Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception facts for kids

Kids Encyclopedia Facts

Quick facts for kids Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception
National and Patronal Church of the United States of America
View from south in 2010
Location in Washington, D.C.
38°56′0″N 77°0′02″W / 38.93333°N 77.00056°W / 38.93333; -77.00056
Location	Washington, D.C., U.S.
Country	United States
Denomination	Catholic Church
Tradition	Roman Rite, various Eastern Catholic liturgies
History
Status	Minor basilica National shrine
Dedication	Immaculate Conception
Dedicated	November 20, 1959; 65 years ago (1959-11-20)
Consecrated	September 23, 1920; 104 years ago (1920-09-23)
Architecture
Architect(s)	Maginnis & Walsh
Architectural type	Basilica
Style	Byzantine Revival and Romanesque Revival
Groundbreaking	May 16, 1920; 105 years ago (1920-05-16)
Completed	December 8, 2017; 7 years ago (2017-12-08)
Specifications
Capacity	10,000 (9,000: Great Upper Church; 1,000: Crypt Church)
Length	459 feet (140 m)
Width	240 feet (73 m)
Nave width	157 feet (48 m)
Height	329 feet (100 m)
Dome height (outer)	237 feet (72 m)
Dome height (inner)	159 feet (48 m)
Dome diameter (outer)	108 feet (33 m)
Dome diameter (inner)	89 feet (27 m)
Administration
Archdiocese	Archdiocese of Washington

The Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception is a very important Catholic church and national landmark in Washington D.C.. It's the biggest Catholic church in North America. It is also the tallest building in Washington, D.C. Building it started on September 23, 1920, using beautiful Byzantine and Romanesque styles.

This basilica is dedicated to the Blessed Virgin Mary. She is honored as the Immaculate Conception, a special title given by Pope Pius IX in 1847. In 1923, Pope Pius XI gave a mosaic picture of this image. The basilica serves as the main church for Catholics in the United States.

Pope John Paul II made the National Shrine a "Minor Basilica" in 1990. This is a special honor from the Pope. Later, Pope Benedict XVI gave a Golden Rose to the shrine in 2008. In 2015, Pope Francis visited and made Junípero Serra a saint there.

About the Basilica's Location
Amazing Architecture and Art
History of the Basilica
- How the Idea Started
- Building the Church (1900s)
Finishing Touches (2000s)
Images for kids
See also

About the Basilica's Location

The basilica is in Washington, D.C., near the Catholic University of America. The university actually gave the land for the church to be built. Even though it's a big church, it's not a regular parish church with its own local community. It's a national shrine for the whole country.

Many important church events for the United States are held here. The basilica is easy to reach by public transport. The Brookland–CUA station is only about 500 meters (550 yards) away.

Amazing Architecture and Art

The grand front of the basilica, showing its detailed design.

The basilica has 82 special chapels dedicated to Mary. These chapels show the different backgrounds of Catholic Americans. They also honor the religious groups who helped build the church.

Inside, the church has a Greek-style design. Many domes are covered in amazing mosaics. These mosaics are like the ones in the Basilica of St. Mark in Venice, Italy, but much larger. The art shows traditional Catholic images with an American touch. A famous artist named Jan Henryk De Rosen helped design much of the church's art. He created the large mosaic above the northern part of the church.

The outside of the basilica is huge! It is 140 meters (459 feet) long and 73 meters (240 feet) wide. The cross on top of the main dome reaches 72 meters (237 feet) high. The main dome, called the Trinity Dome, is almost as wide as the dome of the U.S. Capitol building.

The church was built like old medieval churches. It uses thick stone walls and columns instead of modern steel. It was designed to hold 10,000 people. It also has modern features like a cafeteria and a special heating system.

You can see beautiful arches with shiny Pewabic Pottery tiles. There are also large ceramic designs on the ceiling. In the Crypt Church, there are fourteen Stations of the Cross, which are artworks showing Jesus's journey to the cross.

History of the Basilica

How the Idea Started

In 1792, John Carroll, the first Catholic bishop in the United States, dedicated the country to the protection of the Blessed Virgin Mary. He chose her title of the Immaculate Conception. In 1846, Catholic leaders in the U.S. confirmed this choice. Pope Pius IX officially approved it in 1847.

Building the Church (1900s)

The resting place of Bishop Thomas Joseph Shahan, who first dreamed of building the Shrine.

Bishop Thomas Joseph Shahan had the idea to build a national church to honor the Immaculate Conception in Washington, D.C. He shared his idea with Pope Pius X in 1913. The Pope loved the idea and even gave money to start the project.

Bishop Shahan returned to the U.S. and convinced the Catholic University of America to donate land for the church. In 1914, he started a newsletter called Salve Regina. He wrote that the church would be "a monument of love and gratitude." People across the country started sending money.

Bishop Shahan oversaw the building until he passed away in 1932. He is the only person buried inside the basilica.

In 1919, the architects Maginnis & Walsh were chosen to design the church. They first thought about a traditional Gothic style. But Bishop Shahan chose a Byzantine and Romanesque design instead.

The groundbreaking ceremony was held on May 16, 1920. Many important people attended, including ambassadors and government officials. The first public Mass was held in the unfinished Crypt Church in 1924.

Building stopped in 1932 because of Bishop Shahan's death and the Great Depression. World War II caused more delays. Construction didn't start again until 1954.

After the war, American bishops decided to raise money to finish the Great Upper Church. Work began again in 1954. On November 20, 1959, the Great Upper Church was officially dedicated.

Since 1968, the Papal Tiara (a special crown) of Pope Paul VI has been on display in the Crypt Church. In 1990, Pope John Paul II gave the church the special title of "Minor Basilica." It was the 36th church in the United States to receive this honor.

Finishing Touches (2000s)

Inside view of the basilica's choir and sanctuary, showing its grand scale.

In 2006, a beautiful mosaic was finished on the Redemption Dome. Another dome, the Incarnation Dome, was blessed in 2007. A small chapel honoring Our Lady of La Vang (from Vietnam) was also completed in 2006.

In 2008, Pope Benedict XVI visited the basilica. He gave it a special gift called the Golden Rose.

In 2011, a new chapel for Our Lady of Lebanon was added. It honors the Maronite Church. This chapel has a mosaic of Saint Maroun and the Crucifixion.

In 2013, the basilica held a special Mass to honor two new American saints, Kateri Tekakwitha and Marianne Cope. Their special items (relics) were placed in the church.

Pope Francis visited the shrine on September 23, 2015. He celebrated a Mass to make Junípero Serra a saint. The altar used by the Pope is now in the Great Upper Church.

On February 20, 2016, the funeral Mass for US Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia was held at the basilica.

The very last part of the church's architecture was finished in 2017. This was the installation of the 24 tons of Venetian glass in the central Trinity Dome. It is one of the largest mosaics of its kind in the world. On December 8, 2017, the dome was officially dedicated.