Syro-Malabar Cathedral of St Alphonsa, Preston

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Syro-Malabar Cathedral of St Alphonsa, Preston, is a Catholic cathedral of the Syro-Malabar rite in Preston, Lancashire. It serves as the seat of the Syro-Malabar Catholic Eparchy of Great Britain. The church stands near the city centre, with its entrance on Meadow Street. It began life as St Ignatius Church, a Jesuit foundation, and was Preston’s first church with a spire. Construction started in 1833 and the building was completed in 1886. It was designed in Gothic Revival style by architect Joseph John Scoles.

Over the years the building was expanded and altered, including work in 1858 and a major remodeling in 1885–86 by Matthew Ellison Hadfield and George Webster. The interior saw changes such as new chapels and raised altars, with craftsmanship by Frank Tory. The church has long connections with St Ignatius Catholic Primary School next door, and St Ignatius Square outside was designated a local conservation area in 1982. The church remained part of the Diocese of Lancaster, but in late 2010s parish life shifted and, on 31 December 2014, the building was offered to the Syro-Malabar community. Since January 2015 it has been used for Syro-Malabar liturgies, and in 2016 Pope Francis raised its status to cathedral, appointing the first Syro-Malabar bishop, Joseph Srampickal.

Notable associations include the 19th-century mystic Francis Thompson, who was baptised there in 1859, and the poet Gerard Manley Hopkins SJ, who served as a curate in the late 1880s.

Key facts
- Location: Meadow Street, Preston, Lancashire, England
- Denomination: Syro-Malabar Catholic Church; Rite: East Syriac
- Former name: St Ignatius Church (Jesuit foundation)
- Founded: 1833; Groundbreaking: 1833; Completed: 1886
- Architect: Joseph John Scoles; Gothic Revival
- Heritage: Grade II* listed (designated 1979)
- Current status: Cathedral of the Syro-Malabar Catholic Eparchy of Great Britain
- Entrance: Meadow Street
- Notable: Francis Thompson baptised here; Gerard Manley Hopkins SJ was a curate here in the 1880s