Basilica and Shrine of Our Lady of Perpetual Help facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Basilica and Shrine ofOur Lady of Perpetual Help |
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| The Mission Church | |
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| Location | 1545 Tremont Street Boston, MA 02120 |
| Country | United States |
| Denomination | Roman Catholic |
| History | |
| Status | Minor Basilica |
| Dedication | Our Mother of Perpetual Help |
| Architecture | |
| Functional status | Active |
| Administration | |
| Archdiocese | Boston |
The Basilica and Shrine of Our Lady of Perpetual Help, often called The Mission Church, is a large Roman Catholic church in Boston, Massachusetts. It's located in a neighborhood called Mission Hill. Redemptorists are a group of Catholic priests who have served the church since it first opened in 1870. This special church is dedicated to the Blessed Virgin Mary under the name of Our Mother of Perpetual Help.
In 1954, Pope Pius XII gave the church the special title of "Minor Basilica." This means it's a very important church in the Catholic faith.
Contents
History of the Mission Church
In May 1869, a Catholic priest named Father James Augustine Healy invited the Redemptorists to Boston. He wanted them to help with a special church mission. The Redemptorists are a group of priests who travel to different places to teach and help people.
Archbishop John J. Williams then invited the Redemptorists to stay in Boston. In September 1869, they bought some land in an area then known as the Boston Highlands. This land was on Parker Hill.
Building the First Church
The Redemptorists built a simple wooden church on the land in 1870. This church was meant to be a "mission house." It was a home base for priests who traveled to other parts of Massachusetts, Canada, and beyond. The church was named after Our Lady of Perpetual Help.
The very first Catholic Mass was held there on January 29, 1871. This original wooden church was located where the rectory (the priests' home) stands today.
The Basilica Building
The current, larger church was designed by architects J. William Schickel and Isaac E. Ditmars. Construction began in 1874. The Mission Church was built in the Romanesque style. It used a local stone called Roxbury puddingstone.
The church has a tall, round tower with a dome that rises over 100 feet high. The beautiful stained glass windows inside were made by artists from Germany. The church was officially opened in 1878. At first, it was mainly for confession and Holy Communion. In 1883, it became a regular parish church for the area.
Special Features of the Church
An organ was installed in 1897. It was one of the first organs in the country to use electricity to make it play. This was a new invention at the time! The organ has 62 stops and nearly 3,200 pipes.
The tall spires on the church were added in 1910. They were designed by architect Franz Joseph Untersee. One spire is 215 feet tall, and the other is two feet shorter. The western tower holds twelve bells. The church itself is also 215 feet long, making it perfectly proportioned.
In 1954, Pope Pius XII gave the church the special title of "basilica." In 2004, the church complex was named a Boston Landmark.
The Shrine of Our Lady of Perpetual Help
A special copy of the icon (a religious painting) of Our Lady of Perpetual Help was placed in the first church in 1871. Soon after, people began to say that they were healed after praying there. In 1874, a weekly blessing for the sick began.
As more people reported being healed, they would leave things like crutches and braces at the shrine. These were called "votives" and were a way of saying thank you for the help received. Stories of these healings were even published in newspapers like the New York Herald and the Boston Globe. During World War I, many families came to the shrine to pray for their soldiers to return home safely. Between 1878 and 1884, over 300 healings were officially recorded.
Community and Education
Mission Grammar School was built in 1889, located behind the church. It had 24 classrooms and could hold 1,200 students. The School Sisters of Notre Dame came from Baltimore to teach the boys and girls.
Mission Church High School opened in 1926. It was run by the Xaverian Brothers. After 66 years, the high school closed in 1992 because fewer students were attending. The building was sold and is now a public school called New Mission High. The grammar school is still open today, teaching children from kindergarten to 8th grade.
Community Center and Plays
In 1900, St. Alphonsus Hall opened as a community center. It helped the many immigrant families in the area, especially those from Ireland. It had a library, meeting rooms, a gym, a bowling alley, and a theater.
A play called "Pilates Daughter" was performed for the first time in St. Alphonsus Hall in 1902. It was a religious play that was performed every year during Lent for over 50 years.
In 1903, a new home for the priests, called the rectory, was built. It has special details that show the Irish heritage of the neighborhood, like stained glass windows with green shamrocks.
The Basilica Today
The basilica is on Tremont Street, right in the middle of the Mission Hill neighborhood. This church is seen as a symbol of the neighborhood and even gives the area its name. It still serves families whose ancestors were Irish immigrants. It also welcomes new immigrants from places like Ethiopia, Nigeria, and Haiti.
Senator Edward Kennedy's funeral was held at the basilica on August 29, 2009. He often prayed at the church because it was close to the hospitals where he visited sick family members.
See also
In Spanish: Basílica y Santuario de Nuestra Señora del Perpetuo Socorro (Boston) para niños
- List of churches in the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Boston
- Our Lady of Perpetual Help, the shrine's namesake saint
- The Mission Hill neighborhood of Boston, MA, listed in the National Register of Historic Places
