This church beside the parliament was first mentioned in historical sources in 1225. In 1522, it became the first church in Latvia to hold a Lutheran service, but 60 years later during a brief spell under Polish rule it was returned to its Catholic flock, who have held it ever since. It’s also interesting to note that St. James was one of the first three churches built in Riga and unlike Riga Cathedral and St. Peter’s where mass was held in German, it held services in Latvian until the Reformation.