St. Francis Xavier Cathedral is devoted to a 16th century missionary from the Kingdom of Navarre (now part of Spain) and co-founder of the Society of Jesus. He relentlessly spread Christianity in India and the Far East. This first Catholic church in the Bahamas was established in 1885. Four years later, the Sisters of Charity opened an elementary school named the Parish Free Church, an accomplishment recognized in the statue on the right. In 1893, the Benedictine monks formed a priory across the street in Villa Doyle, the former house of Sir Williams Henry Doyle. In 1934, a modern extension was added to the church. Two years after it was designated as a pro-cathedral.
