“This liturgical celebration of the Basilica of
St. Mary - the first basilica in Northern Virginia and 84th in the
United States, is joyful and significant for the family of the Church.-Fr. Edward C. Hathaway, Rector
FOR
IMMEDIATE RELEASE
September
5, 2018
ARLINGTON, Va. – In December of 2017, the
Holy See issued a decree granting Saint Mary Catholic Church in Alexandria the
title ‘minor basilica,’ making it the first basilica in Northern Virginia, the
first in the Catholic Diocese of Arlington and the 84th in the
United States. On September 8, during Mass, the Basilica of Saint Mary will receive historic symbols of
the Holy See: the 0mbrellino (umbrella) and tintinnabulum (bell). Most Reverend Michael F. Burbidge,
Bishop of Arlington, will be the main celebrant.
Because the Virgin Mary
is patroness of the parish, the celebration is taking place on her feast of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary feast day, September 8.
Here
are the details of the Mass.
When: Saturday,
September 8, 10a.m.
Where: Basilica of Saint Mary, 310 S. Royal Street, Alexandria
“This liturgical celebration for the
Basilica of St. Mary, the first basilica in Northern Virginia and 84th in the
United States, is joyful and significant for the family of the Church. It should
be celebrated with a certain solemnity, but also with joy and festivity, as a
family celebrates its significant events. Honors, graduations, anniversaries
and other important milestones are an important part of the story of life.”
says Fr. Edward C. Hathaway, rector of the Basilica of
Saint Mary.
Historic
symbols
Only after a church is
designated by the Holy See as a minor basilica can it be outfitted with the
ombrellino (umbrella), a canopy of gold and red silk; and the tintinnabulum, a bell mounted on a pole which is used when a pope visits a
basilica.
The ombrellino
that will be presented during the Mass at the Basilica is hand-embroidered and
has eight scalloped edges. Each scalloped edge has a significant date or
symbol: December 6, 2017 (the date the
Basilica was named); 1795 (the year the parish was founded); the coat of arms
of the Diocese of Arlington; the coat of arms of the Archdiocese of Baltimore
(the diocese under which the Basilica was established in 1795); the coat of
arms of the Holy Father, and the coat of arms of Pope Pius VI (he was pope when
the church was founded in 1795); Bishop
Burbidge’s coat of arms; the Basilica’s crest
History of the
Basilica of Saint Mary
Founded
in 1795, the Basilica of Saint Mary is the oldest Catholic parish in the
Commonwealth of Virginia and State of West Virginia, which were one state until
1863. George Washington made the first financial contribution to the parish
in the late 1700s, equivalent to $1,200 today. A chapel was built at the south end
of Alexandra in 1795. In 1810, the parish moved to its present location in the
heart of the city on South Royal Street.
Today,
the Basilica of Saint Mary continues to be a vibrant and lively parish
community with 50 apostolate groups, 400 parishioners regularly volunteering
throughout the community, 18 lay staff members and 3 full-time priests. In
2020, the Basilica of Saint Mary will celebrate 225 years of parish life. The
Basilica of Saint Mary School (K-8) had a record enrollment of 712 students for
this academic year (2017-2018), and will also celebrate a historic 150th
anniversary in 2019.
The Basilica of
Saint Mary has 7,142 registered parishioners, and 2,692
families.
More information about the basilica will
be posted online at stmaryoldtown.org, catholicherald.com, Twitter and Facebook.
Follow @arlingtonchurch and @stmaryoldtown online to join the digital
conversation.
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