The Zamboanga City Cathedral, now standing along La Purisima Street, was originally situated at the front of Plaza Pershing, where the present Universidad de Zamboanga is located. Built in 1870, the first cathedral was made of wood and concrete, featuring a main altar dedicated to the Immaculate Conception, flanked by statues of Jesuit saints Ignatius of Loyola and Francis Xavier. When the Diocese of Zamboanga was established in 1910, the church was formally elevated to the status of a cathedral.