“From the Archives” Saint Joseph at the Basilica of Saint Mary

In his Papal Encyclical, Patris Corde….with a Father’s Heart….Pope Francis dedicated December 8, 2020, through December 8, 2021, as a Year of Saint Joseph. Saint Joseph is featured prominently in the historic artwork found in our Basilica of Saint Mary.

A white Italian marble statue of Saint Joseph holding the Infant Jesus is located on the left side of our sanctuary. Under the direction of Father Louis J. Smet, pastor at Saint Mary from 1915 to 1927, the statue was purchased in Italy in 1920 and placed above a smaller altar (since removed) that was located on the north side of the sanctuary.

Saint Joseph is also shown holding the Child Jesus in a stained glass window inside the stairwell leading up to the Basilica choir loft. In this image, Joseph also is holding the Lily of Purity, symbolic of his obedience to the will of God.

One of the three large paintings on the ceiling of the Basilica depicts the Death of Saint Joseph with Jesus and the Blessed Virgin Mary at his side. Tradition has long held that Saint Joseph died in the arms of Jesus and Mary and therefore is revered as the patron of a “happy death” – one in which the Sacraments have been provided. This painting is located just above the narthex at the Royal Street entrance of the Basilica. While the artist is not certain, its style is similar to the Most Holy Trinity painting on the ceiling near the sanctuary. Both are believed to be the work of Alexandria artist F.S. Shuman.

A stained glass window on the south side of the nave, or main section, of the Basilica depicts Saint Joseph as part of the Holy Family. It shows Jesus as a young boy, learning from His foster father Joseph, perfecting the carpentry trade. This window was dedicated in memory of Thomas N. Scott and family. Scott, originally from Ireland, owned a carpentry shop (like Saint Joseph!) and worked on the church in 1883 when it was enlarged under the direction of local architect Philip N. Dwyer. He also was the contractor who built the parish Lyceum at 313 Duke Street and was responsible for renovations of the church in 1894-95

(Text adapted from documents submitted to the Vatican in 2018 to merit the title of Minor Basilica for our Basilica of Saint Mary.)

In 2020, to commemorate the 225th anniversary of our parish, we started “From the Archives” as a weekly feature online and in our bulletin to spotlight the history of Saint Mary’s. Due to its popularity, we are continuing the series in 2021. An archive of the features is located here.