Awesome Catholic Cathedrals and Famous Churches Mega Trivia

Share this!

There are so many amazingly beautiful churches in the world, and learning about the architecture and history of the churches and cathedrals can teach children so much about our Catholic heritage.

catholic cathedral window

In this blog series, I am sharing totally awesome, fascinating facts for Catholic kids. This post features Catholic Cathedrals and Famous Churches trivia for kids. To see all the posts in this trivia series, go to the Trivia category.

cathedrals infographic

Format: Choose A–D. Then check the Correct answer.

ROUND 1: ROME’S GREAT BASILICAS & APOSTLES (1–25)

  1. Which church in Rome is the cathedral of the Bishop of Rome (the Pope)?
    A) St Peter’s Basilica
    B) St John Lateran
    C) St Mary Major
    D) St Paul Outside the Walls
    Correct answer: B
  2. Which church is traditionally called the “mother of all churches”?
    A) St Peter’s
    B) St John Lateran
    C) Santa Maria Maggiore
    D) Hagia Sophia
    Correct answer: B
  3. In the Roman tradition, which two Apostles are especially connected as the “pillars of the Church”?
    A) James and John
    B) Peter and Paul
    C) Matthew and Mark
    D) Stephen and Philip
    Correct answer: B
  4. Where did Peter and Paul both end their earthly lives (as the liturgy commemorates)?
    A) Ephesus
    B) Corinth
    C) Rome
    D) Antioch
    Correct answer: C
  5. Which basilica is associated with the successions of popes in a lasting way (as Rome’s apostolic heart)?
    A) St Peter’s Basilica
    B) St John Lateran
    C) St Mary Major
    D) All of the above are equally associated
    Correct answer: A
  6. St Peter’s Basilica was built over a place tied to what Apostolic memory?
    A) The tomb of John the Baptist
    B) The tomb of St Peter
    C) The home of Mary in Jerusalem
    D) The relics of St Stephen
    Correct answer: B
  7. According to tradition, when did Emperor Constantine begin building the basilica of St Peter over the Apostles’ tomb?
    A) 96
    B) 258
    C) 323
    D) 570
    Correct answer: C
  8. Which pope inaugurated a major rebuilding of St Peter’s in 1506?
    A) Julius II
    B) Innocent XI
    C) Paul VI
    D) Pius X
    Correct answer: A
  9. The rebuilding of St Peter’s begun under Julius II was designed by which architect?
    A) Bernini
    B) Bramante
    C) Borromini
    D) Michelangelo
    Correct answer: B
  10. St Peter’s Basilica (as seen today) was consecrated by which pope?
    A) Urban VIII
    B) Pius IX
    C) Leo XIII
    D) Benedict XVI
    Correct answer: A
  11. The consecration date given in the source is:
    A) November 18, 1626
    B) December 10, 1854
    C) June 29, 1939
    D) March 25, 1950
    Correct answer: A
  12. The high altar in St Peter’s is set over what?
    A) A Roman forum
    B) The Apostle’s resting-place
    C) A baptismal font
    D) A choir library
    Correct answer: B
  13. What is the confessio associated with at St Peter’s?
    A) A relic of the Passion used like a charm
    B) A long-venerated shrine over the Apostle’s vault
    C) A marketplace under the altar
    D) A theater used for council debates
    Correct answer: B
  14. In the older St Peter’s arrangement, the Apostle’s tomb was made accessible to pilgrims by means of:
