The Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception is an historic cathedral on Cumberland Avenue and Congress Streets in Portland, Maine. It is the seat of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Portland. The Cathedral’s Pastor is Bishop Richard Malone, and its Rector is Father Louis Phillips.

Construction began in 1866 under the supervision of New York architect Patrick Keeley. After being devastated by fire, the church was finally completed on September 8, 1869. The Cathedral was restored in 1921, 1969, and 2000. In 1985, it was added to the National Register of Historic Places.

The interior of the neo-Gothic Cathedral is 186 feet by 70 feet. The ceiling rises 70 feet, and the main aisle is 150 feet long; it holds almost 1000 worshipers. The tallest of the Cathedral’s three steeples is, at 204 feet, the tallest structure in the city of Portland.

Photo 64, Sept 2011

Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception

Photo 66, Sept 2011

The Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception, Oct 2010 as viewed from the bug light, across the harbor, Portland, Oct 2010

Photo 112, Oct 2010