Downtown Brooklyn

St. James Cathedral Basilica is the second church building to serve this parish. The first church was constructed in 1822 and was the first Roman Catholic church on Long Island. In 1852, St. James became the cathedral parish for the newly-established Diocese of Brooklyn under Bishop Loughlin. While the Diocese long planned to construct a new cathedral in Fort Greene, that plan never came to fruition and St. James has continued to serve as the cathedral church for the Diocese, although many of the Diocese's larger ceremonies are held elsewhere.

Congregation started in 1847, first worshiping on Powers Street (Third Avenue). Constructed in 1851 for St. Peter's Episcopal Church. The cornerstone for the church was laid in 1850 and the building opened for services in May, 1851. By 1856, St. Peter's had outgrown the building and began construction of a new church on State Street, near Bond. Between 1857 and 1863 the building was occupied by the First Reform Presbyterian Church. The building was sold to the Church of the Convenanters in 1860. In 1864, the Second United Presbyterian Church of Brooklyn acquired the building.