    A) A downloadable audio guide
    B) A small door and keys (souvenirs)
    C) A rope barrier only
    D) A daily lottery
    Correct answer: B
  15. Which statement best matches the status of the vault containing St Peter’s body (according to the source)?
    A) It has been continually open since the 1st century
    B) It has been accessible only since the 21st century
    C) It has not been accessible since the ninth century
    D) It was moved to another basilica in 1942
    Correct answer: C
  16. Which Roman basilica is part of the “four great churches of Rome” mentioned as major basilicas?
    A) St Peter’s
    B) St John Lateran
    C) St Mary Major
    D) St Paul-without-the-Walls
    Correct answer: D
  17. The source names the four major Roman churches as:
    A) St Peter’s, St John Lateran, St Mary Major, St Paul-without-the-Walls
    B) St Michael, St George, St Paul, St Peter
    C) Notre-Dame, Chartres, Cologne, Milan
    D) Westminster, St Patrick’s, Liverpool Cathedral, St Paul’s
    Correct answer: A
  18. St John Lateran’s basilica history notes major renovation: it retained an ancient basilican form until which era when Francesco Borromini changed it?
    A) 12th century
    B) 15th century
    C) 17th century
    D) 20th century
    Correct answer: C
  19. A striking detail about St John Lateran’s high altar: in the West it is the only altar made not of stone but of wood (as described). What is the altar in question?
    A) The altar at St Peter’s
    B) The high altar of St John Lateran
    C) The altar at Santa Maria Maggiore
    D) The altar at St Paul Outside the Walls
    Correct answer: B
  20. St John Lateran’s ciborium over the altar is described as enshrining the reputed heads of whom?
    A) James and John
    B) Peter and Paul
    C) Francis and Dominic
    D) Ignatius and Polycarp
    Correct answer: B
  21. Which pope’s name is venerated in the source with respect to the dedication of St Paul’s Basilica “outside the walls”?
    A) St Sylvester I
    B) St Symmachus
    C) Pope Siricius
    D) Pope Damasus
    Correct answer: C
  22. In 390, Pope Siricius consecrated the basilica of St Paul outside the walls. A key point mentioned is that his name is still seen on what?
    A) A fresco on the ceiling
    B) A pillar salvaged from the 1823 fire
    C) A stained-glass window
    D) A bronze door
    Correct answer: B
  23. St Peter’s Basilica planning included a major feature to preserve a previously cherished chamber called:
    A) Theoria
    B) Memoria
    C) Reliquary vault only
    D) Cathedra Aurea
    Correct answer: B
  24. According to the source, St Peter’s remained for centuries a permanent center that became, over time, closely tied to the papacy’s residence. That permanence is linked to returns from what exile?
    A) Babylon
    B) Avignon
    C) Constantinople
    D) Egypt
    Correct answer: B
  25. In the Solemnity tradition for Peter and Paul, the Church joins them in one commemoration despite differences. What key idea is emphasized?
    A) They were always in agreement on every doctrine
    B) They were associated by divine providence in one apostolic adventure
    C) They never suffered martyrdom
    D) They served only in Jerusalem
    Correct answer: B

