Basilica of Saint Mary of the Immaculate Conception (Norfolk, Virginia) Facts for Kids

Quick facts for kids Significant dates

St. Mary's Church
U.S. National Register of Historic Places

St Mary's Church facade on Chapel Street, in downtown Norfolk
Location in Virginia Show map of Virginia Location in the United States Show map of the United States
Location	232 Chapel St., Norfolk, Virginia
Area	2 acres (0.81 ha)
Built	1857 (1857)-1858, 1894
Architectural style	Late Gothic Revival, Gothic Revival
NRHP reference No.	79003287
Added to NRHP	May 25, 1979

The Minor Basilica of Saint Mary of the Immaculate Conception is a special Black Catholic church in downtown Norfolk, Virginia. People also call it the Black Basilica. It is the oldest Catholic church in the Diocese of Richmond. Many locals know it as "The Mother Church of Tidewater Virginia."

The church building was finished in 1858. It is made of brick with a stucco finish. It has a tall, three-part tower with a spire in the middle. The church also has a rectory, which is a three-story brick building. This building is designed in the Late Gothic Revival style.

The church was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1979. In 1991, it was named a minor basilica. The nearby Saint Mary's Catholic Cemetery was added to the Register in 2001.

History of St. Mary's Church
Influence on Other Churches
Gallery
See also

History of St. Mary's Church

How the Church Began

The church started in 1791 as Saint Patrick Church. It was founded by French Catholics who were escaping the French Revolution. Soon, some of the first Irish Catholic immigrants in the United States joined them. Saint Patrick's was the oldest Catholic church in the Richmond Diocese. It was even older than the diocese itself!

The First Church Building

The first church building was constructed in 1842. At that time, churches in the Southern United States were often separated by race. This church was mainly for White people.

However, a priest named Father Matthew O’Keefe allowed African American Catholics to sit in a special part of the choir loft. This was a big step for the time. A group called the Know Nothings, who were against Catholics, tried to make him stop. They wanted the church to have separate services for different races. Father O’Keefe refused to do this.

Sadly, the church building was destroyed by fire in 1856. Church records show that many Catholic families believed the Know Nothings were responsible. A valuable painting called "The Assumption" was lost in the fire. This painting had been given to the church by King Louis Philippe and Queen Amelie of France.

Building a New Church

The church building you see today was finished in 1858. It was given a new name: the Blessed Virgin Mary of the Immaculate Conception. This name honored a special teaching about Mary that was announced in 1854 by Pope Pius IX.

The church also supported St. Mary Academy. This school helped hundreds of children in the city get a Christian education. Most of these children were not Catholic. The church also runs a soup kitchen and helps people in Norfolk who are poor or homeless.

Joining Churches and Renovations

In 1961, another nearby Black Catholic church, Saint Joseph's, joined with Saint Mary's. After this, almost all the church members were African American.

The church was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1979. After this, it went through a big renovation and restoration project. The newly improved church was rededicated on November 1, 1989.

Becoming a Minor Basilica

On December 8, 1991, the church celebrated its 200th anniversary. On this special day, Pope John Paul II declared the Church of Saint Mary of the Immaculate Conception a minor basilica. It is the only one in Virginia and one of the few with mostly African-American members.

The Pope said that the Black cultural heritage "enriches the Church." He added that the Church needs its Black members, just as they need the Church.

Even after the 1979 renovations, the church had more problems. In 2015, an inspection found a lot of rot and termite damage in the walls and roof. This led to a second major restoration project costing about $6.7 million. This work was completed in December 2020.

During this project, workers found crypts and tunnels under the church floor. Some people think these tunnels might have been part of the Underground Railroad. The restoration also fixed the church's historic organ, which had not worked since 1981.

Influence on Other Churches

Father Matthew O'Keefe, who was the first pastor of the new St. Mary's in Norfolk, later moved to Maryland. He used St. Mary's as a model for his new church there. This new church, the Church of the Immaculate Conception in Towson, Maryland, was finished in 1906. It looks very similar to St. Mary's, but it has a larger round window instead of a spire. Father O'Keefe is buried under the altar of the Towson church.