The ceremony presided over by Cardinal Donald Wuerl, the archbishop of Washington and the director of the Board of Trustees of the Shrine, symbolically marked the completion of the largest Catholic Church in America, construction of which begun in 1920.

Nearly a century in the making, the National Shrine was fittingly completed on the patronal feast of the American Catholic Church, the Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception.

The "Trinity Dome," as it is called, is the central and largest dome of the basilica.

Now, only two years away from the centenary year commemorating the founding of this glorious basilica, pilgrims can behold with awe, 180 feet in the air, the amazing site of the completed mosaic on its interior.

Made in Italy, the mosaic consists of 14 million tesserae (pieces of Venetian glass) across 18,000 square feet, making it one of the largest mosaics of its kind in the world.

It depicts the Most Holy Trinity, the Blessed Virgin Mary as the Immaculate Conception, and a procession of saints associated with the United States and the National Shrine.

In 1789, the same year that George Washington was inaugurated the first president of the United States, the Catholic hierarchy was established in this country.

The first diocese in the American missionary territory was erected in Baltimore on November 6, 1789 with John Carroll as its first bishop.

Seeking aid from heaven to assist the fledgling mission territory entrusted to his pastoral care, Bishop Carroll consecrated the United States to the Blessed Virgin Mary under the title of the Immaculate Conception, making her the patroness of the new country.

As years passed, the Catholics of America yearned for a visible sign of their nation's consecration to Our Lady, the Immaculate Conception.

In 1846, an excerpt from a Massachusetts newspaper told of "a magnificent Catholic church [to] be built at Washington, DC after the manner of the great cathedrals of the Old World from subscriptions of every Catholic parish in America."

From this initial desire, American Catholics worked to build a National Shrine through the late-19th, into the 20th and now the 21st century. Continue reading

Sources

• The Catholic World Report article by Father Seán Connolly, a priest of the Archdiocese of New York.
• Image: The Catholic Sun

Last Sunday he was the celebrant and homilist of the 10:30 a.m. English Mass which is one of the National Shrine's six Sunday services.

The Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception is situated on the campus of the Catholic University of America in Washington, D.C.

The Mass was well attended by hundreds of regular worshippers, pilgrims, and tourists from all over the world including about 50 Samoans.

It was a special treat for Washington's small Samoan Catholic community to witness a Samoan bishop lead a service at the main Catholic Church in the nation's capital.

Johnny Toma, a leader of the Samoan Catholic community in Washington, said that they were concerned that the Archbishop could have trouble ascending the steps of the high altar especially the pulpit which is perched several feet above the altar but everything went smoothly.

The Archbishop took his time.

On the previous evening representatives from the Samoan community of Washington hosted a potluck dinner and reception in honour of the Archbishop.

The potluck was held at Malolo Bed and Breakfast, a local establishment in Washington co-owned by Samoan businessman, David Alaga.

The Archbishop spoke about his admiration of the faith of the people in America.

There are six Samoan Catholic families who meet together in Washington.

Even though they attend Mass at different parishes, they've expressed an interest in establishing their own chaplaincy within the Archdiocese of Washington.

That would give them the opportunity to celebrate their own Mass in the Samoan language by a Samoan priest.

Source

• talamua.com
• Image: talamua.com