ROUND 2: ICONIC CATHEDRALS ACROSS EUROPE (26–50)

  1. Which church is in Vatican City?
    A) St Paul’s Cathedral
    B) St Peter’s Basilica
    C) Duomo Milan
    D) Notre-Dame
    Correct answer: B
  2. Where is St Peter’s Basilica?
    A) Rome
    B) Paris
    C) Madrid
    D) Vienna
    Correct answer: A
  3. Which landmark is in Paris, France?
    A) Westminster Abbey
    B) Notre-Dame
    C) St Patrick’s
    D) Cologne Cathedral
    Correct answer: B
  4. Where is Notre-Dame located?
    A) Rome
    B) Paris
    C) London
    D) Brussels
    Correct answer: B
  5. Which famous cathedral is in London?
    A) St Paul’s Cathedral
    B) Sacré-Cœur
    C) Milan Duomo
    D) Florence Cathedral
    Correct answer: A
  6. Where is St Paul’s Cathedral?
    A) London
    B) Dublin
    C) Paris
    D) Rome
    Correct answer: A
  7. Which church is in Milan?
    A) Duomo di Milano
    B) St Peter’s
    C) Cologne Cathedral
    D) Hagia Sophia
    Correct answer: A
  8. Where is Milan Cathedral?
    A) Milan
    B) Venice
    C) Rome
    D) Florence
    Correct answer: A
  9. Which basilica is in Barcelona?
    A) Sagrada Familia
    B) St Peter’s
    C) Notre-Dame
    D) St Mark’s
    Correct answer: A
  10. Where is Sagrada Familia?
    A) Madrid
    B) Barcelona
    C) Lisbon
    D) Rome
    Correct answer: B
  11. Which church is in Cologne, Germany?
    A) Cologne Cathedral
    B) Westminster Abbey
    C) St Basil’s
    D) Chartres Cathedral
    Correct answer: A
  12. Where is Cologne Cathedral?
    A) Germany
    B) Italy
    C) Spain
    D) France
    Correct answer: A
  13. Which church is in Vienna?
    A) St Stephen’s Cathedral
    B) Duomo
    C) St Peter’s
    D) Sacré-Cœur
    Correct answer: A
  14. Where is St Stephen’s Cathedral?
    A) Vienna
    B) Prague
    C) Budapest
    D) Munich
    Correct answer: A
  15. Which basilica is in Istanbul?
    A) Hagia Sophia
    B) St Paul’s
    C) Notre-Dame
    D) St Peter’s
    Correct answer: A
  16. Where is Hagia Sophia?
    A) Istanbul
    B) Athens
    C) Rome
    D) Cairo
    Correct answer: A
  17. Which church is in Prague?
    A) St Vitus Cathedral
    B) St Peter’s
    C) Notre-Dame
    D) Sagrada Familia
    Correct answer: A
  18. Where is St Vitus Cathedral?
    A) Prague
    B) Vienna
    C) Paris
    D) Berlin
    Correct answer: A
  19. Which cathedral is in Chartres?
    A) Chartres Cathedral
    B) Cologne Cathedral
    C) Milan Duomo
    D) Vienna St Stephen’s
    Correct answer: A
  20. Where is Chartres Cathedral?
    A) France
    B) Italy
    C) Germany
    D) Spain
    Correct answer: A
  21. Which cathedral is in Brussels?
    A) St Michael and St Gudula Cathedral
    B) Notre-Dame
    C) Duomo
    D) St Peter’s
    Correct answer: A
  22. Where is St Michael and St Gudula located?
    A) Belgium
    B) France
    C) Germany
    D) Netherlands
    Correct answer: A
  23. Which cathedral is in Florence known for its dome?
    A) Florence Cathedral
    B) St Paul’s
    C) Cologne
    D) Hagia Sophia
    Correct answer: A
  24. Which city is Florence Cathedral in?
    A) Florence
    B) Milan
    C) Venice
    D) Naples
    Correct answer: A
  25. Which basilica is in Rome associated with Mary and traditions of high veneration?
    A) Santa Maria Maggiore
    B) Notre-Dame
    C) Duomo
    D) St Peter’s
    Correct answer: A

ROUND 3: WORLDWIDE CHURCHES (51–75)

