A pro-cathedral or procathedral is a

parish A parish is a territorial entity in many Christianity, Christian denominations, constituting a division within a diocese. A parish is under the pastoral care and clerical jurisdiction of a priest#Christianity, priest, often termed a parish pries ...

church that temporarily serves as the

cathedral A cathedral is a church (building), church that contains the of a bishop, thus serving as the central church of a diocese, Annual conferences within Methodism, conference, or episcopate. Churches with the function of "cathedral" are usually s ...

co-cathedral A co-cathedral is a cathedral church which shares the function of being a bishop's seat, or ''cathedra'', with another cathedral, often in another city (usually a former see, anchor city of the metropolitan area or the civil capital). Instances o ...

of a

diocese In Ecclesiastical polity, church governance, a diocese or bishopric is the ecclesiastical district under the jurisdiction of a bishop. History In the later organization of the Roman Empire, the increasingly subdivided Roman province, prov ...

, or a church that has the same function in a

Catholic The Catholic Church (), also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the List of Christian denominations by number of members, largest Christian church, with 1.27 to 1.41 billion baptized Catholics Catholic Church by country, worldwid ...

missionary jurisdiction (such as an

apostolic prefecture An apostolic prefect or prefect apostolic is a priest who heads what is known as an apostolic prefecture, a 'pre-diocesan' missionary jurisdiction where the Catholic Church is not yet sufficiently developed to have it made a diocese. Although it ...

or apostolic administration) that is not yet entitled to a proper cathedral. A pro-cathedral is distinct from a ''

proto-cathedral A cathedral is a church that contains the of a bishop, thus serving as the central church of a diocese, conference, or episcopate. Churches with the function of "cathedral" are usually specific to those Christian denominations with an epis ...

'', the term in the

Catholic Church The Catholic Church (), also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the List of Christian denominations by number of members, largest Christian church, with 1.27 to 1.41 billion baptized Catholics Catholic Church by country, worldwid ...

for a former cathedral, which typically results from moving an

episcopal see An episcopal see is the area of a bishop's ecclesiastical jurisdiction. Phrases concerning actions occurring within or outside an episcopal see are indicative of the geographical significance of the term, making it synonymous with ''diocese'' ...

to another (usually new) cathedral, in the same or another city. In a broader context, the term "proto-cathedral" may refer to a church used by a bishop before the designation of a settled cathedral (or pro-cathedral).

Usage

Europe

Ireland Ireland (, ; ; Ulster Scots dialect, Ulster-Scots: ) is an island in the North Atlantic Ocean, in Northwestern Europe. Geopolitically, the island is divided between the Republic of Ireland (officially Names of the Irish state, named Irelan ...

, the term is used to specifically refer to

St Mary's Pro-Cathedral St Mary's Church (), known also as St Mary's Pro-Cathedral or simply the Pro-Cathedral, the Chapel in Marlborough Street or the Pro, is a pro-cathedral and is the episcopal seat of the Archbishop of Dublin (Catholic Church), Catholic Archbisho ...

Dublin Dublin is the capital and largest city of Republic of Ireland, Ireland. Situated on Dublin Bay at the mouth of the River Liffey, it is in the Provinces of Ireland, province of Leinster, and is bordered on the south by the Dublin Mountains, pa ...

, the seat of the Catholic Archbishop of Dublin since the

Anglican Anglicanism, also known as Episcopalianism in some countries, is a Western Christianity, Western Christian tradition which developed from the practices, liturgy, and identity of the Church of England following the English Reformation, in the ...

Reformation in Ireland The Reformation in Ireland was a movement for the reform of religious life and institutions that was introduced into Ireland by the English Crown at the behest of King Henry VIII of England. His desire for an annulment of his marriage was known ...

, when Christ Church Cathedral and St Patrick's Cathedral became the property of the Anglican

Church of Ireland The Church of Ireland (, ; , ) is a Christian church in Ireland, and an autonomy, autonomous province of the Anglican Communion. It is organised on an all-Ireland basis and is the Christianity in Ireland, second-largest Christian church on the ...

