Throughout its history, the Cathedral Basilica of St. Peter in Chains has stood as a testament to the faith of Catholics in the Archdiocese of Cincinnati. The impressive Greek Revival structure, located at the intersection of Eighth and Plum streets, is dedicated to God in honor of St. Peter’s imprisonment and liberation.

Understanding St. Peter in Chains’ significance requires an understanding of the difference between a cathedral and a basilica, noted Father Jan Schmidt, rector since 2017. A cathedral is the home church for the bishop or archbishop of a Catholic diocese and takes its name from the Latin word “cathedra,” meaning “seat” or “chair.” It is also a parish church in itself, meeting area Catholics’ pastoral and sacramental needs, including baptisms, weddings and funerals.

A basilica, however, is an important church building designated by the pope for its special spiritual, architectural or historical significance. It shares a special relationship with the See of Rome and with the Holy Father. Although several basilicas are cathedrals, this is not a requirement.

Father Schmidt especially wants Catholics in the archdiocese to both know that the cathedral is “their church, a place where they are always welcome” and to appreciate its history. Cincinnati’s first Catholic church was Christ Church, initially located downtown at the intersection of Liberty and Vine streets, then at Sixth and Sycamore streets, the present-day site of St. Francis Xavier Church. Christ Church was the de facto cathedral for the then Diocese of Cincinnati until the first St. Peter Cathedral was constructed on the same site. It was dedicated on Dec. 17, 1826, becoming the seat of the diocese.

The current cathedral’s cornerstone was laid on May 20, 1841, under the leadership of Bishop––later Archbishop––John Baptist Purcell, who said, “The first and most urgent want of this diocese is a suitable cathedral.”

The Cathedral of St. Peter in Chains was dedicated on Nov. 2, 1845. Its striking single spire, constructed of pure white limestone and soaring 220 feet above street level, was the tallest man- made structure in the city for decades. The cathedral’s interior is dominated by the large mosaic portraying three scriptural events from the life of St. Peter. Its eclectic architectural and design styles incorporate artistic inspiration from diverse sources, including Art Deco, Ancient Greek, Eastern Christian and early Roman Christian Basilica architecture.

Visitors to Cincinnati who expect a Gothic-style cathedral are often surprised to see a structure that resembles a government building.

“Bishop Purcell was very insightful about that,” Father Schmidt explained. “Amid the anti-Catholicism of the time, he wanted the cathedral to be a statement that the Catholic Church was a permanent institution on American soil and that Catholics were just as American as the Protestant population.”

In July 1850, the Diocese of Cincinnati was elevated to the rank of a metropolitan see, thus St. Peter in Chains became a metropolitan cathedral. It was finally completed on Aug. 7, 1855, when the front portico was finished, although gas lighting was installed the same year. In 1871, the cathedral underwent a complete renovation that eliminated excess ornamentation, electric lights were installed by 1898, and a year later, the cathedral’s clock tower was renovated and a new organ was installed with bellows that ran on electricity.

St. Peter in Chains was dilapidated by the 1930s, its towering spire covered with soot. Cathedral status transferred in 1938 to St. Monica Parish in Clifton Heights, north of downtown Cincinnati.

But in 1951, Archbishop Karl J. Alter declared, “We are going home,” and began a complete renovation and reconstruction of the present building, overseen by architect Edward Schulte. Schulte designed new transepts, a rectory, the sacristy and archdiocesan offices. The church’s re-dedication as a cathedral on Nov. 3, 1957, opened a week of special celebrations.

In 2020, the cathedral’s designation as a minor basilica, the first in the Archdiocese of Cincinnati, was both an honor for the region and a reason for the local faithful to celebrate.

“It’s the quality of the cathedral’s structure, the absolute beauty of its architecture, and the biblical symbolism throughout that make it very important and very special for the archdiocese and in the American Catholic scene,” Father Schmidt said in the November 2020 issue of The Catholic Telegraph.

Next Issue: We focus on how and why St. Peter in Chains became a basilica and the process of basilica designation

This article appeared in the December 2024 edition of The Catholic Telegraph Magazine. For your complimentary subscription, click here.