The story of the cathedral continues

with the completion and dedication of the

Coleman H. Wheeler Jr. Elevator Pavilion

in the spring of 1997

and the opening of the renovated social halls,

making all areas of

The Cathedral of Our Lady of Lourdes fully accessible.

Our remarkable story begins in August of 1881, when Jesuit Father Joseph Cataldo converted a carpenter's shop to the Church of St. Joseph, the first Catholic church in the Spokane township. Only five people attended the first Mass in that wooden shed, which measured just fifteen by twenty-two feet. Five years later, a large brick church dedicated to Our Lady of Lourdes replaced the original structure, and in 1903 the cornerstone for the present church was laid. Just ten years later, in 1913, this church became the Cathedral for the newly created Diocese of Spokane.