The Basilica of Saint Mary is a Catholic minor basilica and co-cathedral located on Hennepin Avenue between 16th and 17th Streets in downtown Minneapolis, Minnesota, in the United States.

Dedicated in 1913, Saint Mary became the first American basilica when Pope Pius XI raised it to the status in 1926. The Basilica of Saint Mary is the co-cathedral for the Archdiocese of Saint Paul and Minneapolis.

History

Church of the Immaculate Conception

The predecessor to the Basilica of Saint Mary was the Church of the Immaculate Conception. It was dedicated in 1871 on 3rd Street and 3rd Avenue North in Minneapolis. At that time, Minneapolis was part of the Diocese of Saint Paul and the cathedral for the diocese was the third Cathedral of Saint Paul in St. Paul. Ireland decided to award the design contract for St. Mary's to the Franco-American architect Emmanuel Louis Masqueray, who was also designing the new Cathedral of Saint Paul. Masqueray decided to use a Beaux-Arts style for the pro-cathedral.

The groundbreaking for the Pro-Cathedral of Saint Mary was held on August 7, 1907, with foundation construction continuing through May 1908. The cornerstone for the new pro-cathedral was laid on May 31, 1908; the ceremony included 30,000 participants, 20 bishops, 300 priests and seminarians from the Saint Paul Seminary, and 500 cadets from the College of Saint Thomas in St. Paul. </blockquote>

Pro-Cathedral of Saint Mary

The Pro-Cathedral of Saint Mary held its first mass on May 31, 1914. However, the interior decoration, windows, and plaster work were delayed due to the American entry into World War I in 1917.In 1941, the basilica was formally consecrated by Archbishop Dennis Dougherty of Philadelphia as part of the Ninth National Eucharistic Congress in Minneapolis and St Paul.

Basilica Co-Cathedral of Saint Mary

Pope Paul VI changed the Archdiocese of Saint Paul to the Archdiocese of Saint Paul and Minneapolis in 1966. At this point, the Basilica of Saint Mary officially became the Basilica Co-Cathedral of Saint Mary.

The basilica was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1975.

In 2020, the basilica received minor fire damage during the protests over the murder in Minneapolis of George Floyd that year. Two pews were splashed with flammable liquid and set on fire.The archdiocese in April 2026 began a $45 million restoration of the main worship area of the basilica that would limit its use for the next 12 months. The plan included the replastering of walls, the restoration of all the pews and the cleaning of bricks and stained glass windows.

Basilica exterior

thumb|Basilica of Saint Mary (2021)

The foundation of the basilica is composed of Rockville granite. The walls are built of white Vermont granite, with a height of from the floor to the eave-line. The main entrance is a colonnaded portico with two spires on each side.

Basilica interior

thumb|Domed ceiling above the altar (2016)

The nave of the basilica is lighted by five large arched stained glass windows. It has a barrel vault that is high, exceeding St. Peter's Basilica in Rome by . The marble altar is located underneath a marble-columned baldacchino.

Our Lady of Lavang Shrine

The Our Lady of Lavang Shrine honors the vision of the Virgin Mary in 1798 to a group of Catholics one night in the Kingdom of Nguyễn Quang Toản (present-day Vietnam). The group was in hiding after facing persecution from the king. The shrine contains a marble statue of Our Lady of Lavang that was carved by a sculptor in Vietnam.

Our Lady of the Immaculate Conception Shrine

This shrine contains a statue of Our Lady of the Immaculate Conception that was created in 1879 for the church of the same name. The diocese moved it to the basilica in 1913.

Shrine of Saint Anne, Mother of Mary

This shrine contains a statue of Anne with her seated daughter, the Virgin Mary.

Shrine of Saint Anthony

The Shrine of Saint Anthony contains a statue of Anthony of Padua, a Portuguese sainted priest of the 13th century who is a doctor of the church.

Shrine of Saint Joseph

This shrine contains a statue of Joseph, the husband of the Virgin Mary. He holds a flowering staff, in recognition of the story of his turning a dead branch into a flowering live one.

Shrine of Saint Thérèse of Lisieux

This shrine displays a statue of Thérèse of Lisieux, a 19th century French nun who is a doctor of the church.

Music

Choirs

The Basilica Cathedral Choir, a 90-voice auditioned, volunteer choir, provides choral music on Sunday mass and on the Holy Days of Obligation. The choir repertoire spans multiple genres and time periods. The Schola Cantorum, a 12-voice professional choir, sings for vespers, confirmations, and special services.

Wicks pipe organ

The basilica pipe organ, Wicks Opus No. 3047, was installed in 1949 and dedicated in 1950. It was constructed by the Wicks Organ Company of Highland, Illinois. The instrument includes several stops that were scaled and designed by Henry Vincent Willis IV of England. The pipe organ underwent a complete renovation in 2008, including the addition of a new relay and console. The pipe now consists of 82 ranks on four manuals and pedal. The en-chamade herald trumpet is actually tuba-scale; it is modeled after the English town hall Willis tubas. Voiced on 25" wind, it is the most commanding such stop in the Upper Midwest.

Since 1996, the basilica has hosted a variety of artists and musical ensembles through its artist-in-residence program. , the following musical entities were in residence:

  • Director of Music Teri Larson
  • Composer Donald Krusback
  • The Basilica Brass Ensemble
  • The Minnesota Sinfonia
  • The Rose Ensemble
  • The Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra

Basilica Block Party

From 1995 to 2020, the basilica served as the venue for the annual Basilica Block Party music festival. The event raises money toward the ongoing restoration of the basilica.The party was paused in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, then came back in 2021. After another hiatus of two years, the party was moved in 2024 to Boom Island Park in Minneapolis. It was paused again in 2025.

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File:St. Mary's groundbreaking.jpg|John Ireland speaking at the groundbreaking ceremony (1907)

File:St. Mary's Basilica under construction.jpg|St. Mary's Basilica under construction (1911)

File:Front Entrance to the Basilica of Saint Mary.jpg|Front entrance (2018)

File:Baldachin, St. Mary's Basilica, Minneapolis 2017-07-11 - 2.jpg|Statue of Virgin Mary on baldachin (2017)

File:Stained glass window with basilica arms, St. Mary's Basilica, Minneapolis 2017-07-11.jpg|Basilica coat of arms in stained glass (2017)

File:Minneapolis Basillica Choir Perch.jpg|Choir pews located behind altar (2016)

File:Minneapolis-Basilica of Saint Mary-windows.jpg|Stained glass windows (2006)

File:Umbraculum of St. Mary's Basilica, Minneapolis 2017-07-11.jpg|Umbraculum, basilica exterior (2017)

</gallery>

See also

  • List of Catholic cathedrals in the United States
  • List of cathedrals in the United States

References

  • Official Basilica Site
  • Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Saint Paul and Minneapolis Official Site
  • History of the Basilica
  • Basilica of St Mary, Minneapolis at "MNopedia", Minnesota Historical Society by R.L. Cartwright, 2012 (CC-By-SA).
  • Basilica Block Party
  • Basilica of Saint Mary Digital Collection, Minnesota Reflections