page_title: Basilica of St. Louis, King of France
section_title: Recent history
hierarchical_section_title: Basilica of St. Louis, King of France / History / Recent history
caption_attribution_description: English: The main altar of the Basilica of St. Louis - better known as the "Old Cathedral" - in St. Louis. I took this photo in December of 2004 JesseG 02:01, Jan 2, 2005 (UTC)
context_page_description: The Basilica of Saint Louis, King of France, formerly the Cathedral of Saint Louis, and colloquially the Old Cathedral, was the first cathedral west of the Mississippi River and until 1845 the only parish church in the city of St. Louis, Missouri. It is one of two Catholic basilicas in St. Louis, and it is named for King Louis IX of France, also the namesake for the city of St. Louis.
  The current structure is located near the historic riverfront of St. Louis. It is surrounded by Gateway Arch National Park. However, the church is not part of the park. Because of the historical significance of the church, it was left intact while all neighboring buildings were demolished to make way for the Gateway Arch. Rev. Nicholas Smith serves as Rector.
  The basilica currently serves as a personal parish church rather than a territorial parish church, and therefore ranks 177th of 196 churches in number of Catholics per church in the Archdiocese of St. Louis. However, because of its historical significance, the basilica remains a popular church for marriage ceremonies in the archdiocese and a popular tourist destination.
context_section_description: Again due to the growth of the city, a larger church was consecrated in 1914 farther west of the current church, in the city's Central West End neighborhood. This larger church, the Cathedral Basilica of Saint Louis,  continues to serve as the seat of the archbishop of St. Louis. However, to recognize the original cathedral's significance, on January 27, 1961, Pope John XXIII designated it a basilica, giving it the present name, the Basilica of Saint Louis, King of France. Shortly after, in 1963, a renovation of the church occurred under the prominent St. Louis architectural firm Murphy and Mackey.
  In 2015, the Basilica underwent a restoration, including:
  Repaired exterior limestone and sandstone
  Replaced the mullioned windows with energy efficient yet historically accurate glass in the original Gothic design
  Repaired the steeple, roofs, and gutters
  Restored the front doors
  Upgraded the parking lot, entrance pavers, and landscaping
  Renovated the interior vestibule
  Removed all carpet, leaving and repairing the wood floors
  Restored decorative millwork and statuary.
  The current parish serves the needs of local parishioners, described as "few in number but strong in loyalty", along with working people and tourists. However, because of its location along the Mississippi River and near the Gateway Arch (which provide backdrops for wedding photos) the church is often used for weddings, only ranking behind St. Francis Xavier College Church at Saint Louis University in the number of Catholic marriages in the archdiocese.
caption: Main altar in marble with copy of Diego Velazquez's The Crucifixion
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