The Basilica of Saints Cyril and Methodius is a

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 ...

of the Catholic Church located in

Danville, Pennsylvania Danville is a borough in and the county seat of Montour County, Pennsylvania, United States, along the North Branch of the Susquehanna River. The population was 4,221 at the census. Danville is part of the Bloomsburg-Berwick micropolitan area. ...

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 territo ...

within the Diocese of Harrisburg. It is primarily the convent chapel of the Sisters of Saints Cyril and Methodius at their

motherhouse A motherhouse is the principal house or community for a religious institute. It would normally be where the residence and offices of the religious superior In a hierarchy or tree structure of any kind, a superior is an individual or position ...

, Villa Sacred Heart.

History

The sisters built their chapel during 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 contagion ...

. The sisters were largely the daughters of European peasants and working-class immigrants. The people whose donations paid for the chapel were similar people who worked in coal mines, steel mills, factories, and farms. The

Romanesque Revival Romanesque Revival (or Neo-Romanesque) is a Architectural style, 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 ...

chapel was dedicated on October 17, 1939. It was extensively renovated in 1989.

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 ...

decreed on June 30, 1989 that Saints Cyril and Methodius chapel was elevated to the status of a minor basilica.

Architecture

The basilica serves as the chapel of the larger motherhouse complex. The interior walls are composed of

travertine marble Travertine ( ) is a form of terrestrial limestone deposited around mineral springs, especially hot springs. It often has a fibrous or concentric appearance and exists in white, tan, cream-colored, and even rusty varieties. It is formed by a pro ...

, the vaulted ceiling is covered with tiles, and the floors are composed of

terrazzo Terrazzo is a composite material, poured in place or precast, which is used for floor and wall treatments. It consists of chips of marble, quartz, granite, glass, or other suitable material, poured with a cementitious binder (for chemical bindi ...

. The altar and baldachino are carved in marble and the pews are oak. The interior also feature life-size mosaics of

Saints Cyril and Methodius Cyril (born Constantine, 826–869) and Methodius (815–885) were two brothers and Byzantine Christian theologians and missionaries. For their work evangelizing the Slavs, they are known as the "Apostles to the Slavs". They are credited wi ...

Image Gallery

File:St_Cyrils_Danville_PA_Interior.JPG, Interior, main foyer File:St_Cyrils_Danville_PA_Rear.JPG, Exterior, basilica rear File:Jankola Library.JPG, Jankola Library

References

{{Roman Catholic Diocese of Harrisburg , state=collapsed Roman Catholic churches completed in 1939 Cyril and Methodius, Danville Roman Catholic Diocese of Harrisburg Roman Catholic churches in Pennsylvania Romanesque Revival church buildings in Pennsylvania Buildings and structures in Montour County, Pennsylvania 20th-century Roman Catholic church buildings in the United States