Basilica of St. Louis, King of France 19th century. Bishop Joseph Rosati, who ordered the construction of the church, is interred in a vault underneath the sanctuary. Basilica of St. Louis, King of France The Basilica of Saint Louis, King of France (), formerly the Cathedral of Saint Louis, and colloquially the Old Cathedral, was the first cathedral west of the Mississippi River and until 1845 the only parish church in the city of St. Louis, Missouri. It is one of two Catholic basilicas in St. Louis, and it is named for King Louis IX of France, also the namesake for the city of St. Louis. The
Basilica of St. Louis, King of France church, the Cathedral Basilica of Saint Louis, continues to serve as the seat of the archbishop of St. Louis. However, to recognize the original cathedral's significance, on January 27, 1961, Pope John XXIII designated it a basilica, giving it the present name, the Basilica of Saint Louis, King of France. Shortly after, in 1963, a renovation of the church occurred under the prominent St. Louis architectural firm Murphy and Mackey. In 2015, the Basilica underwent a restoration, including: The current parish serves the needs of local parishioners, described as "few in number but strong in loyalty", along with working people