Basilica of St. Josaphat Facts for Kids

Quick facts for kids Basilica of Saint Josaphat
The Basilica of St. Josaphat
Religion
Affiliation	Roman Catholic
Province	Archdiocese of Milwaukee
Ecclesiastical or organizational status	Minor basilica
Status	Active
Location
Location	Milwaukee, Wisconsin, United States
Location in Wisconsin
Architecture
Architect(s)	Erhard Brielmaier (architect) Gonippo Raggi (painter)
Architectural type	Church
Architectural style	Polish cathedral style
Completed	1901
U.S. National Register of Historic Places
Official name: Basilica of St. Josaphat
Designated	March 7, 1973
Reference no.	73000089
Governing body	Private

The Basilica of St. Josaphat is a beautiful and grand church in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA. It is one of only 82 "minor basilicas" in America. A minor basilica is a special church given a high honor by the Pope. This church is famous for its amazing design, called the Polish cathedral style. It looks a lot like St. Peter's Basilica in Rome, Italy. The Basilica of St. Josaphat also has one of the biggest copper domes in the world! It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places, which means it's an important historical site.

Why is it Called St. Josaphat?

The Basilica of St. Josaphat is named after Josaphat Kuncevyc. He was a saint and a martyr of the Roman Catholic Church. He was also important to the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church.

History of the Basilica

Early Polish Settlers in Milwaukee

Many Poles started moving to Milwaukee in the 1840s. After the Civil War, even more Polish families arrived. Their numbers grew so much that they were the second largest group after German-Americans. In 1866, the first Polish church in a US city, Saint Stanislaus parish, was started.

Building a New Church

In 1888, the St. Josaphat congregation was formed from the Saint Stanislaus parish. Their first church building burned down in 1889. It was rebuilt, but by 1896, the church was too small for the growing community. The pastor, Wilhelm Grutza, asked Erhard Brielmaier to design a new, much larger church. Erhard Brielmaier was a well-known church architect at that time.

Inspired by Rome

Like many other Polish churches, the new design was in the Polish cathedral style. It was modeled after the famous St. Peter's Basilica in Rome. This style often features large domes and grand designs.

Recycled Materials from Chicago

As the design was almost finished, Father Grutza heard that a large building in Chicago was being torn down. This was the U.S. Custom House, Court House, and Post Office. He bought 200,000 tons of the old building materials for $20,000. These materials were brought to Milwaukee on 500 train cars. Parish members were waiting to help unload and start building.

Grand Opening and Art

The basilica was officially opened in 1901 by Archbishop Francis Xavier Katzer. About 4,000 people attended the special event. Once finished, it could seat 2,400 people. It became the largest church in Milwaukee. In 1904, artist Tadeusz Żukotyński painted the first artwork inside the church. It showed The Martyrdom of St. Josaphat.

Beautiful Decorations

The inside of the church was finished in 1928 by artists Conrad Schmitt and Gonippo Raggi. They painted detailed oil paintings of Bible stories on the walls and inside the dome. The columns were decorated with fancy plasterwork covered in gold leaf. Beautiful stained glass windows from Austria were installed in 1902.

Becoming a Minor Basilica

In 1929, Pope Pius XI gave St. Josaphat Church a special title: the third minor basilica in the United States. This made it a very important place for pilgrimages, special prayers, and history.

Repairs and Restoration

Over the years, the basilica needed repairs. In 1940, an electrical fire caused a lot of smoke damage. In 1947, a lightning storm knocked loose large stones from the dome. Major repairs and cleaning of the murals happened from 1948 to 1951.

In 1986, strong winds tore a copper sheet from the dome, causing water damage. To help pay for repairs, the St. Josaphat Basilica Foundation was started in 1991. This allowed for a big restoration project, again done by Conrad Schmitt Studios.

How the Basilica Was Built

Changing the Plans

The first plans by architect Erhard Brielmaier were for a brick church. But when the recycled stone from Chicago was bought, Erhard had to change his designs. Stone became the main building material.

Using Every Stone

Each stone block from the old Chicago building was measured and numbered. This helped workers figure out where each piece would fit best in the new church. Almost no stone was wasted or needed to be re-cut. A large field nearby was used to store and sort the materials as they arrived by train.

Special Features from Chicago

Six large granite columns from the Chicago building were used in the new design. Their carved tops were also included. Even the original bronze railings, lights, and doors from the old building were reused!

Preparing the Ground

Before building could start, a big hill about 30 feet (9 meters) tall needed to be leveled. Workers and horses moved all the earth to the western shore of the Kinnickinnic River.

Building Begins

The first stone, called the cornerstone, was placed on July 4, 1897. Many church members, who were not professional builders, did most of the work. They followed Erhard's directions. Poor people were also hired to help when the church had enough money.

Strong Foundation

At that time, the quality of American cement was not well known. So, special German cement was brought in for the foundation. Old railroad ties were used to make the foundation stronger. Heavy steel rails were also placed in the concrete for the eight piers. These piers support the huge 214-foot (65-meter) dome.

Completion and Dedication

On July 21, 1901, a special mass led by Archbishop Francis Xavier Katzer marked the official completion and dedication of the basilica.

Interior Decorations

The first large painting in the church, The Martyrdom of St. Josaphat, was painted in 1904 by Tadeusz Żukotyński. It is located right behind and above the altar. Most of the other large paintings were done by Gonippo Raggi. The beautiful stained glass windows were brought from Austria in 1902. Later, Conrad Schmitt Studios worked to restore the inside of the basilica to look like it did in 1926.

Basilica of St. Josaphat facts for kids

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