St. Augustine Cathedral is the cathedral of the Roman Catholic Church in Kalamazoo, Michigan, and the seat of the Bishop of the Diocese of Kalamazoo.
The local residents constructed a church in 1852 as a mission used by traveling priests. Detroit bishop Peter Lefevère established the parish of St. Augustine and appointed a permanent pastor in a letter from dated January 22, 1856. However, by 1869, the structure was no longer safe and inadequate for the growing congregation. It was replaced by a new church on the same site.
In 1883, Father Francis O'Brien became pastor and oversaw construction of a convent, school and rectory. He invited the Sisters of St. Joseph to Kalamazoo and aided them in establishing Borgess Hospital in 1889.
In 1937, the parish became part of the newly created Diocese of Lansing. Construction of the current church began in 1950 and it was consecrated December 4, 1951 by Lansing Bishop Joseph H. Albers.
Pope Paul VI created the Diocese of Kalamazoo December 19, 1970, from portions of the Diocese of Lansing and the Diocese of Lansing. St. Augustine was selected as the cathedral and the Most Rev. Paul Donovan was installed as the first bishop on June 15, 1971.
The entire St. Augustine campus includes an activities center, named the Fr. Crowley Cathedral Center, the St. Augustine Cathedral School, and the Cathedral itself.
The church and school were severely damaged in 1980 when a tornado struck the area. It was rebuilt in a simpler style and rededicated in 1989.[1]
The current organ was renovated in 2002 by the Nicholas & Simpson, Inc., Organbuilders and incorporated parts of the Casavant organ installed when the church opened in 1951. It has 34 stops and 42 ranks of pipes.[2]