St. Francis of Assisi Cathedral is a Catholic cathedral located in Metuchen, New Jersey, United States. It is the seat of the Diocese of Metuchen. St. Francis began as a small frame mission church built in 1871 and dedicated to St. Joseph. St. Francis Parish was incorporated in that same church on January 26, 1878. A fire destroyed the church building on December …St. Francis of Assisi Cathedral is a Catholic cathedral located in Metuchen, New Jersey, United States. It is the seat of the Diocese of Metuchen. St. Francis began as a small frame mission church built in 1871 and dedicated to St. Joseph. St. Francis Parish was incorporated in that same church on January 26, 1878. A fire destroyed the church building on December 21, 1903. The second church, also built of wood, was dedicated in December 1904. Columbia Hall was built in 1920.