Catedral Metropolitana Basílica de San Juan Bautista (San Juan, Puerto Rico) Facts for Kids

This page is about the Roman Catholic Cathedral in San Juan, Puerto Rico. For the Episcopal Cathedral, see Catedral San Juan Bautista (San Juan de Puerto Rico).

Quick facts for kids Metropolitan Cathedral-Basilica of Saint John the Baptist Catedral Metropolitana Basílica de San Juan Bautista
Front entrance
Location in Puerto Rico
18°27′57″N 66°7′4″W / 18.46583°N 66.11778°W / 18.46583; -66.11778
Location	San Juan, Puerto Rico
Denomination	Roman Catholic
History
Status	Cathedral
Architecture
Style	Neoclassical
Completed	1540
Administration
Diocese	Archdiocese of San Juan de Puerto Rico

The Metropolitan Cathedral Basilica of Saint John the Baptist is a very old and important church in San Juan, Puerto Rico. It is also known as the Catedral Basílica Metropolitana de San Juan Bautista in Spanish. This cathedral is one of the oldest buildings in Old San Juan. It is the oldest cathedral in the United States and the second oldest in all of the Americas.

Even though another church in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, was built earlier, the Cathedral of San Juan Bautista was the very first cathedral church in the Americas. This is because San Juan, then called the city of Puerto Rico, became the first diocese (a church district led by a bishop) in the New World in 1511. Bishop Don Alonso Manso was its first leader. A special group in Puerto Rico is working to restore the building and its art. They want to protect it for many more centuries.

History of the Cathedral
Gallery
See also

History of the Cathedral

The first version of the cathedral was built from wood in 1521. This was in the city then known as Puerto Rico. The city's name changed to San Juan Bautista in 1521. Sadly, a big hurricane destroyed this wooden church.

The building you see today was built in 1540. Over the years, it has been changed and updated many times. The last major changes happened in 1917.

First School in Puerto Rico

The area where the cathedral stands today has a long history. The very first school in Puerto Rico was started here. It was called the Escuela de gramática, which means Grammar School. Bishop Alonso Manso opened this school in 1513. It was free for everyone to attend. Students could learn many subjects like Latin, literature, history, science, art, philosophy, and theology.

Important People Buried Here

The cathedral is a special place because it holds the tomb of a famous explorer. This is Juan Ponce de León, a Spanish explorer. He was important for starting settlements in the area.

The cathedral also has a shrine dedicated to Carlos Manuel Rodríguez Santiago. He is known as the Blessed Carlos Manuel. He was the first Puerto Rican person who was not a priest to be beatified. He was also the first layperson born in the Caribbean to receive this honor.

Cathedral's First Organist

The first organist for the Cathedral of San Juan was Domingo Crisanto Delgado Gómez. He came from the Canary Islands in Spain. He started playing the organ here in 1836. Before coming to Puerto Rico, he was a composer in a cathedral on his home island of Tenerife.