Holy Rosary Cathedral, Roman Catholic cathedral in downtown Vancouver, Canada
Holy Rosary Cathedral is a French Gothic Revival church at Richards and Dunsmuir streets in downtown Vancouver. It is built of sandstone from Gabriola Island in a cross-shaped plan, measuring 49 m long, 32 m wide and 19 m high, with a 66 m bell tower. Architects Thomas Ennor Julian and H.J. Williams completed it in 491 days.
The parish dates to 1885, when Father Patrick Fay, chaplain to Canadian Pacific Railway workers, led it; a wooden church was blessed in 1887. The present sandstone building, designed by Thomas Ennor Julian and H. J. Williams, was begun in 1899 and opened on 8 December 1900, after 491 days of construction. It became the cathedral in 1916 and was consecrated only in 1953, once the debt was cleared.
The cathedral serves as a gathering place for the Catholic community and reflects the city's religious diversity. Visitors observe how people from different backgrounds come together to worship in multiple languages.
Entry is straightforward from street level, and the interior is open to visitors interested in exploring the architecture. Those wishing to attend a service should check schedules in advance, as times vary between weekdays and weekends.
Since spring 2017 a life-size bronze copy of Timothy Schmalz's 2014 Homeless Jesus has stood before the entrance: a figure in a long robe lying on a park bench, face hidden under a hood, wounds visible on the bare feet. A plaque beside it quotes Matthew 25:38.
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