Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception

National Shrine of the Basilica of the Immaculate Conception

Interior

The Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception ( German  National Shrine Basilica of the Immaculate Conception ) is a Roman Catholic pilgrimage site in the US capital Washington . Built in 1920-1961 Neo-Romanesque - neo-Byzantine dome - Basilica of the Immaculate Conception of the Virgin Mary as a saint dedicated to the United States. It is the largest Catholic church in North America and one of the ten largest churches worldwide and has the rank of a minor basilica and a national shrine .

history

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.

architecture

In contrast to the neo-Gothic Anglican national cathedral , Romanesque - Byzantine forms were chosen for the Marienbasilika . The main creator of the design was Charles Donagh Maginnis († 1955). St. Mark's Basilica in Venice can be seen as the strongest model, also for the 100 m high bell tower .

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.

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.

Individual evidence

1. ↑ Welcome
2. ↑ 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 )
3. ^ Upper Church Floor Plan
4. ^ Crypt Church Floor Plan
5. ↑ Sacred Art
6. ↑ More information about the basilica music and the organs on the website of the basilica

Web links

Commons : Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception  - collection of images, videos and audio files

• Online presence of the basilica

Coordinates: 38 ° 56 ′ 0.2 ″  N , 77 ° 0 ′ 2.3 ″  W.