The Valley

The Cathedral Basilica of St. Joseph is a large Roman catholic christian church located in Downtown San Jose. The minor basilica is the cathedral for the Roman Catholic Diocese of San Jose in California. The basilica is named for Saint Joseph, patron saint of the universal church. The original St. Joseph's Church was built on the site of the current basilica in 1803, and was the first non-mission parish built in California. The original adobe structure was damaged by earthquakes in 1818 and 1822, and a new adobe church was built from 1835 to 1846. The second church was severely damaged by the 1868 Hayward earthquake, and work on the third church began in 1869.