In 1885, just three years after Missionary Bishop of Arizona and New Mexico, George Dunlap, brought the Episcopal Church to Phoenix, the community congregation of Trinity parish began. The Rev. Thomas W. Haskins invited local Episcopalians to start the mission church. The congregation purchased acreage across the street from the courthouse and built a brick church with a small bell tower. The new structure’s first service was held on the Feast of the Epiphany in 1889.

The Trinity parish congregation began construction on the current building in 1915. Construction was completed in 1920 and the first service was held Christmas Day that year. In 1988, Trinity Parish was made the Cathedral of the Diocese of Arizona. It is one of only a handful of open and active diocesan cathedrals in the nation. Other notable cathedrals include the National Cathedral in Washington, D.C., the Cathedral of St. John the Divine in New York City, and Grace Cathedral in San Francisco.

In addition to its life as an Episcopalian congregation, Trinity serves as the bishop’s church and is a center for regional confirmations, ordinations, and other diocesan gatherings.  It is often the chosen site for significant events in the greater civic life of the Phoenix metro area. Past events include pre-inaugural services for the governor of Arizona and burial rites for many of Arizona’s leaders.

After more than a century, Trinity Episcopal Cathedral continues to be a vital center for community enrichment. As it lives into its second century of service, Trinity Cathedral continues to expand its role as a presence in the community for service and outreach, including support for the arts. It is also a sacred place in which the devotion and love of God find their expression in the timelessness of Anglican liturgical worship.

The Episcopal Church
Episcopalians are followers of Jesus Christ, our Lord, and we believe in the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.

The Episcopal Church welcomes all who worship Jesus Christ, in 109 dioceses and three regional areas in 17 nations around the world. The Episcopal Church is a member province of the worldwide Anglican Communion and traces its heritage to the beginnings of Christianity. Each province of the Anglican Communion is autonomous with the Archbishop of Canterbury serving as its spiritual head.

The Episcopal Church has members in the United States, as well as in Colombia, the Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Austria, Belgium, France, Germany, Italy, Switzerland, Haiti, Honduras, Micronesia, Puerto Rico, Taiwan, Venezuela, and the Virgin Islands.

We strive to love our neighbors as ourselves and respect the dignity of every person.

Our liturgy retains ancient structure and traditions and is celebrated in many languages.

We put our faith in God seen as revealed through scripture, tradition, and human reason. All three are held in dynamic tension with one another, no one being more important than the other two.

We uphold the Bible and worship with the Book of Common Prayer. The Book of Common Prayer provides us with structure for our common worship in the Eucharist and in the daily office of prayer.