Catholic Landmarks

Co-Cathedrals and Mother Churches

The diocese has two cathedrals, which share the status as the bishop's seat, symbolizing the 1956 merger of the former Diocese of St. Joseph and the Diocese of Kansas City.

Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception (Kansas City, MO):

• • Often called the "Gold Dome" due to its distinctive feature, this cathedral is a signature part of the downtown Kansas City skyline.

  • It sits on the site where the city's very first Catholic church (a log cabin) was built in 1833. The current structure was dedicated in 1883 and was the tallest building in Kansas City at the time.

  • It serves as the mother church of the diocese and is a contributing property to the Quality Hill Historic District.

Cathedral of St. Joseph (St. Joseph, MO):

• • This is the other seat of the diocese and is a contributing property to the Cathedral Hill Historic District on the National Register of Historic Places.

  • The cornerstone for the current Romanesque Revival structure was laid in 1869, shortly after the establishment of the Diocese of St. Joseph.

  • It features historic elements like its Romanesque Revival architecture, and it houses a relic of St. Carlo Acutis, the first Millennial saint.

 Historic Abbey and Basilica

Basilica of the Immaculate Conception at Conception Abbey (Conception, MO):

• • While located in the Diocese of Kansas City-St. Joseph, this site is a major pilgrimage destination and a Benedictine monastery.

  • The church was designated a minor basilica by Pope Pius XII in 1941, an honorary title reflecting its spiritual and historical significance. It was the first basilica west of the Mississippi River.

Historic Churches and Shrines in Kansas City

Oratory of Old St. Patrick (Kansas City, MO):

• • A historic parish, its current form and use are associated with the Traditional Latin Mass (often celebrated by the Institute of Christ the King Sovereign Priest). The parish has a long history in Kansas City, serving the area's Catholic community, particularly Irish immigrants, beginning in the mid-19th century.

Church of the Visitation (Kansas City, MO):

• • An architecturally stunning church in the Spanish-Mission style, its design was so influential that a prominent local developer used it as a model for the surrounding residential development. The church features a Blessed Sacrament chapel for prayer.

Our Lady of Good Counsel - Divine Mercy Shrine (Kansas City, MO):

• • This church is designated as the Divine Mercy Shrine for Kansas City, making it a special place for pilgrims devoted to the Divine Mercy.

Other Historic Sites

St. Mary's Church (Independence, MO):

• • Established in 1823, it is considered the first Catholic church in the original Kansas City-area diocese (before the merger), serving French-Canadian families in the area.

"Twin Spires" - Immaculate Conception Church (St. Joseph, MO):

• • Now the former Immaculate Conception Church, this complex is a distinctive Gothic Revival structure in St. Joseph. Although the parish closed and the buildings are now managed by a preservation group, the "Twin Spires" remain a significant architectural and historic landmark in the city.

Cathedral of Saint Peter (Kansas City, Kansas): 

This is the seat of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Kansas City in Kansas. Dedicated as a parish church in 1927 and consecrated as the cathedral in 1948, the church is a distinctive Gothic Revival structure built of Carthage stone. The Cathedral also houses the archdiocesan shrine dedicated to St. Maria Soledad, the foundress of the Sister Servants of Mary, who have a long history of serving the sick and poor in the archdiocese since their arrival in 1917.

St. Benedict's Abbey and Mount St. Scholastica (Atchison, Kansas): 

The Benedictine community at Atchison was founded by German monks in 1857 who established an abbey dedicated to their founder, St. Benedict of Nursia, and by Benedictine Sisters who founded their convent, Mount St. Scholastica, in 1863. The monastery and convent, and their associated ministries, including Benedictine College, share a rich history of Catholic education and Benedictine presence in Kansas.

St. Mary's Mission (St. Marys, Kansas): 

Established by Jesuit priests in 1847 along the Oregon Trail, this mission was crucial to the early Catholic evangelization of the Potawatomi people. It served as the first residence of Bishop John Miège, the first Bishop of the area. Its legacy continues through the St. Mary’s Historical Society, the Indian Pay Station Museum, and the  Oregon Trail Nature Park, St. Marys, Kansas.

Former Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception (Leavenworth, Kansas): 

While the archdiocese's seat moved to Kansas City in 1947, the city of Leavenworth holds significant historical importance as the original see of the diocese (originally the Diocese of Leavenworth). The Immaculate Conception Cathedral there was dedicated in 1868.

Christ's Peace House of Prayer (Easton, Kansas): 

This retreat center, formerly named Shantivanam ("Forest of Peace"), was established in 1971 as a place for solitude, prayer, and retreats within a natural pastoral setting. Renamed Christ’s Peace House of Prayer in 2011, the center was reestablished to meet the needs of the New Evangelization with an emphasis on the Eucharist and Catholic Tradition.

Donnelly College (Kansas City, Kansas): 

Founded in 1949 by Bishop George Donnelly and the Benedictine Sisters of Mount St. Scholastica, this college has served the community by providing low-cost higher education, and represents a continued commitment to Catholic educational ministry in the area. A new academic building was erected in 2020.

St. Philippine Duchesne Shrine and Park (Mound City, Kansas): 

St. Rose Philippine Duchesne, starting at age 72, lived with and served the displaced Pottawatomie tribe near the small town of Mound City. Though only among them for a year, she earned from the Pottawatomie the nickname, “the lady who prays all the time.” Today, the park is what remains of the original settlement and is dedicated to St. Philippine as well as to the Pottawatomie Indians. St. Philippine’s shrine is located at Sacred Heart Church in Mound City.