. In

Scotland Scotland is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It contains nearly one-third of the United Kingdom's land area, consisting of the northern part of the island of Great Britain and more than 790 adjac ...

, the term is used to refer to

Edinburgh Edinburgh is the capital city of Scotland and one of its 32 Council areas of Scotland, council areas. The city is located in southeast Scotland and is bounded to the north by the Firth of Forth and to the south by the Pentland Hills. Edinburgh ...

, the seat of the Archbishop of Saint Andrews and Edinburgh, as the original St Andrews Cathedral was abandoned after the

Scottish Reformation The Scottish Reformation was the process whereby Kingdom of Scotland, Scotland broke away from the Catholic Church, and established the Protestant Church of Scotland. It forms part of the wider European 16th-century Protestant Reformation. Fr ...

in 1560 and is currently in a ruinous state. St Andrew's Pro-Cathedral in

Glasgow Glasgow is the Cities of Scotland, most populous city in Scotland, located on the banks of the River Clyde in Strathclyde, west central Scotland. It is the List of cities in the United Kingdom, third-most-populous city in the United Kingdom ...

has been the seat of the Archbishop of Glasgow since 1889. The original

Glasgow Cathedral Glasgow Cathedral () is a parish church of the Church of Scotland in Glasgow, Scotland. It was the cathedral church of the Archbishop of Glasgow, and the mother church of the Archdiocese of Glasgow and the province of Glasgow, from the 12th ...

however had been re-established as the

Church of Scotland The Church of Scotland (CoS; ; ) is a Presbyterian denomination of Christianity that holds the status of the national church in Scotland. It is one of the country's largest, having 245,000 members in 2024 and 259,200 members in 2023. While mem ...

’s

High Kirk of Glasgow Glasgow Cathedral () is a parish church of the Church of Scotland in Glasgow, Scotland. It was the cathedral church of the Archbishop of Glasgow, and the mother church of the Archdiocese of Glasgow and the province of Glasgow, from the 12th ...

after the Scottish Reformation. The Anglican Parish Church of St Helier in

Jersey Jersey ( ; ), officially the Bailiwick of Jersey, is an autonomous and self-governing island territory of the British Islands. Although as a British Crown Dependency it is not a sovereign state, it has its own distinguishing civil and gov ...

serves as the island's pro-cathedral. In

Spain Spain, or the Kingdom of Spain, is a country in Southern Europe, Southern and Western Europe with territories in North Africa. Featuring the Punta de Tarifa, southernmost point of continental Europe, it is the largest country in Southern Eur ...

, the Colegiata de San Isidro, Madrid, served as the provisional cathedral for the Archdiocese of Madrid from its creation in 1885 until 1993, when

Pope John Paul II Pope John Paul II (born Karol Józef Wojtyła; 18 May 19202 April 2005) was head of the Catholic Church and sovereign of the Vatican City State from 16 October 1978 until Death and funeral of Pope John Paul II, his death in 2005. In his you ...

consecrated the newly completed Almudena Cathedral. In

Valletta Valletta ( ; , ) is the capital city of Malta and one of its 68 Local councils of Malta, council areas. Located between the Grand Harbour to the east and Marsamxett Harbour to the west, its population as of 2021 was 5,157. As Malta’s capital ...

Malta Malta, officially the Republic of Malta, is an island country in Southern Europe located in the Mediterranean Sea, between Sicily and North Africa. It consists of an archipelago south of Italy, east of Tunisia, and north of Libya. The two ...

, there is an Anglican St Paul's Pro-Cathedral. In

Poland Poland, officially the Republic of Poland, is a country in Central Europe. It extends from the Baltic Sea in the north to the Sudetes and Carpathian Mountains in the south, bordered by Lithuania and Russia to the northeast, Belarus and Ukrai ...

, the Carmelite Church, Warsaw, served as a pro-cathedral until the reconstruction of St John's Cathedral. In

Albania Albania ( ; or ), officially the Republic of Albania (), is a country in Southeast Europe. It is located in the Balkans, on the Adriatic Sea, Adriatic and Ionian Seas within the Mediterranean Sea, and shares land borders with Montenegro to ...

