 St Patrick's Old Cathedral, New York City
The St Patrick's Old Cathedral, at 260-264 Mulberry Street, between Prince and Houston Streets, in Little Italy and near Chinatown, in Lower Manhattan, New York City, was the seat of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of New York, until the opening of the current St Patrick's Cathedral in 1879.
Construction of the old St Patrick's was started in 1809 and completed in 1815. It was consecrated on 14 May, 1815. The church measures 120 ft by 80 ft, and has a vault that is 85 feet high. While the new St Patrick's Cathedral was being constructed, the old St Patrick's caught fire. It was restored and reopened in 1868. The St Patrick's Old Cathedral was elevated to the status of minor basilica by Pope Benedict XVI on 17 March, 2010. Henceforth it is now known as the Basilica of Saint Patrick's Old Cathedral.
The St Patrick's Old Cathedral served as the end point for the annual St Patrick's Day parade until 1830, after which the ending place was changed to the Church of the Transfiguration. It was eventually relocated again, and the ending of the parade is now at the front of the present St Patrick's Cathedral.
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