| heritage designation   = [[California Historical Landmark]] #910<br/>[[National Register of Historic Places]] #77000345
| designated date        = 
| architect              = 
| architectural type     = 
| style                  = 
| groundbreaking         = 1876
| completed date         = 1885
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| capacity               = 950
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| parish                 = 
| deanery                = Deanery 3
| archdeaconry           = 
| episcopalarea          = [[Roman Catholic Diocese of San Jose in California|San José in California]]
| archdiocese            = [[Roman Catholic Archdiocese of San Francisco|Archidioecesis Sancti Francisci]]
| metropolis             = 
| diocese                = [[Roman Catholic Diocese of San Jose in California|Dioecesis Sancti Josephi in California]]
| province               = [[Roman Catholic Archdiocese of San Francisco|Ecclesiastical province of San Francisco]]
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| archbishop             = 
| bishop                 = [[Oscar Cantú]]
| dean                   = Rev. Fr. Ritche Bueza<br />(St. John the Baptist Parish)
| subdean                = 
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| archdeacon             = 
| prebendary             = 
| rector                 = 
| vicar                  = {{unbulleted list|Rev. Fr. Gerardo Menchaca|Rev. Fr. Tadeusz Terembula}}
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| deacon                 = 
| seniorpastor           = 
| pastor                 = Rev. Fr. Joseph M. Benedict
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| reader                 = 
| organistdom            = 
| director               = Julie Wind
| organist               = Aileen Chanco
| organscholar           = 
| chapterclerk           = 
| laychapter             = 
| warden                 = 
| businessmgr            = Susan Olsen
| liturgycoord           = Melissa Broome Ursin
| reledu                 = Susan Olsen
| rcia                   = 
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| flowerguild            = 
| musicgroup             = 
| parishadmin            = Tanis Zuccaro
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}}

The '''Cathedral Basilica of St. Joseph''' ({{langx|es|Catedral Basílica de San José}})<ref>[https://www.stjosephcathedral.org/el-ministerio-en-espanol/ St. Joseph's Cathedral - El Ministerio en Español]</ref> is a historic [[Catholic Church|Catholic]] church in [[Downtown San Jose]] that serves as the [[cathedral]] for the [[Roman Catholic Diocese of San José in California|Diocese of San José in California]], with the distinction of [[Basilicas in the Catholic Church|minor basilica]].

The basilica is named for [[Saint Joseph]], [[patron saint]] of the Catholic Church and the namesake of [[San Jose, California]].

==History==
[[File:Ceiling, St. Joseph's Basilica.jpg|thumb|left|Detail of the dome]]
[[File:Stjosephinteriorhdr.jpg|left|thumb|View from the altar]]
The original St. Joseph's [[Church (building)|Church]] was called San Jose de Guadalupe<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://stjosephcathedral.org/history/ |title=History of the Cathedral Basilica of St Joseph |access-date=2014-05-14 |archive-date=2021-01-27 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210127043120/https://www.stjosephcathedral.org/history/ |url-status=dead }}</ref> built on the site of the current basilica in 1803, and was the first non-[[Spanish Missions of California|mission]] [[parish]] built in California for the benefit of Spanish settlers instead of the Mission Indians (Ohlone). The Pueblo de San Jose de Guadalupe was connected with Mission Santa Clara by [[The Alameda (San Jose)|The Alameda]] which was part of the historic [[El Camino Real (California)|El Camino Real]]. The original [[adobe]] structure was damaged by [[earthquake]]s in 1818 and 1822.

In 1835, prominent [[Californio]] businessman [[Antonio Suñol]] donated the land at the northeast corner of the Plaza del Pueblo (modern [[Plaza de César Chávez]]) for the construction of a new, larger adobe church.<ref>[http://www.sourisseauacademy.org/Publications/witnesstoempire.pdf Sourisseau Academy for Californian History at SJSU - Life of Antonio Suñol]</ref> Suñol, alongside his brother-in-law [[Antonio María Pico]] (who served as [[Alcalde of San José]] at the time), oversaw the construction of the church for the next eight years until its completion and consecration in 1846.<ref>[https://www.stjosephcathedral.org/about/timeline/ St. Joseph's Cathedral - History Timeline]</ref> In 1842, Suñol petitioned [[Francisco García Diego y Moreno]], the [[Roman Catholic Diocese of California|Bishop of the Californias]], for proper religious vestments and relics for the church. The second church was severely damaged by the [[1868 Hayward earthquake]].

Work on the third church began in 1869. The third church was destroyed by fire in 1875, and a temporary fourth church was built a few blocks away while the fifth and current church was being constructed. The fifth church was dedicated by [[Joseph Alemany]], [[Roman Catholic Archbishop of San Francisco|Archbishop of San Francisco]], in 1877 while construction continued. The current [[portico]] was completed in 1884, and the large [[dome]] was finished in 1885.

In 1981, a major renovation project was begun at the church, which was to become the [[cathedral]] for the new [[Roman Catholic Bishop of San Jose, California|Roman Catholic Bishop of San Jose]]. In 1985, the church was elevated to a cathedral, pending completion of the restoration in 1990. It replaced [[Saint Patrick Proto-Cathedral Parish]], located a few blocks away, as the cathedral of the diocese. The cathedral was made a minor basilica by [[Pope John Paul II]] in 1997.

