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The
Basilica of St. Mary {1932}
The Basilica of St. Mary
of
Minneapolis, Minnesota, enjoys the distinction of being the
first church in the United States to be raised to the dignity of a
Minor Basilica by the Holy See. The honor was conferred by
Pontifical Brief dated
February 1, 1926, and signed by Cardinal
ti
Gasparri, Secretary of State to His Holiness, Pope Pius XI, now gloriously
reigning. The original occupies a prominent place in the sacristy
of the church, and a translation is herewith appended.
PIUS
XI, POPE AND BISHOP
FOR LASTING REMEMBRANCE OF THF EVENT:
Conspicuous
in the City of
Minneapolis, within the territory of the
Archdiocese of St. Paul, stands the church dedicated to St. Mary, right
noble in its structure and specimens of art, the building whereof, as
well as of a Catholic school for boys and girls erected at considerable
expense, was undertaken and completed by the late lamented John
Ireland, Archbishop of St.
Paul,
a prelate most worthy of remembrance and renown. This Church of
St. Mary is rightly and deservedly reckoned among the leading churches
of the Archdiocese of St. Paul.
Whereas, Our Beloved Son, James
M. Reardon, its present
Rector, has made humble request of Us that 'We vouchsafe to raise the
sacred edifice in question to the dignity of a Minor Basilica, thereby
superseding its present title of Pro-Cathedral, We, of Our full
knowledge that the aforesaid church is wholly worthy of this
distinction, both by reason of the piety of its worshippers as well as
by the splendor of its ritual and the richness of its adornment, have
deemed it well to accede to the wishes expressed in this regard.
And We are further moved thereto by the crowning approval and high
recommendation of Our Venerable Brother, Austin
Dowling, Archbishop of St. Paul,
Minnesota, as well as of Our Beloved Son, Donatus
Sbarretti, Cardinal Priest of
the Holy Roman Church.
Wherefore, having given the matter most careful and serious
consideration along with Our Venerable Brother, Anthony
Cardinal Vico, Bishop
of Porto and San
Rufina and Prefect of
the Sacred Congregation
of Rites, We, of Our own proper motion, after sure knowledge
and
mature deliberation and from the fullness of Our Apostolic power do, by
tenor of these presents, raise to the singular title and
dignity of a
Minor
Basilica
St. Mary's Church in the City of Minneapolis and Archdiocese of St.
Paul, Minnesota, hereby superseding the title of Pro-Cathedral hitherto
in current use; and We grant unto it all the privileges and tokens of
honor which pertain to Minor Basilicas as of right.{Page
92}
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This, then, is
Our behest and decree, that these presents be and continue to be always
sound, valid and effective; that they obtain and maintain their effect
whole and entire; that they be, both now and hereafter, ample
authorization for those whom they concern or shall concern; that thus
it must be duly judged and defined; and that if aught else over and
above these presents should happen to be attempted by any person or by
any authority whatsoever, whether knowingly or unknowingly, the same
shall be null and void everything to the contrary notwithstanding.
Given at Rome, at St. Peter's, under the Fisherman's Seal, on the first
day of February in the year 1926, being the fourth of Our Pontificate.
P.
Cardinal Gasparri,
Secretary of State.
Origin and Development
of
Basilicas
The name, Basilica, applied to a
church is new in America and it may not be uninteresting to explain its
significance, trace its history, and specify the privileges it connotes.
In pre-Christian times buildings
erected in the form of pillared halls were used for public assemblies
and for the administration of justice. They were called
Basilicas, or "kingly" halls. The usual plan was an oblong
rectangle with a broad central nave separated from side aisles, or
ambulatories, by rows of columns. The walls of the nave rested on
these columns and were carried up above the roofs of the side aisles to
form a clerestory pierced with windows to admit light to the
building. At one end of the structure was the entrance
consisting, usually, of several doors under a portico, and at the other
a semi-circular vaulted niche, or apse, separated from the main
building by a screen of columns or a low balustrade, and occupied by
the tribune of the judge, and an altar for sacrifice to be offered
before the transaction of business.
