The Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception
We Are All Its Guardians
My Dear Friends in Christ,
For well over a century, the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception has served as the spiritual center of the Diocese of Syracuse.
The story of the Cathedral exemplifies the history of our diocesan church. It represents and speaks to the story of the people within that church, offering a narrative that has been written by the hands of laborers, artisans and donors whose industry and generosity ensured the creation of this wonderful structure.
The Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception not only embodies the history of our Church but also exemplifies our history, the people of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Syracuse.
Since it was first consecrated, the generosity of more than five generations of the faithful has guaranteed the future of our mother church. From this building, priests are ordained and sent forth, from Binghamton to Oswego and Marcellus to Boonville, to minister to our brothers and sisters in faith. Oils that are used to both embrace the young in the sacrament of baptism and seal their passage as adults in their faith through the sacrament of confirmation, are consecrated in our Cathedral. Within these walls, we gather from throughout our diocese to celebrate those sacraments and those events that speak to our union in the Mystical Body of Christ.
The Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception is more than a church, it is our spiritual home.
Just as previous generations have taken upon themselves the responsibility for safeguarding this treasure, I now call upon all Catholics to join with me and each other in the preservation of the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception. Our generous spirit and commitment to the success of this project will see that our Cathedral remains an enduring symbol of the strength of our faith in the Roman Catholic Diocese of Syracuse.
Thank you in advance for your support in preserving our Cathedral for future generations—We Are All Its Guardians.
Devotedly Yours in Christ,
Most Reverend Robert J. Cunningham
Bishop of Syracuse
It is not easy for us to estimate now what it meant to plan and build a church as this was. There was a faith in God and a confidence in the people which impelled us to build for the future
– Thomas James Conaty, Bishop of the Diocese of Monterey – Los Angeles, September 25, 1910.