The Syro-Malabar Cathedral of St Alphonsa is a Catholic cathedral of the Syro-Malabar rite in Preston, Lancashire. It is the cathedral of the Syro-Malabar Catholic Eparchy of Great Britain, and was previously St Ignatius Church under the Diocese of Lancaster. It is situated close to the Preston city centre, with the entrance on Meadow Street. The building was opened in 1836 and was the first church in Preston to have a spire.

Preston is a city in Lancashire, England, that contains about 340 listed buildings. Its recorded history goes back to the Roman era, and in the medieval period it was a market town and a port, its first charter being granted in 1179. The city stands at the lowest crossing point of the River Ribble, which has given it great strategic importance. From the 16th century it was a centre for the spinning and weaving industries, and its greatest growth came from the 1770s with the development of steam power. By 1835 it contained 40 factories, and this had grown to 77 factories in 1869. Its population rose from about 12,000 in 1801 to about 69,000 in 1851, and one reflection of this was and this resulted in poor housing and social conditions. As a consequence of this there was fear of riots and other disturbances from the Chartists, the response to this being the building of Fulwood Barracks in the 1840s. There was much church building in the 19th century, including a number of notable Roman Catholic churches, reflecting the importance of Catholicism in the town and area. Later in the century and in the early 20th century the rise of civic pride and prosperity resulted in a number of notable civic buildings, particularly Fulwood Barracks. During the 20th century there was much clearing of slum properties, and of many other older buildings. The Preston Dock closed in the 1980s. Few of the 20th-century buildings have been listed, with the exception of the Central bus station and car park, which was opened in 1969 and had been threatened with demolition.