Many buildings of this
architectural type graced the Roman Forum in the second century before
Christ; and when the religious persecutions of the first three
centuries ceased under the Emperor Constantine, they were either
transformed into {Page 95} Christian
churches or served
as models for such edifices. |
They were not unsuited to
that purpose. The semi-circular niche was readily converted into
a sanctuary, and the high altar, usually covered with a baldachin,
occupied the place of the raised platform of the judge. Transepts
were often added between the apse and the nave for practical purposes
and on account of their symbolism, giving the whole a cruciform
appearance. Under the altar was the confession or shrine, of the
titular saint or martyr.
The dedication of these
Basilicas to the
worship of the true God present in the tabernacle gave them a new
significance as the audience-chamber of the King of Kings, and the use
of the word, Basilica, as a name for a Christian Church became quite
general. It was natural that in time these kingly churches should
take on rich ornamentation, usually in mosaic and gold. While the
exterior of the Basilica was extremely plain, the interior.was
resplendent with glass mosaic on a blue or golden background.
Especially rich were the half-dome of the apse and the wall space
surrounding its arch and called the triumphal arch. Next in
dewrative importance came the broad band of wall beneath the clerestory
windows. In the fifth century square towers came into vogue and
modifications of the general plan added to the number of naves.
From the time of Constantine the name,
Basilica, was used in the writings of the Fathers of the Church and in
official documents to signify the Christian Church. "Once," says
St. Isidore, "they called the Basilica the dwelling-place of the kings,
but now the churches of the Lord are so named, because therein to the
King of Kings, to God Himself, are offered up adoration and sacrifice."
The exterior of a Basilica is usually without special architectural
ornamentation. The monotony of the walls is broken
by simple cornices, entablatures and mural offsets; and a low gable
roof of tile or metal covers the main structure.
Major and Minor
Basilicas
Scarcely anything remains of the
Basilicas adapted to Christian worship in the early centuries; and but
few remnants are {Page 96} to be found of the numerous
Basilicas erected under Constantine.
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The most important
ones-the Vatican
Basilica, enshrining the remains of St. Peter; the Basilica of St.
Paul Outside the Walls, erected over the body of the Apostle of
the Gentiles; the Basilicas
of St. Lawrence and
St.
Agnes in Rome; the Basilicas of the Holy
Sepulchre in Jerusalem, of the Nativity in
Bethlehem and of the Holy
Apostles
in Constantinople are no longer the original churches.
There are many Basilicas in Rome and elsewhere dating from the fifth
and ,sixth centuries, modified and restored from time to time during
the intervening years.
In the liturgical sense a Basilica is
a church upon which, on account of its importance, special distinction
has been bestowed. These Basilicas are distinguished as Major and
Minor, not because of their size but because of their dignity. To
the Major Basilicas belong the four Patriarchal churches of Rome: St.
John Lateran; St.
Peter's; St.
Paul Outside the Walls; and St.
Mary Major. All others are known as Minor Basilicas, of
which there are nine in Rome, and a large number throughout the
world. To this class belongs the Basilica of St.
Mary of Minneapolis.
No church may arrogate to itself
the
title of Basilica. The distinction is bestowed only by Apostolic
Letter, bearing the Seal of the Fisherman, and carries with it certain
rights and privileges. The granting of such a title is without
reference to the architectural style, size, or antiquity of the
church. It signifies that the church so honored is worthy of
special v eneration, either because of its origin and historical
association or, as in the present instance, in virtue of an exercise of
apostolic power by the Sovereign Pontiff.
Rights and Privileges
of
Basilicas
Churches so honored enjoy certain
rights and privileges. in the rescript elevating St. Mary's
Church of Minneapolis to the dignity of a Minor Basilica we
read, "We grant unto it all the
privileges and tokens of honor which pertain to Minor Basilicas as of
right." What are these "privileges and tokens of honor?"
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97}
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For
centuries there was question of the real meaning of this phrase.
The official interpretation was given by the Sacred Congregation of
Rites on August 27, 1836; when it declared that the privileges
belonging to Minor Basilicas from time immemorial comprise preeminence
of rank, the use of the pavilion and bell and the wearing of the Cappa
Magna by the Canons. By time-honored custom a Basilica also has
the right to a coat-of-arms and a corporate seal.
