The Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception | Washington D.C

Описание: Channel Discord Server :   / discord  

"History"
The Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception is a large Catholic minor basilica and national shrine located in Washington, D.C., United States, on 400 Michigan Ave NE, Washington, DC 20017, adjacent to the Catholic University of America.

Its construction of Byzantine Revival and Romanesque Revival architecture began on September 23, 1920, with renowned contractor John McShain and was completed on December 8, 2017, with the dedication and solemn blessing of the Trinity Dome mosaic.

Pope Pius XI donated a mosaic rendition of the image in 1923. The shrine has merited several papal visits, namely the following:

Pope John Paul II raised the National Shrine to the status of Minor Basilica on October 12, 1990.
Pope Benedict XVI bestowed a Golden Rose on April 16, 2008.
Pope Francis canonized Saint Junípero Serra, O.F.M., on September 23, 2015.
The basilica does not have its own parish community, but serves the adjacent Catholic University of America, the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, and hosts numerous Masses for various organizations of the Church from across the United States. The basilica is not the cathedral church of the Archdiocese of Washington, as that title and honor belongs to the Cathedral of St. Matthew the Apostle.

The shrine's rector is the Reverend Monsignor Walter R. Rossi.

The basilica houses 81 Marian chapels (including the Our Mother of Africa Chapel), as well as other sacred images, flanking the sides of the Great Upper Church and the Crypt Church.

Its Greek-styled interior is crowned with numerous domes decorated in mosaics, similar to the Basilica of St. Mark in Venice, Italy, but much larger. The mosaics feature American renditions of traditional Catholic images. Artist Jan Henryk De Rosen, who presided over the shrine's iconography committee was also responsible for much of its decor, including composing the large mosaic over the northern apse.

The exterior of the basilica is 459 ft (140 m) long, 240 ft (73 m) wide, and 237 ft (72 m) tall to the top of the cross on the dome. The exterior area of the basilica is 19,166 square metres (206,300 sq ft).