“From the Archives” — How Big Is the Basilica of Saint Mary?

In 2017, Father Edward Hathaway appointed a committee of staff and parishioners to begin the process of seeking Vatican approval for minor basilica status for Saint Mary Church. In response to Vatican requirements, the committee prepared a 157-page document with answers to 119 questions posed by the Holy See. That took a while since the Vatican questionnaire had to first be translated from Latin into English! One section of that document details the physical dimensions of our church.

MEASUREMENTS [EXTERIOR AND INTERIOR]

Length

Belfry (south) Tower – 20 feet, 2 inches Octagonal (North) Tower – 8 feet 2 inches Interior Center Aisle – 75 feet

Interior Nave Length – 84 feet 3 inches Interior Nave Width – 48 feet

Height

Central Portal Apex – 50 feet, including cross Belfry (South) Tower – 140 feet, including cross Octagonal (North) Tower) – 70 feet, including cross Interior Ceiling Height – 26 feet 3 inches

Width

69 feet 9 inches, frontage onto South Royal Street

NAVE OF THE CHURCH

Total of number seats: 750 — 400 in the nave, 150 in the north and south transepts (ground floor), 150 in the north and south transept balconies and 50 in the choir loft. The church can safely accommodate 75 to 100 standing people. Local Fire Marshall regulations limit that number to maintain clear aisles for emergency egress.

(SOURCE: Questionnaire and Exhibits Concerning the Origin, History and Religious Activity of the Church of Saint Mary Proposed to the Congregation for Divine Worship and Discipline of the Sacraments To Obtain the Title of Minor Basilica, 2017).