The preeminence of a Minor
Basilica
has reference to the ranking of its corporate clergy in public
functions, processions, etc. In their own diocese the basilical
clergy are entitled to precedence over all the other clergy of the
diocese, except those of the Cathedral; and, in a diocese not their
own, they outrank all others except the Cathedral clergy of that
diocese and, if such there be, the clergy of a Basilica older than
their own.
The origin of the
privilege granting a Basilica the use of two distinctive insignia,
namely, the pavilion and the bell, is lost in the twilight of
history. The pavilion or canopy is a large umbrella so
constructed that it cannot open more than half way. It is made of
twelve alternate stripes of red and yellow silk with pendants braided
and fringed in yellow and so arranged that to each stripe is attached a
pendant of the opposite color-tbe whole supported by ribs fastened to a
wooden handle topped with a ball and cross of gilded metal. Originally
the pavilion was held over the head of the
Supreme Pontiff to shield him from rain or sun, whenever he visited a
Basilica. It was borne by the clergy when they
went in procession to meet the Pontiff at the door, and the bearer held
it half open and ready for instant use. In the
course of time the custom fell into desuetude; but the pavilion has
been retained as a symbol of honor distinctive of Basilicas.
The origin of the
other mark of
dignity is traceable to the custom of ringing a bell to announce the
starting of the clerical procession to meet the Pope at the entrance of
the Basilica. The bell is not more than six inches in diameter at
its lowest part and is mounted on an elaborate framework, or belfry, of
metal or carved wood designed according to the architecture of the
church and fixed on top of a banner pole. {Page 98}
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The
pavilion and bell are carried in procession, not by the clergy, but by
prominent members of the congregation-the bell immediately behind the
processional cross and the pavilion following it. When not in use
they are Prominently displayed in the sanctuary. The right to use
them, being a pontifical concession, cannot be curtailed, much less
abolished, by diocesan custom or ordinance. The Basilica
of St. Mary is not yet
provided with these insignia.
The Cappa Magna is a choir-vestment of
purple with an ermine cape and folded train worn by the Canons of the
Basilica during the recitation of the Divine Office. This
privilege is in abeyance in the United States since there are no Canons
connected with our churches.
The other insignia of a Basilica are,
by immemorial custom, a coat-of-arms and a corporate seal. A
coat-of-arms differs from a seal, although the latter may, and usually
does, embody the former as one of its main features. The seal
with the name of the church engraved on it is used to authenticate
written documents and to attach waxen seals. In the coat-of-arms
of a Basilica the distinctive heraldic device is the pavilion or
umbrella so placed that the pole or handle is behind the shield on
which are emblazoned the armorial bearings of the church, its patron,
the city in which it is located and the diocese to which it belongs.
The coat-of-arms of the Basilica of
St. Mary is a striking example of ecclesiastical heraldry, simple yet
expressive in design and in the best tradition. The lower half of
the shield symbolizes Minneapolis, "the City by the Waterfall," the
alternate, horizontal, wavy stripes of blue and silver representing the
waters of the Mississippi and St. Anthony Falls. Above these is a
broad silver band typifying the indented battlements of a city.
The upper half of the shield is blue with a silver crescent moon in the
center of the field-the heraldic device of the Immaculate Conception,
the original name of the church. Blue and white are the
characteristic colors of the Blessed Virgin Mary, its patroness.
The bell is not a part of
basilical
heraldry, but is purely a processional ornament. {Page 99}
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We
may, therefore, interpret this coat-of-arms as that of a
Basilica
dedicated to the Blessed Virgin Mary, under the title of her Immaculate
Conception, in a city by the waterfall. The wavy lines of blue
and silver constitute part of the coat-of-arms of the Archdiocese
of St. Paul in which the Basilica is located.
The coat-of-arms is usually sculptured
on the front of the church, parochial residence, other parish buildings
and their furnishings; engraved on the sacred vessels of the altar,
silverware, etc.; embroidered on vestments and banners; and engraved on
the official stationary and documents.
Spiritual
Privileges
By virtue of its elevation to
basilical rank a church is not necessarily dowered with spiritual
privileges above the ordinary. That it may be so enriched a
petition for such favors, approved by the Ordinary of the diocese, must
be sent to those who have faculties to grant them.
The
Basilica of St. Mary is one of the most highly indulgenced churches
in the United States.
