The first church of St. Francis Xavier was constructed in 1851 by French missionaries of the Paris Foreign Missions Society.

[2] Due to the huge increase in the catholic population, this church eventually became inadequate.

Bangalore archbishop Bernard Moras re-dedicated the cathedral to St. Francis Xavier.

Though they were part of the original plan of the cathedral, they could not be completed due to lack of funds.

[3] The cathedral's large compound has three schools: St. Aloysius', St. Anthony's and St. Rock's.