  1. Which basilica is in Brazil (Aparecida area)?
    A) Basilica of Our Lady of Aparecida
    B) Notre-Dame
    C) St Peter’s
    D) Duomo
    Correct answer: A
  2. Where is Aparecida Basilica?
    A) Brazil
    B) Mexico
    C) Spain
    D) Peru
    Correct answer: A
  3. Which cathedral is in New York City?
    A) St Patrick’s Cathedral
    B) Westminster
    C) Duomo
    D) Hagia Sophia
    Correct answer: A
  4. Where is St Patrick’s Cathedral?
    A) New York
    B) Chicago
    C) Boston
    D) Miami
    Correct answer: A
  5. Which basilica is in Washington, D.C.?
    A) National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception
    B) Notre-Dame
    C) St Peter’s
    D) Cologne
    Correct answer: A
  6. Where is it located?
    A) Washington, D.C.
    B) New York
    C) Boston
    D) Philadelphia
    Correct answer: A
  7. Which church is in Chicago?
    A) Holy Name Cathedral
    B) Duomo
    C) St Paul’s
    D) Hagia Sophia
    Correct answer: A
  8. Where is Holy Name Cathedral?
    A) Chicago
    B) Dallas
    C) Seattle
    D) Atlanta
    Correct answer: A
  9. Which cathedral is in Manila?
    A) Manila Cathedral
    B) Notre-Dame
    C) Cologne
    D) St Peter’s
    Correct answer: A
  10. Where is Manila Cathedral?
    A) Philippines
    B) Indonesia
    C) Malaysia
    D) Thailand
    Correct answer: A
  11. Which basilica is in Goa?
    A) Basilica of Bom Jesus
    B) Duomo
    C) St Paul’s
    D) Notre-Dame
    Correct answer: A
  12. Where is Bom Jesus Basilica?
    A) Goa
    B) Delhi
    C) Mumbai
    D) Kolkata
    Correct answer: A
  13. Which cathedral is in Sydney?
    A) St Mary’s Cathedral
    B) Duomo
    C) Cologne
    D) Hagia Sophia
    Correct answer: A
  14. Where is St Mary’s Cathedral?
    A) Sydney
    B) Melbourne
    C) Perth
    D) Brisbane
    Correct answer: A
  15. Which cathedral is in Montreal?
    A) Mary Queen of the World Cathedral
    B) Notre-Dame
    C) Duomo
    D) St Paul’s
    Correct answer: A
  16. Where is Mary Queen of the World Cathedral located?
    A) Montreal
    B) Toronto
    C) Ottawa
    D) Quebec City
    Correct answer: A
  17. Which famous church is in Quebec City?
    A) Notre-Dame de Québec
    B) St Paul’s
    C) Duomo
    D) Hagia Sophia
    Correct answer: A
  18. Where is Notre-Dame de Québec?
    A) Quebec City
    B) Montreal
    C) Ottawa
    D) Toronto
    Correct answer: A
  19. Which cathedral is in Mexico City (main plaza area)?
    A) Mexico City Metropolitan Cathedral
    B) St Peter’s
    C) Cologne Cathedral
    D) Duomo
    Correct answer: A
  20. Where is it located?
    A) Mexico City
    B) Lima
    C) Bogotá
    D) Quito
    Correct answer: A
  21. Which cathedral is in Buenos Aires?
    A) Buenos Aires Metropolitan Cathedral
    B) Duomo
    C) Notre-Dame
    D) St Paul’s
    Correct answer: A
  22. Where is Buenos Aires Metropolitan Cathedral?
    A) Argentina
    B) Chile
    C) Peru
    D) Brazil
    Correct answer: A
  23. Which cathedral is in Santiago, Chile?
    A) Santiago Metropolitan Cathedral
    B) St Peter’s
    C) Cologne Cathedral
    D) Hagia Sophia
    Correct answer: A
  24. Where is Santiago Metropolitan Cathedral located?
    A) Chile
    B) Argentina
    C) Bolivia
    D) Uruguay
    Correct answer: A
  25. Which cathedral is in Havana?
    A) Havana Cathedral
    B) Duomo
    C) Notre-Dame
    D) St Paul’s
    Correct answer: A