By virtue of a Pontifical Brief, dated March
5, 1927, and signed by Cardinal
Gasparri, Secretary of State to His Holiness, Pope
Plus XI - a
translation of which is hereto appended - the faithful who visit the
Basilica of St. Mary can gain a Plenary Indulgence on the first Sunday
of every month in perpetuity on the usual conditions of Confession and
Communion and prayers for the intention of the Holy Father.
PIUS
XI, POPE AND BISHOP
IN PERPETUAI, REMEMBRANCE OF THE EVENT:
The
Reverend Pastor of the Parish Church of St. Mary, in the City of
Minneapolis, in the Archdiocese of St. Paul, Minnesota, humbly
petitioned Us to grant said Church the privilege of a Plenary
Indulgence in perpetuity. We have looked with favor upon this
request, inspired by charity, because by this means the faith of the
Christian people will be strengthened, and the salvation of souls
promoted, by applying to them graces ever abundantly at the disposal of
the Church. We, having taken counsel with the Major Penitentiary, a
Cardinal of the Holy Roman Church, and trusting {Page
100}
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in the mercy of God, and relying upon
the authority of the Blessed Apostles Peter and Paul, grant and concede
a Plenary Indulgence, on the first Sunday
of every month, to all the
faithful who receive the Sacraments of Penance
and Holy Communion, visit in
a spirit
of devotion the parish church dedicated to the Blessed Virgin and pray for peace and
harmony among Christian rulers, the extirpation of heresy, the conversion of sinners, the exaltation of Holy
Mother Church. We decree
that this document shall remain in force, have its effect, and retain
its value in perpetuity, and that it applies now and shall apply in the
future in its entirety to said Church of the Blessed Virgin in
Minneapolis. This decree shall be understood and interpreted in
the sense that anything shall be null and void, now and in perpetuity,
that may be attempted otherwise than here decreed, by any one, no
matter by what authority, knowingly or unknowingly everything to the
contrary notwithstanding. This shall remain in force for all
future times. Given in Rome, at St. Peter's, under the Seal of the
Fisherman, the fifth day of March, nineteen hundred and twenty-seven,
the sixth year of Our Pontificate.
P. Cardinal Gasparri,
Secretary of State.
Affiliation With St. Mary Major
The Basilica of St.
Mary was the first church in the United States-and the only one, as far
as we are aware,- to become affiliated with St. Mary Major
in Rome. The following is a translation of the official decree.
THE CHAPTER AND CANONS
OF THE SACRED
PATRIARCHAL
LIBERIAN BASILICA
OF THE ETERNAL CITY
To Our Beloved, The Pastor Of The
Basilica Of St. Mary, Minneapolis-
Everlasting Greetings
In The
Lord.
The filial and striking
devotion which you cherish towards the Sacred Image of the Virgin
Mother of God, painted by the hand of St. Luke, the Evangelist, which
has been enshrined for many centuries in Our Liberian Basilica, and
becomes more resplendent every day by reason of the miracles which God
deigned to work through it at all times even to the present, fittingly
merits that We grant you the favors conceded to Us by apostolic
dispensation.
Wherefore,
you have petitioned us that,
because of the singular devotion you profess towards the Mother of God
and Our Liberian Basilica, specially dedicated to her, We deign to
unite, affiliate and incorporate the Basilica of St. Mary of
Minneapolis, in the Archdiocese of St. Paul, Minnesota, with the sacred
Basilica of St. Mary Major, {Page
101}
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by which the aforesaid church may
participate and share in the favors, indulgences,
privileges and
apostolic indults conceded to Us and to the said Liberian Basilica by
the Supreme Pontiffs.
Desirous of acceding to your pious
request, as far as 'We are able in-the Lord, by virtue of Our ordinary
faculties which We enjoy by the tenor of the aforesaid apostolic
indults, and especially by reason of the faculties graciously granted
by Pope Clement XII, of
blessed memory, under the Seal of the Fisherman in the Apostolic Brief
of June 8, 1736, We grant you the desired affiliation, so that all the
faithful of both sexes who visit the said church, with proper
dispositions, may gain, share in and enjoy all the indulgences,
spiritual privileges and favors, according to the mind of the Church,
described in the above-mentioned rescripts of Clement XII. These
indulgences, spiritual privileges and favors are summarized as follows:
PLENARY INDULGENCES
on
the feasts of the Immaculate Conception
(December 8), Nativity (September 8), Annunciation (March 25), and
Assumption (August 15), of the Blessed Virgin Mary.
