Mississippi is full of breathtakingly beautiful churches, and one of those churches is definitely St. Mary Basilica. Steeped in both history and beauty, the Natchez landmark has attracted visitors from near and far.

Among the beautiful historic buildings that fill Natchez is St. Mary Basilica.
Elisa.rolle/Wikipedia
Construction on the stunning church began in 1842.
Monceau/Flickr
The Diocese of Natchez, which was the first diocese in Mississippi, was established in 1837. Two years after the diocese was established, Bishop John J. Chanche arrived in Natchez to serve as the first bishop. Bishop Chanche then pushed for a cathedral to be built and within a year, construction on the church had started.
Although not finished at the time, the church was dedicated on December 25, 1943.
Christopher Barnette/Flickr
The church was originally named Our Lady of Sorrows.
The Gothic Revival cathedral ended up taking more than 40 years to complete.
St Mary Basilica, Natchez/Facebook
On September 19, 1886, it was consecrated and served as the Cathedral of the Natchez Diocese until 1977, at which time the diocese was moved to Jackson. Once the diocese moved, St. Mary became a church. In 1998, the church attained basilica status.
Referred to as an architectural masterpiece, the church features several impressive attributes.
Douglas D./TripAdvisor

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There are 16 beautifully vibrant stained-glass windows.
Christopher Barnette/Flickr
12 of the windows were designed by Tyroler Glassmalerie of Innsbruch, Austria, and were installed from 1884 – 1893. The other four windows were designged by Emil Frei of St. Louis, Missouri, and were installed in 1961.
Christopher Barnette/Flickr
Several exquisite marble pieces fill the interior of the church.
stmarybasilica.org
The marble used for the altars, communion rail, and Episcopal chair are all made from Carrara marble. The pieces were created in Italy specifically for St. Mary.
The interior of the church is decorated with 23kt gold leaf, glazes, multi-color stencils, tromp l’oeil and free-hand artistry.
Christopher Barnette/Flickr
Christopher Barnette/Flickr

Today, the church is home to an active congregation of approximately 2,000. Visit St. Mary’s Basilica at 107 South Union Street in Natchez. For more information on the church, including a mass schedule, click here.

Learn about another historic church in “The Remnants Of This Abandoned Church In Mississippi Are Hauntingly Beautiful.”

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