The Cathedral Basilica of St. Joseph is listed as a [[California Historical Landmark]] and is listed on the [[National Register of Historic Places]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.stjosephcathedral.org/about/ |title=Cathedral - About |access-date=May 8, 2016 }}</ref>

==Architecture==

===Plaques at entrance===
Just inside the entrance to the cathedral are two plaques that read:

{{Quote box
|quote  = The Most Rev. [[Joseph Sadoc Alemany|Joseph S. Alemany]], [[Dominican Order|O.P.]]<br>
First Archbishop of San Francisco<br>
dedicated Saint Joseph Church,<br>
fourth on this site, on land<br>
donated by Antonio Sunol for the<br>
first permanent Catholic Parish<br>
in California, founded in 1803.
|author = Rev. [[Nicholas Congiato]], [[Society of Jesus|S.J.]], Pastor, 22 April 1877
|width  = 20%
|align  = left
}}
<br>
{{Quote box
|quote  = The Most Rev. [[Pierre DuMaine|R. Pierre DuMaine]]<br>
First Bishop of San Jose<br>
dedicated this Church<br>
restored and renovated<br>
as the new Cathedral<br>
of the Diocese of San Jose.
|author = Rev. P. Jeremiah Helfrich, S.J. Rector, 4 November 1990
|width  = 20%
|align  = left
}}

===Joseph bible quotes===
The top of the walls of the inside of the cathedral include quotes from the [[Vulgate]] about Joseph:
*{{Bibleverse|Matthew|1:20}} - ANGELVS DOMINI APPARVIT IN SOMNIS JOSEPH NOLI TIMERE ACCIPERE MARIAM CONIVGEM TVAM
*{{Bibleverse|Matthew|1:24}} - EXSVRGENS JOSEPH A SOMNO FECIT SICVT PRÆCEPIT ET ANGELVS DOMINI ET ACCEPIT CONIVGEN SVAM
*{{Bibleverse|Matthew|2:13-2:14}} - FVTVRVM EST VT HERODES QVÆRAT PVERVM AD PEDENDVM ET MATREM EIVS NOCTE ET SECESSIT IN ÆGYPTVM
*{{Bibleverse|Luke|2:48}} - DIXIT MATER EIVS ECCE PATER TVVS ET EGO DOLENTES QVÆREBVS TE
*{{Bibleverse|Luke|2:51}} - DESCENDIT CVM EIS ET VENIT NAZARET ET ERAT SVBDITVS ILLIS
*{{Bibleverse|Luke|3:23}} - ET JESVS PVTABATVR FILIVS JOSEPH

===Stained glass windows===
The stained glass windows going counter clockwise from the east transept depict:
# Agony in the Garden
# Crucifixion
# Saint [[Aloysius Gonzaga]]
# Saint [[Catherine of Alexandria]]
# [[Saint Patrick]]
# Saint John
# Saint Luke
# The Holy Family
# [[Saint Casimir]]
# Saint [[Edward the Confessor]]
# Saint John the Baptist
# Saint Mark
# Saint Matthew
# Saint [[Margaret Mary Alacoque]] & The Sacred Heart of Jesus
# Saint [[Francis Xavier]]
# Saint [[Claude de la Colombière]]
# Resurrection
# Ascension

===Odell pipe organ===
The Odell pipe organ was built in 1886 by the J. H. and C. S. Odell Company in Yonkers, New York. It is the only such Odell instrument surviving in its original condition in the United States. It has 40,000 parts. It has 27 ranks of 60 pipes each. It was restored in 1987&ndash;90.

==Gallery==
<gallery>
File:StJoseph1.jpg | From the baptismal font, looking up the nave to the altar.
File:StJoseph3.jpg | The south semitransept, from the altar
File:StJoseph4.jpg | The nave from the altar, showing the baptismal font, with organ loft above
File:StJoseph5.jpg | The altar from the top of the nave with the ambo and cathedra behind it
File:StJoseph6.jpg | The altar, from the north semitransept
File:Interior dome - Cathedral Basilica of Saint Joseph, San Jose, California - DSC03764.JPG | Interior of the large dome over the crossing
</gallery>

==See also==
*[[List of Catholic cathedrals in the United States]]
*[[List of cathedrals in the United States]]

== References ==
<references />

==External links==
{{Commons category|Cathedral Basilica of Saint Joseph, San Jose, California}}
* [http://www.stjosephcathedral.org Official Cathedral Site]
* [http://www.dsj.org Roman Catholic Diocese of San Jose Official Site]
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20071012205719/http://www.cathedralsofcalifornia.com/ Cathedrals of California]

{{Roman Catholic churches in California}}
{{Roman Catholic Diocese of San Jose in California|collapsed}}
{{San Jose and Silicon Valley attractions}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Cathedral Basilica Of St. Joseph (San Jose)}}
[[Category:Basilica churches in California|Joseph]]
[[Category:Roman Catholic cathedrals in California|Joseph]]
[[Category:Diocese of San José in California]]
[[Category:Roman Catholic churches in San Jose, California]]
[[Category:National Register of Historic Places in Santa Clara County, California]]
[[Category:Churches on the National Register of Historic Places in California]]
[[Category:1803 establishments in New Spain]]
[[Category:Roman Catholic churches completed in 1885]]
[[Category:19th-century Roman Catholic church buildings in the United States]]
[[Category:Tourist attractions in San Jose, California]]
[[Category:Churches in Santa Clara County, California]]
[[Category:Church buildings with domes]]
[[Category:California Historical Landmarks]]
[[Category:Cathedrals in San Jose, California]]
[[Category:Churches dedicated to St. Joseph|San Jose]]