Photo of the newly renovated Exterior of the Basilica taken after the first Mass celebrated in there on October 29, 2006.

The Basilica of the National Shrine of the Assumption of the Virgin Mary, also called the Baltimore Basilica, was the first Roman Catholic Cathedral built in the United States, and was the first major religious building constructed in the nation after the adoption of the U.S. Constitution. As a co-cathedral, it is one of the seats of the Premier See, the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Baltimore in Baltimore, Maryland. Image File history File linksMetadata Download high-resolution version (2560x1920, 2995 KB) Exterior of the newly renovated Basilica of the National Shrine of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary taken by Clark Miller October 29, 2006 File links The following pages on the English Wikipedia link to this file... Image File history File linksMetadata Download high-resolution version (2560x1920, 2995 KB) Exterior of the newly renovated Basilica of the National Shrine of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary taken by Clark Miller October 29, 2006 File links The following pages on the English Wikipedia link to this file... The Roman Catholic Church, most often spoken of simply as the Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with over one billion members. ... A cathedral is a Christian church building, specifically of a denomination with an episcopal hierarchy, such as the Anglican, Catholic and some Lutheran churches, which serves as the central church of a diocese, and thus as a bishops seat. ... The United States Constitution is the supreme law of the United States of America. ... A co-cathedral is a cathedral church which shares the honor of being a bishops seat, or cathedra, with another cathedral. ... The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Baltimore is a particular church of the Roman Catholic Church in the United States. ... Nickname: Monument City, Charm City, Mob Town, B-more, Balmerr,Bodymore, Murderland Motto: The Greatest City in America (formerly The City That Reads; Get In On It is not the citys motto, but rather the advertising slogan of the Baltimore Area Convention and Visitors Association; BELIEVE is not the...

The Basilica was constructed (1806-1821) to a design of Benjamin Henry Latrobe — America's first professionally trained architect^[1] and Thomas Jefferson's Architect of the U.S. Capitol — under the guidance of America's first Bishop, John Carroll. The Basilica was later consecrated on May 31, 1821 by the third Archbishop of Baltimore, Ambrose Maréchal. Benjamin Henry Latrobe (May 1, 1764 - September 3, 1820) was an architect best known for his design of the United States Capitol. ... This article is becoming very long. ... United States Capitol The Architect of the Capitol is responsible to the United States Congress for the maintenance, operation, development, and preservation of the United States Capitol Complex, which includes the Capitol, the congressional office buildings, the Library of Congress buildings, the United States Supreme Court building, the United States... John Carroll (January 8, 1735 – December 3, 1815) was a priest of the Catholic Society of Jesus. ... Most Reverend Ambrose Maréchal, S.S. (August 28, 1764 - January 29, 1828) was the third Archbishop of Baltimore, Maryland, Maryland. ...

Pope Pius XI raised the Cathedral to the rank of a Minor Basilica in 1937. In 1972, it was declared a National Historic Landmark and is therefore listed on the National Register of Historic Places. In 1993, the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops designated the Basilica a National Shrine. Pope Pius XI (Latin: ) (May 31, 1857 – February 10, 1939), born Ambrogio Damiano Achille Ratti, reigned as Pope from February 6, 1922 and sovereign of Vatican City from 1929 until his death on February 10, 1939. ... The Basilica of St. ... USS Constitution. ... A typical plaque showing entry on the National Register of Historic Places. ... The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (also known as the USCCB) is the official governing body of the Roman Catholic Church in the United States. ...

Historical & Ecclesiastical Significance

Many famous events have occurred within its walls, including the funeral Mass of Charles Carroll of Carrollton, the only Catholic signer of the Declaration of Independence. Most of the first bishops of the American Church were consecrated here to fill the ever multiplying dioceses necessitated by the great waves of immigration and nation building that were emblematic of the 19th century US. Seven Provincial Councils and Three Plenary Councils were held here in the 19th century, assuring the Roman Catholic Church would remain of one mind and heart despite is ever-growing and widely scattered flock. These Councils set the course for the Catholic Church in America through the 19th century by establishing the Catholic School System; founding the Catholic University of North America; and calling for the evangelization of African and Native Americans. The Third Plenary Council, which was the largest meeting of Catholic Bishops held outside Rome since the Council of Trent, commissioned the famous Baltimore Catechism. Charles Carroll Charles Carroll of Carrollton (September 19, 1737–November 14, 1832) was a lawyer and politician from Maryland who was a delegate to the Continental Congress and later a United States Senator. ... A declaration of independence is a proclamation of the independence of an aspiring state or states. ... The Third Plenary Council of Baltimore (1884) The Plenary Councils of Baltimore refer to three national meetings of Roman Catholic bishops in the 19th century in Baltimore, Maryland. ... The Roman Catholic Church or Catholic Church (see terminology below) is the Christian Church in full communion with the Bishop of Rome, currently Pope Benedict XVI. It traces its origins to the original Christian community founded by Jesus of Nazareth, with its traditions first established by the Twelve Apostles and... Nickname: The Eternal City Motto: SPQR: Senatus PopulusQue Romanus Location of the city of Rome (yellow) within the Province of Rome (red) and region of Lazio (grey) Coordinates: Region Lazio Province Province of Rome Founded 21 April 753 BC Mayor Walter Veltroni Area    - City 1,285 km²  (580 sq mi... The Council of Trent is the Nineteenth Ecumenical Council of the Roman Catholic Church. ... A Catechism of Christian Doctrine, Prepared and Enjoined by Order of the Third Council of Baltimore (or, simply, the Baltimore Catechism) was the de facto standard Catholic school text in the United States from 1885 to the 1960s. ...

