Cathedral of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary

The Cathedral of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary, also known as St. Mary’s Cathedral, is the cathedral church for the Diocese of Grand Island located in Grand Island, Nebraska, United States. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1982. In 1859 two brothers from Iowa City, Iowa, Patrick and Richard Moore, settled in Hall County, Nebraska. They are believed to be the first Catholic settlers in the county. Other Catholic families moved to the area as well. The first priest to visit the area, the Rev. Almire Fairmont, arrived two years later. He celebrated Mass in the Moores' log dwelling, which was located three miles west of the present town of Wood River. In the following years, a priest from Omaha or Columbus would visit once a year to celebrate Mass and administer the Sacraments.