North 8th Street, Boise, Idaho, USA
Cathedral of St. John the Evangelist
The cathedral of the Diocese of Boise, a sandstone Romanesque Revival church in downtown Idaho that has served the state's scattered Catholic community since 1921.
St. John's sits on a slight rise in downtown Boise, built from local sandstone that turns golden in the late afternoon sun. The building went up between 1906 and 1921 in a sturdy Romanesque Revival style — round arches, a square tower, and thick walls that suit the high desert climate. Inside, the nave is wide and well-lit, with carved stone capitals, a marble altar, and stained glass imported from Germany. Idaho's Catholic population has always been small and spread thin — ranchers, miners, Basque immigrants, and later waves of Mexican and Central American families. The cathedral pulls them all together. A renovation in the early 2000s cleaned up the interior while keeping its early-century character intact.
Diocese: Diocese of Boise
Style: Romanesque Revival
What to See
The sandstone exterior is handsome and weathers well in Idaho's dry air. Inside, look for the carved capitals on the columns — they show good craftsmanship. The German stained glass has survived over a century and still reads well. The marble altar is simple but dignified.
Pilgrim Notes
The cathedral is in downtown Boise, an easy walk from the state capitol and the Basque Block, which celebrates the city's Basque heritage. Daily Mass is available. Boise's weather is continental — hot summers, cold winters.