From its imposing site on Broadway Avenue in Palmerston North, the Cathedral of the Holy Spirit, formerly known as St Patrick's Church, has served as a centre for the Catholic community since 1925. The Cathedral was the third Catholic church built in Palmerston North since the Marist missionary Father Delphineus Moreau held the first Catholic mass in the area in 1872. The first church, blessed in 1878, was a simple, thatched wooden building named by Moreau after Saint Patrick. It was replaced by a more substantial timber structure in 1890 but the growing Catholic population in the area soon meant that the construction of a still larger building was required.

In 1916 the Parish Priest, Father James MacManus procured conceptual plans for a new church from J. T. Mannix, an architect based in New Plymouth. Mannix's plans, for which he would only accept £5, were unanimously adopted by the Parish Committee. By 1920 the Committee had raised the £7000 necessary to purchase the centrally placed site on which the Cathedral was to be erected. Formerly the property of a Mr Greer, the land was considered ideal as it came with a house suitable for use as a presbytery. Two years later Mannix completed more detailed plans of the Cathedral with the assistance of the Wellington-based architectural firm Clere & Williams, a firm established by eminent New Zealand architect Frederick de Jersey Clere (1856-1952). Trevor Bros Ltd won the tender to erect the church and construction commenced in 1923 in conjunction with Clere's new architectural firm Clere & Clere.

In 1925 Bishop Francis William Redwood (1839-1935) opened the new 'St Patrick's Church'. Completed at the cost of £43,845, the building was composed almost entirely from reinforced concrete, a material for whose use Frederick de Jersey Clere is renowned. Designed to seat between 1050 and 1100 persons, St Patrick's was 53 metres long (175 feet) and 19 metres wide (62 feet). A striking tower that rose 49 metres (159 feet) above the pavement dominated the front of the church. Incorporated into the tower was a painted, metal statue of St Patrick. The interior of the Gothic style church featured an arched roof supported by 14 fluted, white concrete columns designed to create an atmosphere of 'majesty and power'. The stark, white concrete finish of the walls was relieved overhead by polished timber panelling. Described as a 'magnificent building' by the local paper, the lofty structure was a mastery of structural engineering and design.

In 1980 a new Catholic diocese, the Diocese of Palmerston North was created. As was predicted 56 years earlier, St Patrick's Church was chosen as the seat for the Diocese's new Bishop, Peter Cullinane. Eight years later the interior layout of the building was altered to reflect the new status of the structure and to incorporate the changing approach taken to the liturgy after the Second Vatican Council (1963-1965). The building was then rededicated as the Cathedral of the Holy Spirit. It serves as the focal point of the Diocese and is designed to be an affirmation and reflection of the spiritual power of the bishop. The Cathedral remains a strong centre of the Catholic faith and is highly regarded by the local community.

The Cathedral of the Holy Spirit has strong spiritual significance as a long-standing place of worship and as the Cathedral of the Diocese of Palmerston North. It is the centre of Catholic worship in the area and is a continuing symbol of the strength of the Catholic faith in the Diocese. The building has architectural importance as an example of the work of the eminent New Zealand architect, Frederick de Jersey Clere, a noted expert and pioneer in the use of reinforced concrete. The building has significant technological value as an example of a reinforced, concrete building and exhibits the structural engineering skills of the firm Clere & Clere. The centrally-located structure has considerable aesthetic appeal and its spire is a landmark in the flat, urban area of Palmerston North.