The Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception is a large
minor Catholic basilica and
national shrine in the
United States
The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...
in
Washington, D.C.
)
, image_skyline =
, image_caption = Clockwise from top left: the Washington Monument and Lincoln Memorial on the National Mall, United States Capitol, Logan Circle, Jefferson Memorial, White House, Adams Morgan, ...
, located at 400 Michigan Avenue Northeast, adjacent to
Catholic University.
The shrine is the
largest
Large means of great size.
Large may also refer to:
Mathematics
* Arbitrarily large, a phrase in mathematics
* Large cardinal, a property of certain transfinite numbers
* Large category, a category with a proper class of objects and morphisms (o ...
Catholic church building in
North America
North America is a continent in the Northern Hemisphere and almost entirely within the Western Hemisphere. It is bordered to the north by the Arctic Ocean, to the east by the Atlantic Ocean, to the southeast by South America and the Car ...
, and
one of the largest in the world; the basilica is also the
tallest habitable building in Washington, D.C.
Its construction of
Byzantine Revival
Neo-Byzantine architecture (also referred to as Byzantine Revival) was a revival movement, most frequently seen in religious, institutional and public buildings. It incorporates elements of the Byzantine style associated with Eastern and Ortho ...
and
Romanesque Revival
Romanesque Revival (or Neo-Romanesque) is a style of building employed beginning in the mid-19th century inspired by the 11th- and 12th-century Romanesque architecture. Unlike the historic Romanesque style, Romanesque Revival buildings tended to ...
architecture began on September 23, 1920, with renowned contractor
John McShain
John McShain (December 21, 1896 – September 9, 1989) was a American building contractor known as "The Man Who Built Washington".
Born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, the son of Irish immigrants, McShain graduated from St. Joseph's Preparatory S ...
and was completed on December 8, 2017, with the dedication and solemn blessing of the ''Trinity Dome'' mosaic.
The basilica is the national and patronal Catholic church of the United States,
honoring the
Immaculate Conception
The Immaculate Conception is the belief that the Virgin Mary was free of original sin from the moment of her conception.
It is one of the four Marian dogmas of the Catholic Church, meaning that it is held to be a divinely revealed truth w ...
as
Patroness
Patronage is the support, encouragement, privilege, or financial aid that an organization or individual bestows on another. In the history of art, arts patronage refers to the support that kings, popes, and the wealthy have provided to artists su ...
, accorded by
Pope Pius IX
Pope Pius IX ( it, Pio IX, ''Pio Nono''; born Giovanni Maria Mastai Ferretti; 13 May 1792 – 7 February 1878) was head of the Catholic Church from 1846 to 1878, the longest verified papal reign. He was notable for convoking the First Vatican ...
on February 7, 1847.
Pope Pius XI
Pope Pius XI ( it, Pio XI), born Ambrogio Damiano Achille Ratti (; 31 May 1857 – 10 February 1939), was head of the Catholic Church from 6 February 1922 to his death in February 1939. He was the first sovereign of Vatican City fro ...
donated a
mosaic
A mosaic is a pattern or image made of small regular or irregular pieces of colored stone, glass or ceramic, held in place by plaster/mortar, and covering a surface. Mosaics are often used as floor and wall decoration, and were particularly pop ...
rendition of the image in 1923. The shrine has merited several papal visits, namely the following:
*
Pope John Paul II
Pope John Paul II ( la, Ioannes Paulus II; it, Giovanni Paolo II; pl, Jan Paweł II; born Karol Józef Wojtyła ; 18 May 19202 April 2005) was the head of the Catholic Church and sovereign of the Vatican City State from 1978 until his ...
raised the
National Shrine to the status of
Minor Basilica
In the Catholic Church, a basilica is a designation given by the Pope to a church building. Basilicas are distinguished for ceremonial purposes from other churches. The building need not be a basilica in the architectural sense (a rectangular ...
on October 12, 1990.
*
Pope Benedict XVI
Pope Benedict XVI ( la, Benedictus XVI; it, Benedetto XVI; german: link=no, Benedikt XVI.; born Joseph Aloisius Ratzinger, , on 16 April 1927) is a retired prelate of the Catholic church who served as the head of the Church and the sovereign ...
bestowed a
Golden Rose
The Golden Rose is a gold ornament, which popes of the Catholic Church have traditionally blessed annually. It is occasionally conferred as a token of reverence or affection. Recipients have included churches and sanctuaries, royalty, military ...
on April 16, 2008.
