The Cathedral Church of Mary Help of Christians is the principal place of worship of the over 3,00,000 strong Catholics of the Shillong Archdiocese which covers the Khasi & Jaiñtia Hills of Meghalaya. An Archdiocese is a “diocese” or area under the jurisdiction of an Archbishop. In all there are 33 church districts or “Parishes” in the Shillong Archdiocese. The Cathedral Church was built over 50 years ago. Since it also has the “cathedra” – the seat or throne of the Bishop – it is known as a Cathedral Church. This place of worship stands on the very site of the first Church built by the German fathers. The earlier 1913 building – the Church of the Divine Saviour –was a wooden structure. It was destroyed I the Good Friday fire of April 10, 1936. Built by the first Catholic missionaries to these hills, the Salvatorian Fathers from Germany, it was the first Catholic Cathedral Church in what was then the Mission of Assam.