Known as St. John Lateran, The Cathedral of The Most Holy Savior and Sts. John the Baptist and John the Evangelist began when the Emperor, Constantine, donated land he’d been given by the wealthy Lateran family. 

It is the Pope’s Church, the Cathedral of the Diocese of Rome. The original Church was built in the 4th century and after surviving fires, earthquakes, and wars, it was abandoned for much of the 14th century when the Papacy moved to France. 

When Pope Gregory XI moved the Papacy back to Rome near the end of the 14th century, the Lateran Basilica was in ruins. After years of design and construction, the current structure was commissioned by Pope Innocent X in 1646. 

In the 18th century, seven sculptors added the Apostles with Sts. Simon, Bartholomew, James the Lesser, John Andrew, and Peter on the south wall and Sts. Paul, James the Greater, John, Phillip, Matthew, and Jude on the North wall. 

At the top of the facade are twelve Doctors of The Church, St. John the Baptist, St. John the Evangelist, and Jesus. 

St. John the Baptist and St. John the Evangelist, please pray for us.