*
Pope Francis
Pope Francis ( la, Franciscus; it, Francesco; es, link=, Francisco; born Jorge Mario Bergoglio, 17 December 1936) is the head of the Catholic Church. He has been the bishop of Rome and sovereign of the Vatican City State since 13 March 2013. ...
canonized
Saint
In religious belief, a saint is a person who is recognized as having an exceptional degree of Q-D-Š, holiness, likeness, or closeness to God. However, the use of the term ''saint'' depends on the context and Christian denomination, denominat ...
Junípero Serra
Junípero Serra y Ferrer (; ; ca, Juníper Serra i Ferrer; November 24, 1713August 28, 1784) was a Spanish Roman Catholic priest and missionary of the Franciscan Order
, image = FrancescoCoA PioM.svg
, image_size ...
,
O.F.M., on September 23, 2015.
Although the basilica is situated within the geographical boundaries of the
Archdiocese of Washington, the basilica is not a
parish
A parish is a territorial entity in many Christian denominations, constituting a division within a diocese. A parish is under the pastoral care and clerical jurisdiction of a priest, often termed a parish priest, who might be assisted by one or m ...
of the archdiocese, does not have its own parish community, and the shrine’s administration does not fall under the direct authority of the Archbishop, but it serves adjacent Catholic University, which donated the land for its construction, and the
United States Conference of Catholic Bishops
The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) is the episcopal conference of the Catholic Church in the United States. Founded in 1966 as the joint National Conference of Catholic Bishops (NCCB) and United States Catholic Conference (US ...
. It also hosts numerous Masses for various organizations of the Church from across the United States. The basilica is not the
cathedral
A cathedral is a church that contains the '' cathedra'' () of a bishop, thus serving as the central church of a diocese, conference, or episcopate. Churches with the function of "cathedral" are usually specific to those Christian denomination ...
of the
archdiocese
In church governance, a diocese or bishopric is the ecclesiastical district under the jurisdiction of a bishop.
History
In the later organization of the Roman Empire, the increasingly subdivided provinces were administratively associate ...
, as that title and honor belongs to the
Cathedral of St. Matthew the Apostle
The Cathedral of St. Matthew the Apostle in Washington, D.C., most commonly known as St. Matthew's Cathedral, is the seat of the Archbishop of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Washington. As St. Matthew's Cathedral and Rectory, it has been list ...
, although numerous archdiocesan events are held at the basilica. As of 2022, the rector of the basilica is the Reverend Monsignor Walter R. Rossi, who holds a
Licentiate of Canon Law
Licentiate of Canon Law ( la, Juris Canonici Licentiatus; JCL) is the title of an advanced graduate degree with canonical effects in the Roman Catholic Church offered by pontifical universities and ecclesiastical faculties of canon law. Licentiat ...
.
The basilica is served by the
Brookland–CUA station
Brookland–CUA station is a Washington Metro station in Washington, D.C., on the Red Line. Service began on February 3, 1978. The station serves the Brookland neighborhood and the Catholic University of America (CUA). It is the focal point of ...
on the
Red Line, roughly away.
Architecture
The basilica houses 82 Marian chapels (including the
Our Mother of Africa Chapel The Our Mother of Africa Chapel is a shrine housed in the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception in Washington, D.C. It was built in the 1990s after a fundraising appeal sponsored by the National Black Catholic Congress, and wa ...
), as well as other sacred images, flanking the sides of the Great Upper Church and the Crypt Church. They were designed to reflect the origins of Catholic Americans and the religious orders whose generosity erected them.
Its Greek-styled interior is crowned with numerous domes decorated in
mosaic
A mosaic is a pattern or image made of small regular or irregular pieces of colored stone, glass or ceramic, held in place by plaster/mortar, and covering a surface. Mosaics are often used as floor and wall decoration, and were particularly pop ...
s, similar to the
Basilica of St. Mark in Venice, Italy, but much larger. The mosaics feature American renditions of traditional Catholic images. Artist
Jan Henryk De Rosen, who presided over the shrine's iconography committee was also responsible for much of its decor, including composing the large mosaic over the northern
apse
In architecture, an apse (plural apses; from Latin 'arch, vault' from Ancient Greek 'arch'; sometimes written apsis, plural apsides) is a semicircular recess covered with a hemispherical vault or semi-dome, also known as an ''exedra''. In ...
