Saltillo Cathedral facts for kids
Quick facts for kids St. James Cathedral |
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| Catedral de Santiago | |
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| Location | Saltillo |
| Country |  Mexico |
| Denomination | Roman Catholic Church |
The St. James Cathedral (in Spanish, Catedral de Santiago), also known as Saltillo Cathedral, is the main Catholic church in the city of Saltillo, Mexico. It is a very tall and important building.
With a tower reaching 81 meters high, it is the tallest cathedral in northern Mexico. It is also the second tallest in the entire country. The cathedral is located in the historic center of Saltillo, right across from a public square called the Plaza de Armas. It is considered one of the most beautiful buildings in the state of Coahuila.
History of the Cathedral
The story of this grand church begins in 1745. A priest named Felipe Suárez de Estrada started the project. He wanted to build a much larger church next to the small original one. The design was created by an architect named Nicolás Hernández.
Building such a large and detailed church took a very long time. Construction continued for many years, and the main part of the church was finally finished in 1800. The tall tower that makes the cathedral famous was started much later, in 1883.
Becoming a Cathedral
For a long time, the church was known as a parish. On June 23, 1891, Pope Leo XIII decided that Saltillo needed its own diocese (an important church district). He issued a special order called a "bull" to make it official.
Because of this, the Church of St. James was chosen to be the main church for the new diocese. This is when it was given the higher rank of "cathedral." The building was officially called a cathedral in 1951.
See also
In Spanish: Catedral de Saltillo para niños