PARTIAL INDULGENCES
of
twenty-five years and as many quarantines (forty
days) on the feast of the Purification (February 2); five years and
five quarantines on the feast of the Visitation (July 2); four years
and four quarantines on the feast of the Presentation
(November 21); three years and three quarantines on the feast of the
Exaltation of the Holy Cross September 14); two years and two
quarantines on the feast of the Dedication of St. Michael the Archangel
(September 29).
STATIONAL INDULGENCES:
First Sunday in Advent; Vigil of Christmas; the
Nativity; Second Sunday in Lent; 'Wednesday of Holy Week; Easter
Sunday; Rogation Monday; Feast of the Dedication of Our Lady of the
Snow (August 5); Wednesday of Ember Weeks. (A "station" is a church to
which the clergy and laity of Rome go in procession on stated days to
say special prayers).
In
testimony whereof, We have ordered this document to be signed by Our
Reverend Secretary and attested by the Grand Seal of the Chapter.
Given in the Office of Our Chapter at St. Mary Major on the ninth day
of January, in the year nineteen hundred and twenty-seven.
+Vincentius Cardinal Vannutelli,
Archpriest of the Patriarchal Liberian Basilica
Marcus Canon Martini,
Secretary of the Chapter.
To the Reverend James
M.
Reardon,
Pastor of the Basilica of St. Mary, Minneapolis, Minnesota.
Seen and approved, May 21, 1927.
+Augustinus Dowling,
Archbishop of St. Paul.
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Affiliation
with St. John Lateran
Only a few churches in this country
are
affiliated with St. John Lateran,
the Mother and Head of all the churches in Rome and in the world.
That honor can be claimed by the Basilica of St. Mary, as evidenced by
the following translation of the official rescript.
THE CHAPTER AND CANONS
OF THE HOLY LATERAN CHURCH
To OUR BELOVED IN CHRIST, THE REVEREND
JAMES MICHAEL REARDON, PASTOP,
OF THE BASILICA OF ST. MARY, IN THE CITY OF MINNEAPOLIS, AND THF,
ARCHDIOCESE OF ST. PAUL, Minnesota
-EVERLASTING GREETINGS IN THE LORD
The
singular devotion which you have manifested towards Our Holy Lateran
Basilica merits adequate recognition on Our part, and induces Us to
grant you those spiritual favors which are permitted by the Apostolic
See, especially as they will promote the glory of God and the salvation
of souls.
The request you have made to Us is a manifest
indication that you cherish a deep devotion for Our Lord and Savior
Jesus Christ, St. John the Baptist and St. John the Evangelist, as well
as for Our Lateran Basilica, dedicated to them. Inspired by this
devotion you desire that the Parish and Basilica of St. Mary of
Minneapolis, in the Archdiocese of St. Paul, be aggregated, affiliated,
united and incorporated with Our Lateran Basilica, to the end that We
may grant and Communicate to your Basilica all the indulgences and
spiritual privileges accorded to Our Basilica by Papal concession.
We have decreed to look with favor on your
request, as We are convinced that it is now, and, in future, will be,
highly conducive to the salvation of souls. We, therefore, in
union with His Eminence Basil
Pompili, Cardinal of
the Holy Roman
Church, Vicar of His Holiness Pius XI in the City of Rome, by the mercy
of God, Bishop of Veliterno, and Archpriest of Our Holy Lateran
Basilica, in chapter assembled, in accordance with the
regulations of
Our Roman Papal Lateran Patriarchate, by Our ordinary powers, which We
enjoy by Apostolic Indults and Privileges, and now administer, and
particularly by virtue of the faculties conferred on Us by Pope
Benedict XIV, of happy memory, on the fourth day of May, 1751,
beginning with the words, "Assidux
Solicitudinis," grant and permit, in
the fullest measure possible, the aforesaid aggregation, affiliation,
union and incorporation of the Basilica of St. Mary in the City of
Minneapolis, in the Archdiocese of St. Paul, Minnesota.
