St.Francis Xavier Cathedral, Nassau

St. Francis Xavier Cathedral is the oldest Catholic Church in The Bahamas. In the late 1800s, dozens of Catholics lived in Nassau without a priest or Catholic Church. Lady Georgiana Ayde-Curran petitioned the New York Archdiocese to send a priest to The Bahamas and establish a Catholic Parish.

The cathedral's foundation stone was laid in 1885, and the building was dedicated in 1887. In 1899, transepts were added on either side of the building. In 1934, a southern extension and two towers were added.

In the 1940s, the cathedral added an outdoor basketball court. The basketball court was one of the few lit courts in Nassau, and thousands of young people have enjoyed playing basketball here.

The cathedral's patron, St. Francis Xavier, was a Spanish missionary who died in 1552. He was known as the Apostle to the Far East and dedicated himself to ministering in India, Ceylon, Japan, and China.

In 2004, a new cathedral building was dedicated next door to the old cathedral.