ROUND 4: TOUGH (SAINTS, POPES, AND ARCHITECTURE) (76–100)

  1. Which basilica is described as being over St Peter’s tomb?
    A) St John Lateran
    B) St Mary Major
    C) St Peter’s Basilica
    D) Santa Croce
    Correct answer: C
  2. The St Peter’s rebuilding process is described as taking place over about:
    A) 30 years
    B) 60 years
    C) 120 years
    D) 300 years
    Correct answer: C
  3. Pope Urban VIII consecrated St Peter’s on which day?
    A) November 18, 1626
    B) December 10, 1854
    C) May 8, 2025
    D) April 21, 2025
    Correct answer: A
  4. Which pope is named in the source as consecrating St Paul’s Basilica outside the walls in 390?
    A) St Leo the Great
    B) Siricius
    C) Urban VIII
    D) Pius IX
    Correct answer: B
  5. The source says St Peter and St Paul are connected with Rome in a special way, including a tradition that they:
    A) Never suffered martyrdom
    B) Ended their lives in Rome
    C) Served in the same monastery
    D) Rested in the same tomb
    Correct answer: B
  6. In the St John Lateran description, what notable renovation happened when Borromini acted?
    A) The whole basilica was demolished and replaced in steel
    B) The basilica was transformed into the church seen today
    C) The dome was removed to show mosaics
    D) The altar was moved outside the building
    Correct answer: B
  7. What makes the high altar at St John Lateran special, according to the source?
    A) It’s the only altar made of wood (not stone) in the Western church
    B) It’s the only altar made of gold
    C) It’s the only altar that moves
    D) It’s the only altar with a dome above it
    Correct answer: A
  8. According to the source, the high altar is associated with a relic-like tradition: it is believed by some to have been used by whom?
    A) St Augustine
    B) St Peter
    C) St Paul
    D) St Joseph
    Correct answer: B
  9. Which is described in the source as being housed in the ciborium over the altar at St John Lateran?
    A) The heads of SS. Peter and Paul (reputed)
    B) The hands of St Joseph
    C) The cross fragments at Cologne
    D) The bones of St Francis Xavier
    Correct answer: A
  10. Which Pope’s pontificate is tied (in the source) to building great churches at Rome founded by Constantine, including Lateran?
    A) St Sylvester I
    B) St Symmachus
    C) Pope Siricius
    D) Pope Urban VIII
    Correct answer: A
  11. Which architect is named in the source for the dome of Florence’s cathedral being Brunnelleschi’s work?
    A) Giotto
    B) Brunelleschi
    C) Bernini
    D) Borromini
    Correct answer: B
  12. According to the source on Brunelleschi, what was an important technical challenge he overcame for the cathedral dome?
    A) He could build scaffolding at any height
    B) He completed it without centering because scaffolding was impossible
    C) He used only wooden beams
    D) He relied entirely on Roman arches
    Correct answer: B
  13. Brunelleschi’s dome is described as having a design that includes:
    A) A single shell only
    B) A pointed octagonal clustered-arches structure
    C) A flat roof
    D) No lantern
    Correct answer: B
  14. The same source describes Brunelleschi’s dome concept as one of two shells. What advantage does that give (as stated)?
    A) It increases weight
    B) It greatly relieves structural weight and provides ribbing passageways
    C) It makes it waterproof only
    D) It removes the need for a lantern
    Correct answer: B
  15. Which key line is quoted in the Sagrada Familia dedication context, tying the project to a saint named Joseph?
    A) “St Dominic will finish this church”
    B) “Mary will finish this church”
    C) “Saint Joseph will finish this church”
    D) “St Peter will finish this church”
    Correct answer: C
  16. In the Sagrada Familia dedication text, Benedict XVI says the church’s inspiration unified which three “books”?
    A) Nature, Scripture, and the internet
    B) Nature, sacred Scripture, and liturgy
    C) Stone, marble, and bronze
    D) History, politics, and travel
    Correct answer: B
  17. According to the source on the Tomb of St. Peter, why was a special arrangement needed at St Peter’s?
    A) The tomb was too small
    B) There was already an upper chamber (memoria) cherished by Romans during persecution
    C) The vault was underground and had to be moved upward
    D) The bones were missing entirely
    Correct answer: B
  18. Which item is identified in the source as the inscription “Paulo Apostolo Martyri” appearing under the altar at St Paul’s?
    A) A stone plaque at the entrance only
    B) An inscription dating from the period of building
    C) A modern plaque from 1990
    D) A fresco on the nave ceiling
    Correct answer: B
  19. The source notes that after the martyrdom tradition, the relics of Peter and Paul were, at one time, hidden/relocated to avoid desecration during persecution connected with Valerian. What year is mentioned for that translation?
    A) 96
    B) 258
    C) 313
    D) 1564
    Correct answer: B
  20. Which pope is described as consecrating St Paul’s Basilica (outside the walls) after it had been enlarged by Theodosius I?
    A) St Sylvester I
    B) St Symmachus
    C) Siricius
    D) Julius II
    Correct answer: C
  21. Which of these best captures the “Basilica” idea in the canonical sense described in the source?
    A) Only buildings made of glass are basilicas
    B) A formal title/concession or immemorial custom assigns privileges of honor
    C) Basilicas are defined by having a swimming pool
    D) Basilicas must be the tallest buildings in their city
    Correct answer: B
  22. The source says major basilicas have a special “holy door” and are among the conditions for gaining the Roman Jubilee. Which answer matches that teaching?
    A) They have no special doors
    B) They have a holy door
    C) They require a passport
    D) Jubilee is earned by donations only
    Correct answer: B
  23. According to the source on St. Peter and Paul, the Church calls them “Princes of the Apostles.” Which theme is emphasized?
    A) They are united in one apostolic adventure
    B) They were rulers of cities
    C) They wrote all the Gospels
    D) They never met the Pope
    Correct answer: A
  24. Which poet is mentioned in connection with Florence’s influence in the Catholic Encyclopedia Florence article (as an example of the city’s cultural force)?
    A) Dante
    B) Homer
    C) Virgil
    D) Sophocles
    Correct answer: A
  25. Which of these best completes the central idea of the St Peter’s dedication-related shrine described in the source?
    A) Cathedrals exist mainly as government offices
    B) Sacred buildings point toward the God of the martyrs and form believers
    C) Churches are only museums
    D) Relics are purely symbolic and never associated with devotion
    Correct answer: B

Similar Posts

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *