It is the cathedral of the Syro-Malabar Catholic Eparchy of Great Britain,[2] and was previously St Ignatius Church under the Diocese of Lancaster.

[5] In 2016 Pope Francis[6][3] raised the status of the church to that of cathedral and appointed Monsignor Joseph (Benny Mathew) Srampickal as the first bishop.

St Ignatius is one of the oldest surviving Roman Catholic church buildings in the city, and the architectural historian Sir Nicholas Pevsner declared it to be of national interest along with the sister Preston church of St Walburge.

[9] Originally the church was much smaller, but in 1858 five new bays were added, including a new chancel and side chapels.

New confessionals were built outside the walls and a third chapel, of the Sacred Heart, was added at the north end.

Alabaster figures and much wood and stone carving were added by Frank Tory of Sheffield.

In 1982 the square was declared to be a local conservation area, preventing any development that would significantly change the character of the historic part of Preston.