The first church on this corner, San José de Guadalupe, was built in 1803. It is described as the first parish in California built for Spanish settlers rather than for mission converts. Earthquakes and fire claimed several churches here. The present building was dedicated in 1877, its portico was finished in 1884 and its great dome in 1885.
After a long restoration begun in 1981, the church became the cathedral of the new Diocese of San José in 1985, and Pope John Paul II made it a minor basilica in 1997. It is a California Historical Landmark and is on the National Register of Historic Places.