Cathedral of San Juan, Puerto Rico
The Catedral Basílica Metropolitana de San Juan Bautista, or in English, Metropolitan Cathedral Basilica of Saint John the Baptist, is the Catholic cathedral for the Archdiocese of San Juan de Puerto Rico. It is one of the oldest buildings in San Juan, located in Old San Juan, is the oldest cathedral in the United States, and is the second-oldest cathedral in the Americas.
| Metropolitan Cathedral-Basilica of Saint John the Baptist Catedral Metropolitana Basílica de San Juan Bautista | |
|---|---|
Front entrance | |
Location of San Juan and the cathedral in Puerto Rico | |
| 18°27′57″N 66°7′4″W | |
| Location | San Juan, Puerto Rico |
| Denomination | Roman Catholic |
| History | |
| Status | Cathedral |
| Founded | 1521 |
| Architecture | |
| Style | Baroque |
| Groundbreaking | 1535 |
| Completed | 1802 |
| Administration | |
| Diocese | Archdiocese of San Juan de Puerto Rico |
| Clergy | |
| Archbishop | Most Rev. Roberto González Nieves, O.F.M. |
Although the Cathedral of Santa María la Menor in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, is an older church building, the Cathedral holds the distinction of being the first cathedral church in the Americas. This is because San Juan, then known as the City of Puerto Rico, was the first diocese of the New World, with Bishop Don Alonso Manso appointed in 1511.
A private Puerto Rican foundation known as Fundación Protectora de la Catedral Metropolitana de San Juan, Inc. was established to fund the historical restoration of the building and its art treasures for its 500th anniversary in 2021, and to protect it for the coming centuries.