St. Mary Cathedral is a cathedral

Cathedral

A cathedral is a Christian church that contains the seat of a bishop...

 of the Roman Catholic Church

Roman Catholic Church

The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the world's largest Christian church, with over a billion members. Led by the Pope, it defines its mission as spreading the gospel of Jesus Christ, administering the sacraments and exercising charity...

 in Lansing, Michigan

Lansing, Michigan

Lansing is the capital of the U.S. state of Michigan. It is located mostly in Ingham County, although small portions of the city extend into Eaton County. The 2010 Census places the city's population at 114,297, making it the fifth largest city in Michigan...

 one block north of the Michigan State Capitol

Michigan State Capitol

The Michigan State Capitol is the building housing the legislative and executive branches of the government of the U.S. state of Michigan. It is located in the state capital of Lansing in Ingham County...

. It is the seat of the bishop

Bishop

A bishop is an ordained or consecrated member of the Christian clergy who is generally entrusted with a position of authority and oversight. Within the Catholic Church, Eastern Orthodox, Oriental Orthodox Churches, in the Assyrian Church of the East, in the Independent Catholic Churches, and in the...

 of the Diocese of Lansing

Roman Catholic Diocese of Lansing

The Catholic Diocese of Lansing is located in Lansing, Michigan. It encompasses an area of 6,218 square miles including the counties of Clinton, Eaton, Genesee, Hillsdale, Ingham, Jackson, Lenawee, Livingston, Shiawassee and Washtenaw...

.

The style church was designed by E. A. Bond in the Gothic Revival

Gothic Revival architecture

The Gothic Revival is an architectural movement that began in the 1740s in England...

 style. Construction began in 1911 and was completed in 1913. The stained glass

Stained glass

The term stained glass can refer to coloured glass as a material or to works produced from it. Throughout its thousand-year history, the term has been applied almost exclusively to the windows of churches and other significant buildings...

 windows were made in Munich, Germany and installed in 1923. In 1939, the church became the cathedral for the newly formed Diocese of Lansing.

In January 1938, a serious fire broke out in the rectory and Bishop Joseph H. Albers

Joseph H. Albers

Joseph H. Albers D.D. was born in Cincinnati, Ohio. In 1929 at the age of 38, he was consecrated Auxiliary Bishop of Cincinnati, making him one of the youngest Roman Catholic bishops in the country. He continued in this role until he was assigned to establish the new Diocese of Lansing, Michigan...

, the survivor of a World War I

World War I

World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...

 gas attack

Poison gas in World War I

The use of chemical weapons in World War I ranged from disabling chemicals, such as tear gas and the severe mustard gas, to lethal agents like phosgene and chlorine. This chemical warfare was a major component of the first global war and first total war of the 20th century. The killing capacity of...

, collapsed inside the building before he was rescued by firefighters.