Portes de la Miséricorde

Founded as St. Margaret Church in 1856, this parish church became the cathedral for the newly-erected Diocese of Davenport in 1881. Over time, it became obvious that new cathedral was needed, so the old St. Margaret Church was taken down and the new Sacred Heart Cathedral was built. The cornerstone was laid on April 27, 1890, and the completed cathedral dedicated on November 15, 1891, by the second bishop of the diocese: Most Rev. Henry Cosgrove. This was the first cathedral dedicated to the Sacred Heart in the United States. The cathedral has a long history of being a church of immigrants. Today, in addition to serving an older section of Davenport, the cathedral is home to a large Vietnamese community.