Saint Eric's Cathedral, Stockholm

The historic Saint Eric’s Cathedral is located in the Southern section of the city of Stockholm. Constructed in 1892, this Roman Catholic cathedral has hosted many religious celebrations throughout the years. The cathedral was named after Saint Eric, who was a martyred 12th century king, who later became the patron saint of Stockholm. King Eric died on Ascension Day, May 18, 1260 when he was attacked, beaten and beheaded. He was buried near the alter of the Old Cathedral of Uppsala. After miracles were attributed to him, following visits from the faithful, he was canonized by the Roman Catholic Church. In 1983, the diocese of Stockholm made the decision to expand the cathedral due, to growth in the Roman Catholic community. The expansion was designed by the architects Has Westman and Ylva Leonormad and was completed in 1983, just in time for the 200th anniversary of the re-establishment of the church in Sweden and, following years of Lutheran predominance in the region. On Sundays, the cathedral celebrates mass in Italian, Latin, Swedish, Croatian, Spanish and Polish, which truly represents the international population of the city of Stockholm. On weekdays, mass is celebrated at 8:00 a.m. in Swedish. This is a religious facility, so women may want to carry a veil when visiting the cathedral to cover their heads out of respect.