.
The exterior of the basilica is long, wide, and tall to the top of the cross on the dome. The exterior area of the basilica is . The diameter of the main dome (the ''Trinity Dome'') of the basilica is only smaller than that of the dome of the
U.S. Capitol. The interior area of the basilica is for the Upper Level and Great Upper Church, and for the Lower Level and Crypt Church, for a grand total of .
The shrine was built in the style of medieval churches, relying on thick masonry walls and columns in place of structural steel and reinforced concrete. It was designed to hold 10,000 worshipers and includes modern amenities such as a basement cafeteria, hidden public address speakers to carry speech at the altar to the rear of the building, air conditioning and what was the largest radiant heating slab in the world (in 1959).
There are arches outlined with iridescent
Pewabic Pottery
Pewabic Pottery is a ceramic studio and school in Detroit, Michigan. Founded in 1903, the studio is known for its iridescent glazes, some of which grace notable buildings such as the Shedd Aquarium and Basilica of the National Shrine of the Imma ...
tile, large ceramic medallions set in the ceiling, and fourteen
Stations of the Cross
The Stations of the Cross or the Way of the Cross, also known as the Way of Sorrows or the Via Crucis, refers to a series of images depicting Jesus Christ on the day of Crucifixion of Jesus, his crucifixion and accompanying prayers. The station ...
in the Crypt Church.
History
Patronage of the Immaculate Conception
In 1792
John Carroll John Carroll may refer to:
People Academia and science
*Sir John Carroll (astronomer) (1899–1974), British astronomer
*John Alexander Carroll (died 2000), American history professor
*John Bissell Carroll (1916–2003), American cognitive sci ...
, the
bishop of Baltimore and the United States's first Catholic bishop, consecrated the newly created United States under the protection of the Blessed Virgin Mary under the title of the
Immaculate Conception
The Immaculate Conception is the belief that the Virgin Mary was free of original sin from the moment of her conception.
It is one of the four Marian dogmas of the Catholic Church, meaning that it is held to be a divinely revealed truth w ...
. In 1846, the 6th
Provincial Councils of Baltimore The Provincial Councils of Baltimore were councils of Roman Catholic bishops that set the pattern for Catholic organisation in the United States of America. They were seen as having a unique importance for the Church in the United States, inasmuch a ...
reiterated this episcopal choice to name the title ''Virgin Mary, conceived without sin'' as the principal patroness of the land.
Pope Pius IX
Pope Pius IX ( it, Pio IX, ''Pio Nono''; born Giovanni Maria Mastai Ferretti; 13 May 1792 – 7 February 1878) was head of the Catholic Church from 1846 to 1878, the longest verified papal reign. He was notable for convoking the First Vatican ...
formalized the decision on February 7, 1847, and it was published on July 2, 1847.
Construction (20th Century)
Bishop
A bishop is an ordained clergy member who is entrusted with a position of authority and oversight in a religious institution.
In Christianity, bishops are normally responsible for the governance of dioceses. The role or office of bishop is ca ...
Thomas Joseph Shahan
Thomas Joseph Shahan (September 11, 1857 – March 9, 1932) was an American Catholic theologian and educator, born at Manchester, New Hampshire, educated at Collège de Montréal (1872) at the Pontifical North American College, and at the P ...
, the fourth
rector
Rector (Latin for the member of a vessel's crew who steers) may refer to:
Style or title
*Rector (ecclesiastical), a cleric who functions as an administrative leader in some Christian denominations
*Rector (academia), a senior official in an edu ...
of The Catholic University of America in Washington, proposed the construction of a national
shrine
A shrine ( la, scrinium "case or chest for books or papers"; Old French: ''escrin'' "box or case") is a sacred or holy sacred space, space dedicated to a specific deity, ancestor worship, ancestor, hero, martyr, saint, Daemon (mythology), daem ...
to commemorate the Immaculate Conception in the country's capital. Bishop Shahan took his appeal to
Pope Pius X
Pope Pius X ( it, Pio X; born Giuseppe Melchiorre Sarto; 2 June 1835 – 20 August 1914) was head of the Catholic Church from 4 August 1903 to his death in August 1914. Pius X is known for vigorously opposing modernist interpretations of C ...
on August 15, 1913.
