The Cathedral of Saint Mary is the mother church of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Peoria and one of the more handsome ecclesiastical buildings in central Illinois. The current structure dates to the late nineteenth century and reflects the Gothic Revival style that American Catholic dioceses favored for cathedral construction in that period — pointed arches, a prominent spire, and an interior designed to make the congregation feel appropriately small in relation to the divine.
The cathedral sits on a slight rise above the surrounding streets, which gives it the visual presence a cathedral church requires. The interior is worth stepping into for the quality of the stained glass and the overall proportions of the nave. Peoria has had a Catholic presence since the French missionary era, and the diocese encompasses a large swath of central Illinois; this building has been the center of that presence for over a century.
The Cathedral of Saint Mary of the Immaculate Conception is the mother church of the Diocese of Peoria, a handsome Gothic Revival structure built in 1889 that anchors the north end of downtown. The exterior in cream-coloured limestone is well-proportioned for a building of its period, with a single tower and good stonework detailing. The interior is the main reason to visit: stained glass windows, a painted ceiling, and carved woodwork that put it in a different league from most Midwestern Catholic churches of the same era.
The cathedral is used for regular services and is open for visitors outside of Mass times. It is an active parish as well as a diocesan landmark, and the area around it in the north downtown has some of the city's better historic residential architecture — the neighbourhood is worth exploring on foot if you have come this far.