St. Joseph's Basilica, Edmonton
| St. Joseph's Basilica | |
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| Roman Catholic Basilica Cathedral of Saint Joseph | |
The east facade of St. Joseph's.
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 St. Joseph's Basilica
Location of St. Joseph's in Edmonton.
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| 53°32′23″N 113°30′57″W / 53.539759°N 113.515947°WCoordinates: 53°32′23″N 113°30′57″W / 53.539759°N 113.515947°W | |
| Location | 10044 113 Street NW Edmonton, Alberta T5K 1N8 |
| Country | Canada |
| Denomination | Roman Catholic Church |
| Website | stjosephbasilica.com |
| History | |
| Former name(s) | St. Joseph's Cathedral |
| Founded | 1913 |
| Dedication | Saint Joseph |
| Dedicated | 1917 |
| Architecture | |
| Status | Cathedral |
| Functional status | Operational |
| Heritage designation | none |
| Groundbreaking | 1913 |
| Completed | 1963 |
| Specifications | |
| Capacity | 1200 |
| Administration | |
| Parish | St. Joseph's |
| Archdiocese | Edmonton |
St. Joseph's Cathedral Basilica is a minor basilica in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. The basilica, located just west of the downtown core is the cathedral of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Edmonton and is one of the largest churches in Edmonton. It is the only basilica in Alberta.
Of architectural note are the 60 stained glass windows depicting scenes from the Old and the New Testaments and from the church's connection to St. Albert, the first diocese in Alberta.
The history of St. Joseph's began in 1913. At the time the city's main Franco-Albertan church, St. Joachim’s, was no longer able to cope with the booming population of English speaking parishioners. A large basement was excavated and concrete was poured. The new church would function as a crypt church from this time until the building was finally completed in 1963.
Construction of the church was halted until 1924 due to the Great War.
In 1917, St. Joseph's became a separate parish when the English speaking and French speaking parishioners at St. Joachim’s were given their own parishes. The French speakers remained at St. Joachim's. The English speakers moved to St. Joseph's.
Construction resumed in 1924, and Archbishop Henry O'Leary designated the unfinished St. Joseph's as the cathedral for the diocese.
Construction was again halted during the years of the Great Depression and the Second World War.
Planning for a new design began in 1954.
Construction of the church was finally completed and the building officially opened on May 1, 1963, the Feast of St. Joseph the Worker.
St. Joseph's Cathedral was named a minor basilica shortly before Pope John Paul II visited Edmonton in 1984. This was in part because of the papal visit and part in recognition of the missionaries and pioneers who came to the Edmonton area bringing about growth in people's faith.
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