Bethel AME Church, 512 6th St SE, Cedar Rapids, IA 52401, US

HistoryImmaculate Conception's first wood building at 3rd Avenue and 7th Street SE, built in 1858, was replaced in the early 1870s by a larger brick building to serve the growing Catholic population of the city. By the turn of the 20th century, the growing downtown parish demanded even larger facilities. A new site at 3rd Avenue and 10th Street SE was purchased in 1914, and a new church building was commissioned from St. Paul, MN, French architect Emmanuel L. Masqueray, who had designed the Cathedral of St. Paul and the ProCathedral of St. Mary in Minneapolis. That church was completed in 1915 and after a few renovations, still stands today.SpecialtiesImmaculate Conception Catholic Church, the first Catholic parish in Cedar Rapids, Iowa is dedicated to Mary, the Immaculate Conception, Mother of God, Mother of the Church, and Patroness of the United States. Under the Blessed Mother's mantle, Immaculate Conception Parish is dedicated to faithful service to members of the parish, the diverse ethnic groups of Cedar Rapids and the larger body of Christ in the downtown neighborhoods of the city.