Bishop Jaime Soto's seat, the Cathedral of the Blessed Sacrament, is the mother church of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Sacramento. This is the seat of Bishop Jaime Soto, rising at the downtown intersection of 11th and K Streets. Its scale marks it as one of the largest cathedrals west of the Mississippi River, and that civic importance means it has hosted final funeral Masses for former governors of California, most recently that of Pat Brown in 1996.
The building you face began construction in 1887, a tangible thread to Sacramento's long architectural history. The diocese it anchors stretches from the southern edge of Sacramento County north to the Oregon border and serves approximately 1,000,000 Catholics across 102 churches in a 42,000 square mile region. Many of the city's buildings date back to the mid-19th century, and Sacramento is home to the largest concentration of buildings from the California Gold Rush era in the United States.
A recent restoration project has helped preserve this landmark that functions as both a religious and civic centerpiece. Notice the downtown blocks meeting at 11th and K Streets, framing this cathedral's civic presence.