Baltimore Basilica

A Photo-Essay on America’s First Roman Catholic Cathedral

Baltimore Basilica is on Cathedral and Mulberry Streets in Downtown Baltimore.

Officially known as the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Baltimore Basilica was the first Roman Catholic Cathedral built in the United States. Designed in Neoclassical style by British-American architect Benjamin H. Latrobe (1764–1820), father of American architecture, its principal construction occurred during 1806–21. The edifice was initially blessed and opened in 1821, further consecrated in 1876, and elevated to Minor Basilica in 1937.

The principal facade, with onion-domed towers, as seen from the west across Cathedral Street. It features a Greek Portico, added in 1863, with projecting entablature and pediment supported by Ionic order columns.

Left: The interior of the Portico in detail, with the columns oriented in a double hexastyle pattern. Right: The southern facade, featuring the grand Dome that is externally a wooden double-shell.

Sexton’s Lodge, the Basilica Gift Shop, at the northwestern corner of the Basilica lot. The other red brick building behind it is the The Harry and Jeanette Weinberg Building of My Sister’s Place Women’s Center, part of Catholic Charities of Baltimore. The Center is Baltimore’s longest-serving women’s day shelter and resource center for women and children experiencing homelessness and poverty.

The Pope John Paul II Prayer Garden, in a separate, adjacent lot northeast of the Basilica. The Garden opened to the public on October 24, 2008, commemorating two visits by John Paul II, the first as Cardinal in 1976 and the second as Pope in 1995. The white, domed edifice in the background is the First Unitarian Church of Baltimore, the first edifice constructed for Unitarians in the United States.

With the Cathedral of Mary Our Queen, the Basilica serves as co-cathedral of the Archdiocese of Baltimore, which was created in 1789 and is the Premier See of the Roman Catholic Church in the United States. This distinction does not denote any status of primacy, but is a recognition of the socio-historical importance of the Archdiocese to Church development in the country. The Archdiocese is one of five American Dioceses that have two churches serving as cathedrals in the same city, the others being the Dioceses of Honolulu, Burlington, and Brooklyn, as well as the Archdiocese of Anchorage.

The Nave of the Sanctuary, which follows a Latin Cross layout. The Nave is segmented by massive columns and pendentives that support the grand Dome as well as the shallow domes and barrel vaults surrounding it.

A mural depicting the Assumption on the shallow dome of the lower, western ceiling of the Nave.

Confessionals along the southwestern wall of the Nave, with the Eighth (right) and Ninth (left) Stations of the Cross above them.

The grand Dome at the crossing of the Nave and Transept, featuring coffering with plaster rosettes and a crown with a sculpted Dove that represents the Holy Spirit.

Left: The northern Transept, featuring the Organ and a stone memorial to James Cardinal Gibbons (1834–1921), ninth Archbishop of Baltimore (1877–1921). Right: The southern Transept, featuring a stone memorial to Archbishop John Carroll (1735–1815), the first bishop and archbishop in the United States.

The edifice has hosted many events pivotal to Roman Catholic formation in the United States, including seven Provincial Councils and three Plenary Councils. The Third Plenary Council in 1884 was the largest gathering of Catholic Bishops outside of Rome since the Council of Trent (1545–63) and produced the Baltimore Catechism, which was used in American Catholic schools from 1885 until the late 1960s. Also arising out of these meetings was the founding of the Catholic University of America in 1887, a pontifical university that is the only institution of higher education founded by the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops.

The Chancel of the Basilica. The Papal Umbrella, or Conopaeum, at the right is one of two artifacts marking Basilica status.

Left: The Seat of the Archbishop at the northwestern corner of the Chancel. The incumbent Archbishop is The Most Reverend William E. Lori. The Papal Bell, or Tintinnabulum, at the left is the second artifact marking Basilica status. Right: The Pulpit at the southwestern corner of the Chancel. The incumbent Rector of the Basilica is Father James E. Boric.

The Main Altar.

The High Altar of Reservation and Tabernacle, flanked by Rafael’s Angels.

