Cathedral Basilica of St. Joseph (San Jose)


The Cathedral Basilica of St. Joseph is a large Roman Catholic church in Downtown San Jose, which serves as the cathedral for the Roman Catholic Diocese of San Jose in California, with the distinction of minor basilica.
The basilica is named for Saint Joseph, patron saint of the universal church and namesake of San Jose, California.

History

The original St. Joseph's Church was called San Jose de Guadalupe built on the site of the current basilica in 1803, and was the first non-mission parish built in California for the benefit of Spanish settlers instead of the Mission Indians. The Pueblo de San Jose de Guadalupe was connected with Mission Santa Clara by The Alameda which was part of the historic El Camino Real.
The original adobe structure was damaged by earthquakes in 1818 and 1822, and a new adobe church was built from 1835 to 1846. The second church was severely damaged by the 1868 Hayward earthquake, and work on the third church began in 1869. The third church was destroyed by fire in 1875, and a temporary fourth church was built a few blocks away while the fifth and current church was being constructed. The fifth church was dedicated by Joseph Alemany, Archbishop of San Francisco, in 1877 while construction continued. The current portico was completed in 1884, and the large dome was finished in 1885.
In 1981, a major renovation project was begun at the church, which was to become the cathedral for the new Roman Catholic Bishop of San Jose. In 1985, the church was elevated to a cathedral, pending completion of the restoration in 1990. It replaced Saint Patrick Proto-Cathedral Parish, located a few blocks away, as the cathedral of the diocese. The cathedral was made a minor basilica by Pope John Paul II in 1997.
The Cathedral Basilica of St. Joseph is listed as a California Historical Landmark and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

Architecture

Plaques at entrance

Just inside the entrance to the cathedral are two plaques that read:

Joseph bible quotes

The top of the walls of the inside of the Cathedral include quotes from the Vulgate about Joseph:
The stained glass windows going counter clockwise from the east transept depict:
  1. Agony in the Garden
  2. Crucifixion
  3. Saint Aloysius Gonzaga
  4. Saint Catherine of Alexandria
  5. Saint Patrick
  6. Saint John
  7. Saint Luke
  8. The Holy Family
  9. Saint Casimir
  10. Saint Edward the Confessor
  11. Saint John the Baptist
  12. Saint Mark
  13. Saint Matthew
  14. Saint Margaret Mary Alacoque & The Sacred Heart of Jesus
  15. Saint Francis Xavier
  16. Saint Claude de la Colombière
  17. Resurrection
  18. Ascension

    Odell pipe organ

The Odell pipe organ was built in 1886 by the J. H. and C. S. Odell Company in Yonkers, New York. It is the only such Odell instrument surviving in its original condition in the United States. It has 40,000 parts. It has 27 ranks of 60 pipes each. It was restored during 1987-1990.

Gallery