Mobile, Ala., spent its early history shuffling between French and Spanish hands. It was the early 1700s, and the Catholic faith was still finding a foothold in the Americas.

Yet the city today is every bit as saturated in Catholic influence as more famous Catholic cities in the Bible Belt, such as New Orleans and St. Louis.

And, while its Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception may be less widely recognized than New Orleans’ St. Joseph’s or St. Louis’ two cathedrals, Mobile’s motherchurch deserves equal acclaim.

Then, too, I admit to having more affection for Mobile’s cathedral than the average traveler. Although I’ve been away for several years now, Mobile is my hometown. I was both baptized and married in the cathedral.

Still, it isn’t all personal: I have Pope John XXIII on my side. In 1962, he honored the cathedral with the title of minor basilica for its rich history, beauty and status as one of the South’s first Catholic churches.

The cathedral’s predecessor church had rested on its present

Claiborne Street

perch since 1704. It wasn’t until 1781 that it received the title “Church of the Immaculate Conception.” When Mobile became a diocese, its first ordinary, Bishop Michael Portier, set a cathedral-building project as one of his first tasks. His teams began in 1835 and finished in 1850, creating the structure that prompted the visiting bishop of Louisville to say at its consecration: “It is almost worthy of God.”

Maybe he said “almost” because the glorious German stained-glass windows hadn’t been added yet. They came in 1890, after an artillery explosion during the Civil War blew out the earlier windows, which were of plain glass. Each large window in the main church focuses on a Marian joy, sorrow, mystery of the Rosary or traditional event. Eight smaller windows stand in the back doors.

Bishops Below 

These windows have withstood 116 hurricane seasons. Not a single pane has broken. Their one restoration took place in 1954, because of smoke damage from an accidental fire in the church.

Inside, the nave is spacious enough to inspire awe, but not so vast that it overwhelms. A congregation can feel intimate here — and often does. Daily Masses attract everyone from tourists to local retirees to young professionals.

The cathedral is also a cool, peaceful spot for individual prayer, especially during Mobile’s hot summer.

The back of the church is divided into two sections. One contains a Byzantine-style icon of Our Lady of Perpetual Help. The other hosts a group of marble statues depicting the Crucifixion. Wide kneelers and a few votive candles are set up in front of these niches, providing a reverent place to say a Rosary, offer a petition or rest in contemplation.

In the spiral staircase leading to the choir loft, look for the jewel-toned window of St. Cecilia, patroness of music. In the loft itself, turn around for a close view of the Jesse Tree mural. This was done during the most recent renovation.

You can also go along the south aisle and down more spiral stairs to the crypt chapel. Mass is celebrated here only on very special occasions, so the grille is usually closed, but you’ll see a vivid mosaic on the altar and a beloved Sacred Heart statue. On my visit, I noted that someone had placed a bouquet of red roses in the sculpted Christ’s arms. Someone’s way of thanking the Lord for an answered prayer, perhaps?

All of Mobile’s past bishops are buried in the crypt, with one exception: Bishop John Quinlan, second to hold the office. His grave is in the porch, behind the columns. It bears a stonecut marker in the shape of a miter. Its text asks your prayers for his soul.

On Saturday evenings and Sundays during Mass, you’ll hear the organ. In the comparatively small space, it plays with a rich resonance that many larger churches would have a hard time rivaling.

Alabama Getaway

Unlike some cathedrals around America, which were heavily modernized or rebuilt after the council, the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception has kept all its historical beauty through two post-conciliar renovation projects. Bishop John May (bishop of Mobile from 1969 to 1980) had the altar rails removed, the altar detached from the wall and brought forward, and the cathedra (bishop’s chair) turned to face the congregation. No other significant changes were made.

Under his successor, Archbishop Oscar Lipscomb, who recently reached retirement age and is now serving out the end of his term in Mobile, restoration workers cleaned and repaired the cathedral’s exterior and wrought-iron fence. They also painted the dark sapphire walls a shining white, brightened gold detailing on column capitals, installed a white marble floor embedded with former bishops’ coats-of-arms and polished the twin belltowers to a glow. New lighting and fresh gold-leaf work allow intricate detailing in the coffer ceiling to stand out more clearly than ever.

Still, the cathedral itself hasn’t changed too much in the past 156 years. Neither have its surroundings. Grass grows green year-round in oak-and-magnolia-bordered Ca--thedral Square, where a Marian rose garden blooms and a fountain plays amid Mobile’s utter lack of downtown bustle. Benches around the square allow for quiet outdoor reading, meditation or conversation under the cathedral’s shadow.

Unless it’s raining, you’ll almost always have an opportunity to enjoy the cathedral from both inside and out, since warm Southern afternoons can occur even when winter rages in the rest of the world.

Katy Carl writes from St. Louis.

Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception

2 South Claiborne St., Mobile, AL 36602

(251) 434-1565

mobilecathedral.org

Planning Your Visit

A noon Angelus is rung and prayed every weekday. Daily Mass is celebrated at 7:50 a.m. and 12:10 p.m.; Lord’s Day Mass is celebrated Saturday at 4:30 p.m. (vigil), and Sunday at 8 a.m., 10:30 a.m. and 12:30 p.m. Confessions are heard Saturday afternoons before the 4:30 Mass.