St. Stephen Cathedral, Byzantine Catholic cathedral in Phoenix, United States

St. Stephen Cathedral is a Byzantine Catholic church in Phoenix featuring traditional Eastern Christian architecture with golden domes and intricate religious murals decorating the interior. The building displays the architectural characteristics typical of Ruthenian churches and now serves as the seat of the Byzantine Catholic Eparchy.

Byzantine Catholics in Phoenix began planning for their own church in 1956 and formally requested a parish from Bishop Nicholas Elko of Pittsburgh ten years later. In 1968 they acquired the former St. Thomas the Apostle Antiochene Orthodox Church, where the first Divine Liturgy was celebrated on Easter Sunday; Bishop Stephen Kocisko dedicated the church to St. Stephen on June 28, 1968. After the 1994 Northridge earthquake damaged the Eparchy of Van Nuys chancery, Bishop George Kuzma relocated to Phoenix and St. Stephen's became a pro-cathedral. It was elevated to cathedral in 2010 when the eparchy was renamed the Holy Protection of Mary Byzantine Catholic Eparchy of Phoenix.

The cathedral preserves Ruthenian Greek Catholic traditions while conducting services in English, connecting modern American worshippers with Eastern European religious practices. The golden domes and intricate religious murals visible throughout the interior show the Eastern Christian aesthetic that visitors encounter today.

Visitors should know that services follow a different rhythm than Western Catholic churches, with liturgies that may run longer than expected. It is helpful to check ahead about visiting times and wear appropriate clothing, as this is an active house of worship with religious protocols.

St. Stephen's became a pro-cathedral after the 1994 Northridge earthquake damaged the Eparchy of Van Nuys chancery and the Cathedral of St. Mary in California; Bishop George Kuzma and his staff moved to Phoenix. It held that status until 2010, when the eparchy was renamed the Holy Protection of Mary Byzantine Catholic Eparchy of Phoenix and the church was elevated to a cathedral.