Shahan received the pope's enthusiastic support and personal contribution of US$400 (US$11,681 in 2022, adjusted for inflation). Shahan returned to the United States and persuaded the board of trustees of The Catholic University of America to donate land at the southwest corner of the campus for his shrine.
In January 1914, Shahan published the first issue of ''Salve Regina'', a newsletter meant to stir enthusiasm for his project. He wrote that the shrine would be a "monument of love and gratitude, a great hymn in stone as perfect as the art of man can make it and as holy as the intentions of its builders could wish it to be." His newsletter was circulated to dioceses throughout the country and financial donations began to pour into Washington. In 1915, Shahan appointed Father Bernard McKenna of Philadelphia as first director of the national shrine. Shahan oversaw the construction of the shrine until his death on March 9, 1932. His are the only remains interred at the basilica/national shrine.
By 1919, Shahan and McKenna chose architectural drawings by the
Boston
Boston (), officially the City of Boston, is the state capital and most populous city of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, as well as the cultural and financial center of the New England region of the United States. It is the 24th- mo ...
firm of
Maginnis & Walsh
Maginnis & Walsh was an architecture firm started by Charles Donagh Maginnis and Timothy Walsh in 1905. It was known for its innovative design of churches in Boston in the first half of the twentieth century.
Partners
Maginnis was born January ...
for construction of the national shrine. Initially, they considered a traditional
Neo-Gothic
Gothic Revival (also referred to as Victorian Gothic, neo-Gothic, or Gothick) is an architectural movement that began in the late 1740s in England. The movement gained momentum and expanded in the first half of the 19th century, as increasingly ...
architectural style, but Shahan opted instead for a Byzantine Revival–Romanesque Revival design. On May 16, 1920,
Archbishop
In Christian denominations, an archbishop is a bishop of higher rank or office. In most cases, such as the Catholic Church, there are many archbishops who either have jurisdiction over an ecclesiastical province in addition to their own archdi ...
Giovanni Bonzano
Giovanni Vincenzo Cardinal Bonzano PIME (27 September 1867 – 26 November 1927) was an Italian Cardinal of the Roman Catholic Church who served as Apostolic Delegate to United States from 1912 to 1922, and was elevated to the cardinalate ...
,
Apostolic Nuncio to the United States of America, celebrated Mass and blessed the site of the future National Shrine. On September 23, 1920,
Cardinal
Cardinal or The Cardinal may refer to:
Animals
* Cardinal (bird) or Cardinalidae, a family of North and South American birds
**''Cardinalis'', genus of cardinal in the family Cardinalidae
**''Cardinalis cardinalis'', or northern cardinal, the ...
James Gibbons
James Cardinal Gibbons (July 23, 1834 – March 24, 1921) was a senior-ranking American prelate of the Catholic Church who served as Apostolic Vicar of North Carolina from 1868 to 1872, Bishop of Richmond from 1872 to 1877, and as ninth ...
,
archbishop of Baltimore
The Metropolitan Archdiocese of Baltimore ( la, link=no, Archidiœcesis Baltimorensis) is the premier (or first) see of the Latin Church of the Catholic Church in the United States. The archdiocese comprises the City of Baltimore and nine of M ...
, blessed the foundation stone. More than 10,000 people attended the Mass, including ambassadors, government officials, and military officers. On April 20, 1924, the first public mass ever offered at the shrine was held in the unfinished Crypt Church. In 1932, the death of Bishop Shahan and the
Great Depression
The Great Depression (19291939) was an economic shock that impacted most countries across the world. It was a period of economic depression that became evident after a major fall in stock prices in the United States. The economic contagio ...
halted the construction above the completed Crypt Church level. The beginning of American involvement in
World War II
World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...
stalled plans even further, and construction was not resumed until 1954.
After the war, in 1953, American bishops under the leadership of
John Noll, archbishop ''ad personam'' of
Fort Wayne
Fort Wayne is a city in and the county seat of Allen County, Indiana, United States. Located in northeastern Indiana, the city is west of the Ohio border and south of the Michigan border. The city's population was 263,886 as of the 2020 Censu ...
, and
Patrick O'Boyle, archbishop of Washington, pledged to raise the funds necessary to complete the Great Upper Church of the national shrine. On November 15, 1954, work was resumed on building the shrine, and on November 20, 1959, thousands of Catholics gathered with the bishops for the dedication of the Great Upper Church.
