The population of the city expanded greatly after its 1856 founding as coffee cultivation brought wealth to the region. Construction on the first church, also called “velha Matriz” (mother church), began in 1866 and was finished in 1870, in what is now the XV de Novembro Square. Barely two decades later, the towers of this building collapsed, and in 1892 a commission of leading townspeople was formed to build a more grandiose replacement. Design and construction was repeatedly halted and restarted over the next decade owing to differing visions for the structure as well as a lack of funds. The cornerstone of the current building was finally laid March 3, 1904 with construction continuing for the next four years. In 1909, Pope Pius X erected the Diocese of Ribeirão Preto, and St. Sebastian's was named its cathedral.
