Before the 1917 revolution, there were 28 Orthodox churches and house chapels, a Lutheran church, a mosque, a Jewish prayer house, an Old Believer chapel, and a Catholic church in Simbirsk, which was referred to by the Polish word "kosciól," as Poles made up a significant part of the Catholics in the Russian Empire. In addition to Poles, the Simbirsk Catholic parish included Lithuanians, Armenians, Germans, and even French. Every sixth officer in the Russian Imperial Army was a Polish Catholic. Staff Captain Karl Fyodorovich Pashkevich, originally from the western provinces, served in Simbirsk and remained in the city after retiring. In 1887, he and his wife Maria Fyodorovna, who was Orthodox, purchased a house on Shatalnaya Street, now Koryukina. In June 1889, Maria Fyodorovna passed away from paralysis, and K.F. Pashkevich bequeathed the house to the Simbirsk Roman Catholic parish.

The parish, which had existed since 1874, did not have its own church. According to local historian P.L. Martynov, services were held in rented apartments. After K.F. Pashkevich's death in 1893, his house was converted into a church and consecrated on October 2, 1894, in honor of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross. From that moment on, the Catholics of Simbirsk could conduct services with due solemnity, noted P.L. Martynov.

The Catholic church was relatively small. Covering an area of about 113 sq. m, it housed four wooden altars and eight benches for parishioners. The main altar featured a wooden Crucifix. The side altar on the right was dedicated to the Ostrobramska Icon of the Mother of God, which is kept in Vilnius and revered by both Catholics and Orthodox.

On the left side of the altar was an icon of Saint Catherine, the patroness of the Simbirsk landowner and Catholic, Catherine Maximilianovna Percy-French. She was a well-known figure and philanthropist, playing an important role in the life of the Catholic community in Simbirsk. In 1909, she became a founding member of the Parish Charitable Society, and in 1912, she headed the Committee for the construction of a new church.

The fourth altar was dedicated to Saint Apostle Peter and contained an icon of the founder of the Roman Church, the first Pope. The main relic of the church was a metal cross with a fragment of the Life-Giving Cross of the Lord. The church also housed a statue of Our Lady of Lourdes with a silver crown. At the entrance was a marble basin for holy water, and a harmonium was used for musical accompaniment during services.