St. Ambrose Cathedral

St. Ambrose Cathedral is an historical church located in downtown Des Moines, Iowa, United States. It serves as a parish church and as the seat of the Diocese of Des Moines in the Catholic Church. The cathedral, along with the adjoining rectory, is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.HistoryThe first Mass in what would become the city of Des Moines was celebrated in a log hut in 1851 at Fort Des Moines by Father Alexander Hattenberger, a priest from Ottumwa, Iowa. At the time, Des Moines was part of the Diocese of Dubuque, which covered the entire state of Iowa. Other priests visited the Des Moines area from time to time, including: the Revs. Timothy Mullen, John Kreckel and Louis De Cailly. In 1856, one year after the Iowa Legislature voted to move the capitol from Iowa City to its present location in Des Moines, the first St. Ambrose Church was built on land purchased by Father De Cailly. The church was built by the Rev. George Plathe, who was the first resident priest in Des Moines. It measured 40ft by 24ft. The Rev. John F. Brazil became pastor in 1861, and he built a school in 1863.St. Ambrose remained Des Moines' only Catholic church until 1869 when the Rev. Nicholas Sassel established St. Mary's to serve the pastoral needs of the city's German community. Des Moines became a part of the Diocese of Davenport when it was established in 1881.