We, likewise, declare the aforesaid Basilica
of St. Mary an associate of Our Holy Lateran Basilica according to the
faculties granted Us by the Roman Pontiffs and the decrees of the
Council of Trent, and by virtue of the constitutions of the Sovereign
Pontiffs, in such {Page 103}
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manner that the faithful of both sexes,
visiting the aforesaid Basilica of St. Mary, rightly disposed, may
enjoy, receive and participate in all the above-mentioned indulgences,
privileges and spiritual favors, in the same measure as if they
personally visited Our Lateran Basilica.
The following is a summary of the indulgences
and spiritual favors they may obtain in the Lord:
PLENARY INDULGENCES may be gained by
all who, truly penitent and after confession, visit the Basilica of St.
Mary on the feast days of the Ascension of Our Lord; of the Nativity of
St. John the Baptist (June 24); of Saints Peter and Paul (June 29) ; of
St. John the Evangelist (December 27); of the Dedication of the Lateran
Basilica (November 9), between the first vespers and sunset of the
feast day itself, and pray for the exaltation of Holy Mother Church and
for peace among Christian rulers.
An
indulgence of seven years and as many quarantines (forty days) may be
gained by all who, truly penitent and after confession, visit the
aforesaid church on the feast days of the other Apostles St. Andrew
(November 30); St. James the Greater (July 25); St. Thomas (December
21); Sts. Philip and James (May 1); St. Bartholomew (August 24); St.
Matthew (September 21); Sts. Simon and Jude (October 29); St. Mathias
(February 24), under the same conditions.
An
indulgence of four years and as many quarantines is granted to all who
visit the said Basilica on any day between the first Sunday of Advent
and Christmas, and between Ash Wed-nesday and Easter Sunday, being
truly penitent and having the intention of receiving the Sacraments
before the expiration of these periods. On other days of the year
an indulgence of one hundred days may be gained.
The same
STATIONAL INDULGENCES
may
be gained by all who visit the Basilica, that are granted in connection
with the Station days of the Lateran Church, as set forth in the Roman
Missal, namely, the first Sunday of Lent; Palm Sunday; Holy Thursday;
Holy Saturday; Tuesday of Rogation Week; Saturday within the Octave of
Easter; and the Vigil of Pentecost, provided they are truly penitent
and intend to go to confession.
By
virtue of the foregoing faculties We grant and communicate the
indulgences and privileges enjoyed by the Lateran Basilica to the
Basilica of St. Mary of Minneapolis, Archdiocese of St. Paul,
Minnesota, with the consent of the local Ordinary. Similar
privileges will not be granted to any other church in that city.
Moreover,
We declare that all these indulgences are applicable to the souls in
Purgatory, in accordance with the Rescript of Pope Pius VI.
We
decree that, for the future, every fifteen years, computed from the
date of this letter, you or your successors shall renew this request
and thus obtain from Us the confirmation of this aggregation, union,
association and affiliation; otherwise, at the end of this period, if
the renewal or confirmation of the above-mentioned {Page 104} letter
be
not asked and granted, the Basilica of St. Mary will cease to
enjoy the aforesaid spiritual favors and after that this letter shall
be null and void. |
In testimony of
these, one and all, We have had this letter signed by the Most
Illustrious and Most Reverend Chamberlains and the Reverend Secretary
of the Canons, and fortified by the Grand Seal of Our Chapter, as
prescribed in such cases.
Given at the Lateran,
February twenty-seven,
in the nineteen hundred and twenty-seventh year after the Birth of Our
Lord, the sixth year of the Pontificate of Our Holy Father in Christ, Pius XI, by Divine
Providence, Pope.
Joseph Quadrini,
Canon.
Pius Paschini, Canon.
V.
Misuraca, Canon, Secretary.
Germanus Straniero,
Dean of Canons of the Lateran Basilica
Seen and approved, May 5, 1927,
+Augustinus Dowling,
Archbishop of St. Paul.
The
Basilica of St. Mary is, likewise,
affiliated with the Basilica
of Our Lady of Mount Carmel
in the Holy Land; but the spiritual
privileges thereto annexed are in abeyance until a Confraternity of the
Blessed Virgin Mary of Mount Carmel is officially established in the
parish, and the Pious Union under the title of St. Theresa of the Child
Jesus is canonically erected and aggregated to the Primary Union under
the direction of the Carmelite Order. {105} |
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