, the Albanese Apostolic Administration of Southern Albania had the Kisha e Shën Maria dhe Shën Luigji, in Vlore, as only episcopal see of its Eastern Catholic particular ''sui jurus'' Albanian Catholic Byzantine Church.

Asia

Baku Baku (, ; ) is the Capital city, capital and List of cities in Azerbaijan, largest city of Azerbaijan, as well as the largest city on the Caspian Sea and in the Caucasus region. Baku is below sea level, which makes it the List of capital ci ...

Azerbaijan Azerbaijan, officially the Republic of Azerbaijan, is a Boundaries between the continents, transcontinental and landlocked country at the boundary of West Asia and Eastern Europe. It is a part of the South Caucasus region and is bounded by ...

, the Church of the Immaculate Conception is the pro-cathedral episcopal see of the Apostolic Prefecture of Baku. The Church of San Antonio de Motael was the pro-cathedral of

Dili Dili (Portuguese language, Portuguese and Tetum language, Tetum: ''Díli'') is the Capital city, capital and largest city of Timor-Leste. It lies on the northern coast of the island of Timor, in a small area of flat land hemmed in by mountai ...

East Timor Timor-Leste, also known as East Timor, officially the Democratic Republic of Timor-Leste, is a country in Southeast Asia. It comprises the eastern half of the island of Timor, the coastal exclave of Oecusse in the island's northwest, and ...

, before the Immaculate Conception Cathedral was constructed in 1989. In the

Philippines The Philippines, officially the Republic of the Philippines, is an Archipelagic state, archipelagic country in Southeast Asia. Located in the western Pacific Ocean, it consists of List of islands of the Philippines, 7,641 islands, with a tot ...

, the Episcopal Diocese of the Central Philippines had the St. Stephen's Parish in Tondo,

Manila Manila, officially the City of Manila, is the Capital of the Philippines, capital and second-most populous city of the Philippines after Quezon City, with a population of 1,846,513 people in 2020. Located on the eastern shore of Manila Bay on ...

, as its pro-cathedral before the see was transferred to the Cathedral of Saint Mary and Saint John in

Quezon City Quezon City (, ; ), also known as the City of Quezon and Q.C. (read and pronounced in Filipino language, Filipino as Kyusi), is the richest and List of cities in the Philippines, most populous city in the Philippines. According to the 2020 c ...

. Also, in February 2012, the Pro-Cathedral Church of San Fernando de Dilao became the pro-cathedral of the

Archdiocese of Manila In church governance, a diocese or bishopric is the ecclesiastical district under the jurisdiction of a bishop. History In the later organization of the Roman Empire, the increasingly subdivided provinces were administratively associate ...

, until the structural renovations of Cathedral-Basilica of the Immaculate Conception on March 25, 2014. The cathedral was reopened to the general public on April 9, 2014. Meanwhile, San Diego Pro-Cathedral, Silay, serves permanently as a pro-cathedral of the Diocese of Bacolod, a ready provisional co-cathedral in instances of regular repairs and maintenance being made to the main cathedral. The Cathedral of the Holy Name, Mumbai, was previously the pro-cathedral of the Holy Name.

Americas

San Luis Obispo, California ; ; ; Chumashan languages, Chumash: ''tiłhini'') is a city and county seat of San Luis Obispo County, California, United States. Located on the Central Coast (California), Central Coast of California, San Luis Obispo is roughly halfway betwee ...

, the parish church of Old Mission San Luis Obispo de Tolosa and in Salinas, California, the parish of Madonna Del Sasso, were both elevated to pro-cathedral status by the late Bishop Richard Garcia. In Qu'Appelle, Saskatchewan, the parish church of Saint Peter's was the pro-cathedral for the

southern Saskatchewan diocese until 1944. From 1944 to 1979, St. Paul's Cathedral served as the pro-cathedral before it was elevated to cathedral status. In the United States, the Episcopal All Saints Cathedral in Milwaukee was designated a pro-cathedral in 1867, when it was a small downtown mission of the Diocese of Wisconsin; in 1871, it acquired a suitable building on the city's east side and formally began operating as a cathedral on June 1, 1873, attaining canonical status as a cathedral in the 1880s. The Cathedral of the Incarnation (Baltimore) was a pro-cathedral for 35 years before the

