The idea of a large national Marian shrine at the seat of government in the USA emerged around the middle of the 19th century. It took a century to develop the plans, raise funds and complete the construction and were interrupted by the Civil War , World War I , Great Depression, and World War II.
In 1913 Pope Pius X welcomed the project that had matured and donated a considerable amount for it, but the foundation stone was not laid until 1920, after the end of the war and the architecture had been completely redesigned . The crypt was completed in 1926 . In 1931 the work was interrupted. The construction of the large upper church began in the Marian year 1954. On November 20, 1959, the Marienbasilika was consecrated . Work is still ongoing on the interior and wall decorations.
Pope John Paul II visited the national shrine on October 7, 1979, Pope Benedict XVI. on April 16, 2008; he awarded the pilgrimage church the Golden Rose . Since the US military ordinariate (with the rank of archdiocese since 1986 ) is the only Roman Catholic diocese in the US that does not have its own cathedral, the national shrine is used for solemn occasions.
The basilica is 140 m long. The two wide-span bays of the nave are vaulted with flat domes in the central nave and subdivided with galleries in the side aisles . This is followed by the transept to the north. The main dome with a windowed tambour over the crossing has a diameter of 33 m. This is followed by a choir yoke and a three-conch choir as the north end . The upper and lower churches are surrounded by numerous chapels .
Furnishing
The main theme of the elaborate mosaics and sculptures is Maria as the mother of all immigrants and their countries of origin. In 70 chapels and niches, replicas of images of grace from all over the world are exhibited, including that of Altötting and Mariazell . In addition to Byzantine furnishings, the basilica contains the world's largest collection of contemporary sacred art.
Organs
South Gallery overlooks the organ
In the national shrine there are two large organs in the basilica itself and a small instrument in the crypt.
The organs in the basilica are on the back of the main nave (South Gallery Organ) and on the western singers' gallery in the crossing (West Chancel Organ). Both instruments were built from 1964 to 1965 by the organ builder MP Möller and were last restored in the years 2000 to 2001 by the organ builder Goulding & Wood. In the course of the restoration, the two back positives of the South Gallery Organ, which were in front of the other works facing the church, were included in the ensemble of the organ. Both instruments each have a four-manual general console, from which the other instrument can also be played. They have a total of 137 registers (9,393 pipes), plus 13 transmissions: the South Gallery Organ 102 registers on four manuals, Bombardewerk and pedal and the West Chancel Organ 48 registers on three manuals and pedal.
Numerous international organists gave concerts on the basilica organ; Particularly noteworthy is Olivier Messiaen , who premiered the play Méditations sur le Mystére de la Sainte Trinité in the basilica in 1972.
Disposition South Gallery Organ
Choir C – g 3
Quintaton
16 ′
Principal
8th'
Orchestral Flute
8th'
Gemshorn
8th'
Gemshorn Celeste
8th'
Fugara
4 ′
Chimney Flute
4 ′
Magic Flute
2 ′
Carillon III
2 ⁄ 3 ′
Bass clarinet
16 ′
Petite trumpet
8th'
Clairon
4 ′
Tremulant
Pont. Trumpet (BOM)
8th'
Bombarde C-g 3
diapason
8th'
Open flute
8th'
Octave Major
4 ′
Plein Jeu IV
2 ′
Harmonics IV
1'
Bombarde harm.
16 ′
Trumpet harm.
8th'
Clarion harm.