The Chancel as seen from the northeastern corner of the Sanctuary.

Left: The Altar of Our Lady on the northern side of the Chancel. Right: The Altar of St. Joseph on the southern side of the Chancel.

Left: The Altar of St. James the Less, Apostle, northeast of the Chancel. Right: The Altar of St. Michael the Archangel, southeast of the Chancel.

The Basilica underwent a $34 million dollar restoration that lasted 32 months and was completed in 2006, with an additional $3 million restoration occurring during 2011–2 in the aftermath of the East Coast earthquake. The earlier project saw original colors and designs restored, modern systems installed, and the gifting of the former stained glass windows to St. Louis parish in Clarksville. Furthermore, the Crypt was opened to the public and the new Chapel of Our Lady Seat of Wisdom was consecrated.

The northwestern stairs leading to the undercroft that houses the Crypt and Chapel, featuring a bust of Pope Pius IX (1792–1878), Pope during 1846–78.

The entry hallway of the undercroft, featuring the sculpture Christ the Man.

A wide perspective on the undercroft with the chairs of the Chapel in the distance.

Although Maryland’s Roman Catholic population today is ironically lower than the national average, the history of Roman Catholics in the Thirteen Colonies-cum-United States is primordially tied to Maryland. Initiated in 1632 by Catholic convert George Calvert, Maryland was formalized by his son Cecil Calvert as a relative safe haven for Catholics from England. The population of Maryland did eventually feature a higher proportion of Catholics compared to other Colonies, but they remained a minority that still faced persecution.

A wide perspective on the Chapel of Our Lady Seat of Wisdom, running from beneath the Nave-Transept crossing (foreground) to beneath the High Altar (background).

The Chapel as seen from the pew along its southern wall.

Left: The Chapel Tabernacle. Center: Our Lady of Fatima. Right: The Chapel Altar.

Waves of violence from Puritan factions during Maryland’s early years compelled the House of Delegates to pass the Maryland Toleration Act, also known as the Act Concerning Religion, in 1649 that granted religious freedom to all Trinitarian Christians. However, in 1650 Puritans revolted against the proprietary government, sweeping Catholics out of the legislature and beginning an eight-year period of anti-Catholic persecution. Most of Maryland’s subsequent colonial history saw the Catholic community face alternating periods of relative tolerance and violent suppression.

The Basilica Museum, an external structure attached to the undercroft, featuring numerous historical artifacts.

Left: The Chasuble worn by Pope John Paul II during his Papal visit to Baltimore on October 8, 1995. Center: The Mass Vessels of the Sixth Provincial Council during May 10–17, 1846. The Bishops of the United States presented them to Archbishop Samuel Eccleston, P.S.S., Council delegate. The large chalice with the lid, known as a Ciborium, was used by Pope John Paul II to celebrate Mass in Oriole Park at Camden Yards during his papal visit. Right: A Tabernacle first brought from England to Maryland by Father Andrew White, S.J., in 1634. It was used in the Chapel of Charles Carroll of Carrollton (1737–1832), member of the prominent Carroll clan and signer of the Declaration of Independence. Charles Carroll was the cousin of Archbishop John Carroll. Mrs. Emily McTavish (1793–1867), favorite granddaughter of Charles, presented the Tabernacle to the Sisters of Mercy in 1855.

As an emblem of Roman Catholic history in the United States, the Basilica serves as a vital reminder of the struggles for religious tolerance in the years before the adoption of the First Amendment. Even after the enshrining of religious liberty in the Constitution, the socio-political journeys of religious communities in the United States, including that of Catholics, have been defined by the self-awareness and vigilance necessary to ensure belonging and acceptance. In the realm of faith, the great challenge for any secular, pluralistic society is maintaining the balance between respecting the personal dimensions of religion while managing the communal passions that often arise from it.

A reverse perspective on the Nave of the Basilica.

These photos were taken on a single day exclusively utilizing a wide angle lens. The narrative and photos in this exposition capture only fractions of the history and artifacts on display, more of which can be viewed via the Basilica’s elaborate Virtual Tour.