Sacred Heart Cathedral, Rochester

The Sacred Heart Cathedral is a Catholic cathedral in Rochester. The recently renovated cathedral is the Mother Church of the Diocese of Rochester and seat of the diocesan bishop, as well as home to a parish community. The parish is currently known as the Cathedral Community at The Sacred Heart Cathedral.

In 1823, Saint Patrick's was the first Catholic parish established in Rochester. Its third church building was under construction when the Diocese of Rochester was founded in 1868, and it became the diocesan cathedral. The Eastman Kodak Company built their headquarters adjacent to the cathedral property in 1914. Over the intervening years, the company expanded its footprint in the area and other parishes were established in the city. With the approval of the Holy See, the diocese sold Saint Patrick's Cathedral to Eastman Kodak in 1937 and it was dismantled that same year. The parish remained in existence until 1979.

In the meantime, Sacred Heart parish was founded in 1911. The cornerstone for the present church was laid in 1925. Designed by Chicago architect Charles H. Prindeville, of the firm Egan & Prindeville, it was completed in 1927. Sacred Heart was named the pro-cathedral of the diocese when Saint Patrick's was sold and became a full cathedral in 1952.