Episcopal Diocese of Maryland The Episcopal Diocese of Maryland forms part of Province 3 of the Episcopal Church in the United States of America, Province 3 of the Episcopal Church in the United States of America. Having been divided twice, it no longer includes all of Marylan ...

passed a resolution in 1955 for it to become the diocesan cathedral. The Church of St. Paul the Apostle in

Savannah, Georgia Savannah ( ) is the oldest city in the U.S. state of Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia and the county seat of Chatham County, Georgia, Chatham County. Established in 1733 on the Savannah River, the city of Savannah became the Kingdom of Great Brita ...

, is the pro-cathedral for the Episcopal Diocese of Georgia
so designated in 1993
St. Stephen's Episcopal Church in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania, was designated the pro-cathedral in the Episcopal Diocese of Bethlehem in 1999 and as the pro-cathedral by the presiding bishop and the president of the House of Deputies of the Episcopal Church in 2001. St. Bartholomew's Anglican Church in Tonawanda, New York, became a pro-cathedral on August 12, 2011, as part of the North American Anglican Conference, and is the seat for Bishop Bill Atwood. Christ Church in Plano, Texas, was designated as Provincial Pro-Cathedral for the Anglican Church in North America by Archbishop Beach in November 2021. Some churches in the United States have served as pro-cathedrals during times of expansion but were never exulted to full cathedral status, such as the Church of the Good Shepherd in

Raleigh, North Carolina Raleigh ( ) is the List of capitals in the United States, capital city of the U.S. state of North Carolina. It is the List of municipalities in North Carolina, second-most populous city in the state (after Charlotte, North Carolina, Charlotte) ...

, which served as the pro-cathedral of the Episcopal Diocese of North Carolina, until it was decided they would have no cathedral. Saint Patrick's Pro-Cathedral in located in the Archdiocese of New Orleans. Furthermore, St. John Chrysostom Malankara Syrian Catholic Pro-Cathedral in

Hempstead, New York The Town of Hempstead is the largest of the three towns in Nassau County (alongside North Hempstead and Oyster Bay) on Long Island, in New York, United States. The town's combined population was 793,409 at the 2020 census. It occupies the s ...

, for the Syro-Malankara Catholic Exarchate in the United States St. Joseph Pro-Cathedral is in the Diocese of Camden. Holy Name of Mary Pro-Cathedral in Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan, is in the Diocese of Marquette.

Oceania

Christchurch Christchurch (; ) is the largest city in the South Island and the List of cities in New Zealand, second-largest city by urban area population in New Zealand. Christchurch has an urban population of , and a metropolitan population of over hal ...

New Zealand New Zealand () is an island country in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. It consists of two main landmasses—the North Island () and the South Island ()—and List of islands of New Zealand, over 600 smaller islands. It is the List of isla ...

, St Mary's has become the pro-cathedral of the Catholic Diocese of Christchurch, in place of the Cathedral of the Blessed Sacrament which was demolished because of severe damage caused by the

2011 Christchurch earthquake A major earthquake occurred in Christchurch on Tuesday 22 February 2011 at 12:51 p.m. New Zealand Daylight Time, local time (23:51 Coordinated Universal Time, UTC, 21 February). The () earthquake struck the Canterbury Region ...

. Also in Christchurch, the Cardboard Cathedral has served as the pro-cathedral of its Anglican diocese after the 2011 earthquakes, while options to demolish or rehabilitate ChristChurch Cathedral have been extensively debated. St John's Pro-Cathedral served as the pro-cathedral in

Perth, Western Australia Perth () is the list of Australian capital cities, capital city of Western Australia. It is the list of cities in Australia by population, fourth-most-populous city in Australia, with a population of over 2.3 million within Greater Perth . The ...

. Holy Cross Pro-Cathedral in Vanimo, West Sepik, Papua New Guinea, is the see of the Diocese of Vanimo.

References