Since 1968, the
Papal Tiara of
Pope Paul VI
Pope Paul VI ( la, Paulus VI; it, Paolo VI; born Giovanni Battista Enrico Antonio Maria Montini, ; 26 September 18976 August 1978) was head of the Catholic Church and sovereign of the Vatican City, Vatican City State from 21 June 1963 to his ...
has been on display inside the Crypt Church.
On October 12, 1990, Pope John Paul II raised the national shrine to the status of a minor basilica. The
papal bull was signed and notarized by Cardinal
Agostino Casaroli
Agostino Casaroli (24 November 1914 – 9 June 1998) was an Italian Catholic priest and diplomat for the Holy See, who became Cardinal Secretary of State. He was the most important figure behind the Vatican's efforts to deal with the persecutio ...
. It is the 36th designated basilica within the United States.
Completion (21st Century)
In August 2006, work was completed on a
mosaic
A mosaic is a pattern or image made of small regular or irregular pieces of colored stone, glass or ceramic, held in place by plaster/mortar, and covering a surface. Mosaics are often used as floor and wall decoration, and were particularly pop ...
covering the Redemption Dome in the Great Upper Church. Following its completion in the summer of 2007, the Incarnation Dome was blessed on November 17, 2007. A small chapel on the Crypt Church level honoring
Our Lady of La Vang
Our Lady of La Vang ( vi, Đức Mẹ La Vang) refers to a reported Marian apparition at a time when Catholics were persecuted and killed in Vietnam. The Shrine of our Lady of La Vang (Basilica of Our Lady of La Vang) is situated in what is t ...
(Vietnam) was completed in 2006.
In 2008, during his trip to the United States,
Pope Benedict XVI
Pope Benedict XVI ( la, Benedictus XVI; it, Benedetto XVI; german: link=no, Benedikt XVI.; born Joseph Aloisius Ratzinger, , on 16 April 1927) is a retired prelate of the Catholic church who served as the head of the Church and the sovereign ...
bestowed the
Golden Rose
The Golden Rose is a gold ornament, which popes of the Catholic Church have traditionally blessed annually. It is occasionally conferred as a token of reverence or affection. Recipients have included churches and sanctuaries, royalty, military ...
upon the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception.
In June 2011, a new chapel dedicated to
Our Lady of Lebanon
ar, سيدة لبنان
, native_name_lang =
, image = Ladylebanon.JPG
, image_upright =
, alt =
, caption = Shrine of Our Lady of Lebanon
, map_type =
, map_s ...
was erected within the basilica, commemorating the fidelity of the
Maronite
The Maronites ( ar, الموارنة; syr, ܡܖ̈ܘܢܝܐ) are a Christian ethnoreligious group native to the Eastern Mediterranean and Levant region of the Middle East, whose members traditionally belong to the Maronite Church, with the larges ...
Church and its
faithful. A mosaic of
Saint Maroun and the
Crucifixion
Crucifixion is a method of capital punishment in which the victim is tied or nailed to a large wooden cross or beam and left to hang until eventual death from exhaustion and asphyxiation. It was used as a punishment by the Persians, Carthagin ...
was copied from the 6th-century ''Rabboula'' Maronite manuscript, and was donated by
Cardinal
Cardinal or The Cardinal may refer to:
Animals
* Cardinal (bird) or Cardinalidae, a family of North and South American birds
**''Cardinalis'', genus of cardinal in the family Cardinalidae
**''Cardinalis cardinalis'', or northern cardinal, the ...
Donald Wuerl
Donald William Wuerl (born November 12, 1940) is an American prelate, a cardinal, of the Catholic Church. He served as Archbishop of Washington, D.C., from 2006 to 2018. He was elevated by Pope John Paul II to serve as auxiliary bishop of S ...
. The chapel was formally consecrated by Maronite Bishop
Gregory J. Mansour on September 23, 2011.
On January 26, 2013, the basilica held a televised thanksgiving Mass and enshrined two first class
relic
In religion, a relic is an object or article of religious significance from the past. It usually consists of the physical remains of a saint or the personal effects of the saint or venerated person preserved for purposes of veneration as a tangi ...
s of Americans
Kateri Tekakwitha
Kateri Tekakwitha ( in Mohawk), given the name Tekakwitha, baptized as Catherine and informally known as Lily of the Mohawks (1656 – April 17, 1680), is a Catholic saint and virgin who was an Algonquin–Mohawk. Born in the Mohawk village of O ...
and
Marianne Cope
Marianne Cope, also known as Saint Marianne of Molokai, (January 23, 1838 – August 9, 1918) was a German-born American religious sister who was a member of the Sisters of St Francis of Syracuse, New York, and founding leader of its St. Jose ...
