Pope to make Basilica of St. Nicholas a cathedral for Amsterdam's 750th birthday

The Basilica of St. Nicholas in Amsterdam is being elevated to a cathedral, the Diocese Haarlem-Amsterdam said on Friday. The building near Central Station is being elevated to a cathedral as a gift from Pope Francis for the 750th anniversary of Amsterdam, pastor-dean Eric Dennis said. This means that Amsterdam is now also an episcopal see.

The Cathedral of Saint Bavo in Haarlem will remain the head church of the Diocese Haarlem-Amsterdam. The church in Amsterdam will receive the “co-cathedral” title. On March 8, the bishop's seat in Amsterdam will be taken by Bishop Jan Hendriks.

The diocese called the announcement "the culmination of centuries of Catholic presence in the Dutch capital, whose origins, city rights, and prosperity are closely linked to the church.” The church was named after Saint Nicholas, the patron saint of the capital.

In 2012, the Saint Nicholas church was renamed a basilica. A piece of Saint Nicholas' rib was interred in the basilica a few years ago. The relic was donated to the people of Amsterdam in 2021 by the Egmond Abbey, where it lay for almost a thousand years.

Amsterdam has had ties with the Catholic Church for centuries. The church donated the land on which the city's first houses were built and in 1300 Amsterdam received city rights from the then bishop.

The capital city also experienced its own miracle when a dying man vomited a host into the fireplace and the host remained intact in 1345. The Miracle of Amsterdam made the city a popular place of pilgrimage and is still commemorated every year with a procession.