St Francis Xavier's Cathedral
St Francis Xavier's Cathedral is the cathedral church of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Adelaide and the seat of its archbishop, standing at the corner of Wakefield Street and Victoria Square in the heart of the city. Widely regarded as the first and oldest Catholic cathedral in Australia, it traces its origins to the establishment of the Adelaide diocese in 1842, only a few years after the colony's founding. The foundation stone was laid on St Patrick's Day, 17 March 1856.
Designed in the Gothic Revival Early English style, the cathedral measures about 56.5 metres long and 29.5 metres wide, with a tower rising some 36 metres. Construction was repeatedly stalled, notably by the Victorian gold rush which drained labour and funds from South Australia, and the building was ultimately completed in three stages spanning roughly 140 years. The first stage was dedicated in 1858, further work continued into the 1920s, and the tower and final stage were completed only on 11 July 1996, finally realising the original design.
The cathedral is noted for its pointed lancet windows, a Lady Chapel altar of Carrara marble inset with lapis lazuli, and an octagonal pulpit designed by Herbert Jory and dedicated as a World War I memorial. Its tower holds the Murphy Bell of 1867 together with a ring of bells used for change ringing. Anchoring one corner of Victoria Square, the cathedral is a prominent civic and religious landmark and the principal place of Catholic worship in Adelaide, hosting daily Masses and major archdiocesan celebrations while remaining open to visitors throughout the day.
- Location
- -34.9290, 138.6014
- Local time
- 08:06 (Australia/Adelaide)
🕘 Visiting hours
| Mon–Sun | 07:00–19:00 |
Open daily for prayer and visitors; hours may vary around Mass times and special liturgies.
✨ Saints & blessed venerated here
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St Francis Xavier Saint
16th-century Jesuit missionary and the cathedral's patron and namesake.
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St Mary MacKillop Saint
Australia's first canonised saint, who founded the Sisters of St Joseph in South Australia.
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St Ignatius of Loyola Saint
Founder of the Jesuits alongside Francis Xavier.
Care & donations
Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Adelaide
Donations support the parish and the Archdiocese's Cathedral Appeal at adelaide.catholic.org.au/giving.
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