, who were both canonized October 20, 2012.
Pope Francis
Pope Francis ( la, Franciscus; it, Francesco; es, link=, Francisco; born Jorge Mario Bergoglio, 17 December 1936) is the head of the Catholic Church. He has been the bishop of Rome and sovereign of the Vatican City State since 13 March 2013. ...
visited the shrine on September 23, 2015, and celebrated a Mass for the canonization of Saint Junípero Serra, O.F.M., on the mall of the Catholic University of America. The altar,
ambo
Ambo may refer to:
Places
* Ambo, Kiribati
* Ambo Province, Huanuco Region, Peru
** Ambo District
** Ambo, Peru, capital of Ambo District
* Ambo Town, a town in Oromia Regional State, Ethiopia
** Ambo, Ethiopia, a capital of West Shewa Zone ...
, and chair used for this Mass match the existing marble in the basilica. After the Mass, the papal altar was placed in front of the
High Altar
An altar is a table or platform for the presentation of religious offerings, for sacrifices, or for other ritualistic purposes. Altars are found at shrines, temples, churches, and other places of worship. They are used particularly in paganis ...
, and is now used as the altar in the Great Upper Church.
On February 20, 2016, the basilica was the site of the funeral Mass of US Supreme Court Justice
Antonin Scalia
Antonin Gregory Scalia (; March 11, 1936 – February 13, 2016) was an American jurist who served as an associate justice of the Supreme Court of the United States from 1986 until his death in 2016. He was described as the intellectu ...
at which his son Fr. Paul Scalia was the celebrant.
The final architectural element was completed with the installation of the 24 tons of
Venetian glass
Venetian glass () is glassware made in Venice, typically on the island of Murano near the city. Traditionally it is made with a soda–lime "metal" and is typically elaborately decorated, with various "hot" glass-forming techniques, as well as ...
in the central ''Trinity Dome'', one of the largest
mosaic
A mosaic is a pattern or image made of small regular or irregular pieces of colored stone, glass or ceramic, held in place by plaster/mortar, and covering a surface. Mosaics are often used as floor and wall decoration, and were particularly pop ...
s of its kind in the world. On December 8, 2017, the
Feast of the Immaculate Conception
The Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception, also called Immaculate Conception Day, celebrates the sinless lifespan and Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary on 8 December, nine months before the feast of the Nativity of Mary, celebrate ...
, the dome was dedicated and solemnly blessed by Cardinal Donald Wuerl.
Priests of the Basilica
* Walter R. RossiRector
* Vito A. BuonannoDirector of Pilgrimages
* Ismael N. AyalaDirector of Liturgy
* Raymond A. LebrunSpiritual Director
Staff of the Basilica
* Daniel MacGregorComptroller and CFO
* Geraldine M. RohlingArchivist/Curator Emerita
* Peter J. LatonaDirector of Music
* Benjamin LaPrarieAssociate Director of Music
* Andrew VuAssociate Organist
* Robert GroganCarillonneur and Organist Emeritus
* Dee SteelDirector of Visitor Services
* Jacquelyn HayesDirector of Communications
* Amy MaloneyNational Shrine Shops Manager
* Valencia Yvonne CampDirector of Special Events and Operations Manager
Gallery
Exterior
File:Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception from atop Washington Mnt.jpg, The basilica viewed from atop the Washington Monument
The Washington Monument is an obelisk shaped building within the National Mall in Washington, D.C., built to commemorate George Washington, once commander-in-chief of the Continental Army (1775–1784) in the American Revolutionary War and the ...