4 ′
Pontifical Trumpet
8th'
Tremulant
Great C – g 3
Contre violone
32 ′
Violone
16 ′
Principal
8th'
Chimney Flute
8th'
viola
8th'
Major fifth
5 1 ⁄ 3 ′
Octave
4 ′
Pointed flute
4 ′
Fifth
2 2 ⁄ 3 ′
Great Octave
2 ′
recorder
2 ′
Mixture IV
1 1 ⁄ 3 ′
Sharp IV
2 ⁄ 3 ′
bassoon
16 ′
Trumpet
8th'
Clarion
4 ′
Pont. Trumpet (BOM)
8th'
Swell C-g 3
Contre Viole
16 ′
Principal
8th'
Covered
8th'
Viole
8th'
Viole Celeste
8th'
Octave
4 ′
Traverse Flute
4 ′
Twelfth
2 2 ⁄ 3 ′
Flageolet
2 ′
Seventeenth
1 3 ⁄ 5 ′
Plein Jeu III-IV
2 ′
Cymbals III
1 ⁄ 2 ′
Contre Hautbois
16 ′
Trumpets
8th'
Hautbois
8th'
Voix Humaine
8th'
Clairon
4 ′
Tremulant
Right positive C-g 3
Covered while singing
16 ′
Wood-covered
8th'
Principal
4 ′
Hollow flute
4 ′
recorder
2 ′
Sif flute
1'
Mixture IV
2 ⁄ 3 ′
Cromorne
8th'
Tremulant
Left positive C – g 3
Violins
16 ′
Principal
8th'
Reed flute
8th'
Principal
4 ′
Coupling flute
4 ′
Pipe nasat
2 2 ⁄ 3 ′
Octave
2 ′
Playing flute
2 ′
Third flute
1 3 ⁄ 5 ′
Fifth flute
1 1 ⁄ 3 ′
Mixture IV
1 1 ⁄ 3 ′
Tremulant
Pedal C – g 1
Gravissima
64 ′
Contre violone
32 ′
Contre Bourdon
32 ′
Principal
16 ′
Bourdon
16 ′
Violone (GT)
16 ′
Gemshorn
16 ′
Violone (b / w)
16 ′
Contrebasse
16 ′
Quintaton (CH)
16 ′
Major fifth
10 2 ⁄ 3 ′
Octave
8th'
Stopped Flute
8th'
Viole (GT)
8th'
Choral bass
4 ′
Open flute
4 ′
Hollow flute
2 ′
Mixture IV
4 ′
Acuta III
1 1 ⁄ 3 ′
Contre Bombarde
32 ′
Bombard
16 ′
Basson (SW)
16 ′
Bassoon (GT)
16 ′
Trumpet
8th'
Clairon
4 ′
Rohrschalmei
4 ′
Disposition West Chancel Organ
Choir C – g 3
Dolcan
16 ′
Spitzprincipal
8th'
Reed flute
8th'
Dolcan
8th'
Dolcan Celeste
8th'
Octave
4 ′
recorder
4 ′
Nazard
2 2 ⁄ 3 ′
Principal
2 ′
Tierce
1 3 ⁄ 5 ′
Fittings III
1'
Corno di Bassetto
8th'
Tremulant
Great C – g 3
Bourdon
16 ′
Principal
8th'
Bourdon
8th'
Octave
4 ′
Flute a Fuseau
4 ′
Flute a Bec
2 ′
Mixture IV
1 1 ⁄ 3 ′
Trumpet
8th'
Swell C-g 3
Covered
16 ′
Principal
8th'
Covered
8th'
Viole
8th'
Viole Celeste
8th'
Octave
4 ′
Harmonic flute
4 ′
Gemshorn
2 ′
Plein Jeu III-IV
2 ′
Contre Hautbois
16 ′
Trumpets
8th'
Hautbois
8th'
Clairon
4 ′
Tremulant
Pedal C – g 1
Contre Bourdon
32 ′
Soubasse
16 ′
Bourdon (SW)
16 ′
Covered (SW)
16 ′
Viole (GT)
16 ′
Dolcan (CH)
16 ′
Octave
8th'
Stopped Flute
8th'
Choral bass
4 ′
Open flute
4 ′
Intoxicating fifth II
2 2 ⁄ 3 ′
Mixture II
1 1 ⁄ 3 ′
Bombard
16 ′
Basson (SW)
16 ′
Bombard
8th'
Chalumau
4 ′
In the crypt there is a small, two-manual organ , which was built in 1987 by the organ builder Schudi. The baroque instrument is based on Silbermann organs. It has 23 registers (1,355 pipes) on two manuals and a pedal. The playing and stop actions are mechanical.
↑ John Paul II said among other things: “This Shrine speaks to us with the voice of all America, with the voice of all the sons and daughters of America, who have come here from the various countries of the Old World. When they came, they brought with them in their hearts the same love for the Mother of God that was characteristic of their ancestors and of themselves in their native lands. These people, speaking different languages, coming from different backgrounds of history and traditions in their own countries, came together around the heart of a mother they all had in common. While their faith in Christ made all of them aware of being one People of God, this awareness became all the more vivid through the presence of the Mother in the work of Christ and the Church. ” ( Historic Highlights )