We attended a wedding of a former student celebrated by a priest from Scotland in a fully attended Cathedral. The music was inspirational and the décor was traditional. Our student is now a Capt. of the merchant fleet and still our friend. He stopped the exit procession to acknowledge us, the only expats among well to do Mexicans.

Very ornate in an understated way but statuary rather than stained glass. apparently the only cathedral with the star of David incorporated within its design, due to the donations made at the time of construction. At the time of our visit there were Day of dead displays in the area across the road.

The Catedral was one of the stops on our city tour. It is a beautifully designed church with easy access to both exterior and interior photographs. We were there on a Holy Day of Obligation so there were frequent masses well attended by local churchgoers. The interior of the church has spectacular gothic like arched ceilings with many statues and side altars. It sits right across the street from a central plaza which was busy with visitors. It also had many interesting backdrops for photographs. Food vendors were present.

The Basilica is located in the central of Mazatlan. Built on an ancient Indian Temple, it stands out with its Baroque, Moorish and Gothic influences. It has an eclectic, yet very beautiful look. The best place to view the Catedral, is from Vista Hermosa up on the hillside. Virgin de la Purisima Conception is the Patron saint of Mazatlan, and you can see her above the altar in a protective pose. Due to the French trying to (unsuccessfully) recolonialize Mexico in the 1860's, The Catedral wasn't finished until 1899. The Catedral has a very impressive organ that was built in Paris by Aristide Cavaille-Coll. He was probably one of the best organ builders during this time. I was told that the foundation of the Basilica was paid by the Jewish Community of Mazatlan. Being grateful for the donation they incorporated the Star of David on each of the 28 stainglassed windows. Opposite from the Basilica there is a park with its own history. Surrounded by a lot of foliage, its a great place to find some shade.

Over the years we've seen dozens of cathedrals. This one is nice and clean and seems more modern than many. Worth a visit but not for spending a long time at. The afternoon sun gives a nice light display through the stained glass windows.