Until recent years, more priests were ordained here than in any other church in the United States.

The Basilica has welcomed millions of visitors in her 200 years, including Pope John Paul II in 1995, Blessed Mother Teresa of Calcutta in 1996, and Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew I of Constantinople in 1997. Many holy individuals are associated with the Basilica, including Mother Mary Lange, Founder of the Oblate Sisters of Providence, the first order for Catholic nuns of African-American descent; Father Michael J. McGivney, Founder of the Knights of Columbus, who was ordained at the Basilica in 1877 by Archbishop James Gibbons; St. John Neumann, who is credited with founding America's Catholic School System; as well as visits from 15 other saints or potential saints. Coat of Arms of Pope John Paul II. The Letter M is for Mary, the mother of Jesus, to whom he held strong devotion Pope John Paul II (Latin: ), (Italian: Giovanni Paolo II), born   (May 18, 1920, Wadowice, Poland – April 2, 2005, Vatican City) reigned as Pope of the Roman... Mother Teresa in 1985 Mother Teresa (born Agnes Gonxha Bojaxhiu) (August 26, 1910 – September 5, 1997), Bharat Ratna, OM, was an Albanian Roman Catholic nun who founded the Missionaries of Charity in India. ... Patriarch Bartholomew I His All Holiness Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew is the 270th successor to the Apostle Andrew and spiritual leader of 300 million Orthodox Christians worldwide. ... Servant of God Mother Mary Elizabeth Lange, was the foundress of the Oblate Sisters of Providence. ... The Oblate Sisters of Providence, a religious institute of pontifical right, was founded in 1829 by Elizabeth Clarissa Lange, a refugee from what is now known as Haiti. ... Categories: Stub | 1852 births | 1890 deaths | Roman Catholic priests ... The Knights of Columbus is the worlds largest Catholic family, fraternal, service organization and is named in honor of Christopher Columbus. ... James Cardinal Gibbons (July 23, 1834 - March 24, 1921) was the Roman Catholic Archbishop of Baltimore from 1877 until his death, and in 1886 became the second man from the United States to be made a Cardinal. ... Saint John Nepomucene Neumann, Johannes Nepomuk Neumann, or Jan Nepomuk Neumann (properly pronounced Noi-man as opposed to New-man) (March 28, 1811 – January 5, 1860) was the first American bishop to be canonized. ...

21st Century Restoration

Photo of the newly renovated Nave taken after the first Mass celebrated in the Basilica on October 29, 2006. Photographer: Clark Miller, 2006.

A major restoration project has just been completed at the Basilica; the 14th since its opening. It was closed to the public between November of 2004 through November of 2006, reopening in time for the Basilica's Bicentennial and the biannual meeting of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, which was held in Baltimore to mark the occasion.^[2] Image File history File linksMetadata Download high-resolution version (2560x1920, 2670 KB) Nave of the recently renovated Basilica of the National Shrine of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary in Baltimore, MD. Taken by Clark Miller after the first mass celebrated there October 29, 2006. ... Image File history File linksMetadata Download high-resolution version (2560x1920, 2670 KB) Nave of the recently renovated Basilica of the National Shrine of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary in Baltimore, MD. Taken by Clark Miller after the first mass celebrated there October 29, 2006. ... The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (also known as the USCCB) is the official governing body of the Roman Catholic Church in the United States. ...

While the Basilica of the Assumption is recognized as one of America's most historic churches, because of the great costs and amount of time associated with a major renovation the building's infrastructure has largely been ignored over the past half century. The recent Basilica restoration included a total incorporation of modern systems throughout the building while also restoring the interior to Latrobe's original design. This includes, among many other things, reopening the 24 skylights in the main dome, and replacing the dark stained glass (which was installed in the 1940's) with clear windows, as well as using light colored marble and paint to optimize the amount of natural light. St. ...

Cardinal William Keeler, Archbishop of Baltimore and one of the many champions of the restoration project has promised to complete the restoration without dipping into the coffers of the Archdiocese, but instead using private funds donated for the sole purpose of the restoration. William Henry Cardinal Keeler (born March 4, 1931) has been the Roman Catholic Archbishop of Baltimore since 1989 and a Cardinal since 1994. ...

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