Cathedral of the Holy Cross (Boston)

The cathedral was designed by Patrick Keely, a noted ecclesiastical architect, in the Gothic Revival style. Construction commenced in 1867 and was completed in 1875. Because of local anti-Catholic sentiments, the Gothic Revival edifice was intentionally massive, a statement that the Catholics of Boston were here to stay. Bricks from the 1834 riots in Charlestown, in which an Ursuline convent was burned down, were used in the arch over the front door.

Built of Roxbury puddingstone with gray limestone trim, it reaches a height of 120 feet. Until the erection of the new Cathedral of St. Joseph (Hartford, Connecticut) in 1957, Holy Cross was the largest cathedral in New England. The building, measuring 364 ft in length and 90 ft  at the transepts, can accommodate about 2,000 worshipers in the main level. There is also an oratory for smaller services in the lower level. 

The Cathedral of the Holy Cross is the cathedral of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Boston and is one of the largest Roman Catholic church in New England. The cathedral functions both as a cathedral and as a parish.

Plans for building a new church were disrupted by the outbreak of the United States Civil War.  Ground was broken on April 29, 1866, and the completed structure was dedicated on December 8, 1875, by then Boston's first archbishop.

The cathedral was named after the relic of holy cross that is owned by the church. This relic, supposedly a small fragment of the cross from Jesus' crucifixion was on display in the cathedral until 2018 when a janitor discovered that it had been stolen. The relic was eventually returned to the cathedral, and since its theft the relic has only been on display during special dates throughout the liturgical year.