File:Basilique du Sanctuaire National de l'Immaculée Conception-2.jpg, The liturgical east
Liturgical east and west is a concept in the orientation of churches. It refers to the fact that the end of a church which has the altar, for symbolic religious reasons, is traditionally on the east side of the church (to the right in a diagram) ...
end of the basilica
File:Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception.jpg, The basilica viewed from the side
File:Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception on the campus of the Catholic University of America, Washington, D.C LCCN2011636428.tif, Detail of the dome
File:Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception, Washington DC (172660639).jpg, Bell tower
File:Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception on the campus of the Catholic University of America, Washington, D.C LCCN2011636423.tif, The basilica under lighting
Interior
File:Sanctuary of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception on the campus of the Catholic University of America, Washington, D.C LCCN2011635564.tif, View of the basilica's Great Upper Church nave
File:Basilica National Shrine Immaculate Conception DC 26.JPG, View of the basilica's Crypt Church nave
File:Stained-glass window at the National Shrine for the Immaculate Conception at the Catholic University of America, Washington, D.C LCCN2011634622.tif, Stained glass window in the basilica
File:Bishop'sVestingAltar.JPG, Bishop's vesting altar in the Great Upper Church sacristy
File:Basilica National Shrine Immaculate Conception DC 25.JPG, The papal tiara
The papal tiara is a crown that was worn by popes of the Catholic Church from as early as the 8th century to the mid-20th. It was last used by Pope Paul VI in 1963 and only at the beginning of his reign.
The name "tiara" refers to the entire h ...
of Pope Paul VI
Pope Paul VI ( la, Paulus VI; it, Paolo VI; born Giovanni Battista Enrico Antonio Maria Montini, ; 26 September 18976 August 1978) was head of the Catholic Church and sovereign of the Vatican City, Vatican City State from 21 June 1963 to his ...
File:NationalShrineOfTheImmaculateConceptionGoldenRose.jpg, Golden Rose bestowed by Pope Benedict XVI
See also
*
Mary, Protector of Faith Sculpture in Mary's Garden
*
Top Catholic pilgrimage destinations in the United States
*
Ukrainian Catholic National Shrine of the Holy Family
*
List of basilicas
This is a complete list of basilicas of the Catholic Church. A Basilicas in the Catholic Church, basilica is a church with certain privileges conferred on it by the Pope.
Not all churches with "basilica" in their title actually have the ecclesia ...
*
List of the Roman Catholic cathedrals of the United States
The following is a list of the Catholic cathedrals in the United States. The Catholic Church in the United States comprises ecclesiastical territories called dioceses led by prelate bishops. Each bishop is assigned to a cathedral from which he ...
*
List of the Roman Catholic dioceses of the United States
This is the list of the Catholic dioceses and archdioceses of the United States which includes both the dioceses of the Latin Church, which employ the Roman Rite and other Latin liturgical rites, and various other dioceses, primarily the eparchi ...
*
List of tallest domes
This is a list of the tallest domes in the world. The dome can be measured by various criteria. There are different types of domes. Many of the tallest domes have a Roof lantern, lantern. Strictly speaking, the lantern is not part of the dome, b ...
*
Franciscan Monastery of the Holy Land in America
The Franciscan Monastery of the Holy Land in AmericaG. Martin Moeller Jr"S15 Franciscan Monastery of the Holy Land in America".''AIA Guide to the Architecture of Washington''. Part 3. JHU Press, 2012. p. 290-91. is a Franciscan complex at 14th an ...
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Architecture of Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., the capital of the United States, has a unique and diverse architectural history. Encompassing government, monumental, commercial, and residential buildings, D.C. is home to some of the country's most famous and popular structur ...
References
Further reading
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External links
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Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception: Photo Gallery by The Catholic Photographer
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ttp://www.stainedglassphotography.com/Basilica%20of%20the%20National%20Shrine/album/index.html www.stainedglassphotography.comnbsp;– images of the artwork in the Basilica
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1961 establishments in Washington, D.C.
20th-century Roman Catholic church buildings in the United States
21st-century Roman Catholic church buildings in the United States
Immaculate Conception, Basilica of the National Shrine of the
Bell towers in the United States
Brookland (Washington, D.C.)
Immaculate Conception, Basilica of the National Shrine of the
Immaculate Conception, Basilica of the National Shrine of the
Carillons
Church buildings with domes
Historic American Buildings Survey in Washington, D.C.
Immaculate Conception, Basilica of the National Shrine of the
Immaculate Conception, Basilica of the National Shrine of the
Immaculate Conception, Basilica of the National Shrine of the
Immaculate Conception, Basilica of the National Shrine of the
Roman Catholic churches completed in 1961
Roman Catholic churches completed in 2017
Immaculate Conception, Basilica of the National Shrine of the