Friday morning, I head down to the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary, also called the Baltimore Basilica. This was the first Roman Catholic cathedral built in the United States, and was the first major religious building constructed in the nation after the adoption of the U.S. Constitution. As a co-cathedral, it is one of the seats of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Baltimore in Baltimore, Maryland. It is considered the masterpiece of Benjamin Henry Latrobe (1764-1820), the Father of American Architecture. The Basilica was constructed between 1806 and 1821 to a design of Benjamin Henry Latrobe, Americas first professionally trained architect and Thomas Jeffersons Architect of the U.S. Capitol. It was built under the guidance of the first American bishop of the Roman Catholic Church, John Carroll (1735-1815). The Basilica was consecrated on May 31, 1821, by the third Archbishop of Baltimore, Ambrose Maréchal (1764-1828). In 1937, Pope Pius XI raised the Cathedral to the rank of a Minor Basilica. It should be a lot of fun!
Posted on: Wed, 27 Nov 2013 23:19:40 +0000
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