Welcome
Welcome to the Basilica of Saint Mary. Click on each of the audio links below to learn more about this historic church and the sacred art present. You can use the Virtual Tour image above to move about the church. If you are taking this Audio Tour in-person, kindly keep the volume on your phone at a respectful level. Enjoy your visit!
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Introduction
The Basilica of Saint Mary is the oldest Catholic parish in Virginia and West Virginia, which existed as one state territory until 1863. From 1795 to today, faithful men and women in Alexandria have worshipped at Saint Mary – more than 225 years for Christ. Click the link below to learn more about the founding of this historic parish, and the role that our nation’s first president played in helping Alexandria Catholics construct their church.
En EspañolSouth Narthex Statues
Statues of different saints adorn the interior and exterior of the Basilica of Saint Mary, and their images are a visible reminder of their intercession for us. Click the link below to learn more about Saint Anthony of Padua, and Saint Thérèse of Lisieux, the two saints you see here.
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North Narthex Statue
Saint Thomas More lived during the reign of King Henry VIII, serving as the Lord High Chancellor. When More refused to take the Oath of Supremacy, denying that any earthly leader has spiritual authority over the Church, he was sent to the Tower of London and beheaded in 1535. He is the patron saint of the Diocese of Arlington, along with Saint Elizabeth Ann Seton.
En EspañolStations of the Cross
Stations of the Cross have adorned the walls of Saint Mary since at least 1856. Click on the link below to learn more about this traditional prayer, and about the panels that adorn the church today.
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Saint Andrew and Saint John the Baptist
Jesus and Saint Margaret Mary Alacoque
The Holy Family
The Lord Jesus with the Little Children
Saint Vincent de Paul and Saint Michael
Saint John the Beloved and Saint Mary Magdalene
Saint Helen and Our Lady of Perpetual Help
Saint Bridget and Saint Patrick
Stained Glass
Stained-glass windows adorn the nave, transepts, choir loft, and bell tower of the Basilica of Saint Mary. Click below to learn more about stained glass, and the history of the windows found in the parish.
En EspañolCeiling Panels
Flattened ceilings were common architectural features of late-18th and early-19th century churches in Virginia and Maryland, and may have served to more efficiently heat or cool the space. Today, three paintings believed to have been completed by Alexandria artist F.S. Shuman in the late 1800s decorate the ceiling.
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Sacred Heart Pleading Statue
This unique depiction of the Sacred Heart of Jesus was gifted in 2010 by parishioners of the Basilica. Listen to the link below to learn more about the story behind the Sacred Heart Pleading iconography
En EspañolSanctuary
Located on the east end of the church, the sanctuary is where the altar, crucifix and tabernacle are housed. Click on the link to learn more about the sanctuary at the Basilica of Saint Mary, and the importance of this place within a church.
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Altar Rail
Surrounding the sanctuary is a low, marble altar rail decorated with motifs of wheat and wine. The link below explains the significance of an altar rail in a church. Be sure, too, to look at the altar rail in front of the Sacred Heart Pleading statue: it is a replica of the altar rail that used to surround the sanctuary, installed in 1895.
En EspañolCrucifix
The beautiful wooden crucifix at the Basilica of Saint Mary was installed in the 1940s, around the parish sesquicentennial, by then-pastor Monsignor Edward L. Stephens. Click below to learn more about the history of this crucifix, and what hung in its place prior to its installation.
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Tabernacle
This is the same tabernacle that has been used at the Basilica of Saint Mary to house the Eucharist since 1857. Click the link below to learn more about the symbolism and significance of tabernacles, and to hear the history of the tabernacle at the Basilica of Saint Mary.
En EspañolAltar of Reposition
There are two altars in the sanctuary of the Basilica of Saint Mary: the Altar of Reposition, which supports the tabernacle, and the Altar of Sacrifice, where the Mass is prayed. Click below to learn more.
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Altar of Sacrifice
The main altar of the Basilica of Saint Mary is one of the oldest features of the church. Mass in Alexandria has been prayed at this altar for more than 160 years.
En EspañolSkylight
The skylight was donated by parishioners in 1881. Located directly above the tabernacle, the natural light that filters through the skylight is a reminder that Jesus is the Light of the World.
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Sanctuary Statues
The statues of Saint Joseph and Our Lady are two of the most iconic statues in the Basilica. Research indicates that the statue of the Blessed Virgin Mary is the oldest, continuously venerated image of Mary in the Diocese of Arlington. Mary is stepping on the head of a serpent, an iconography that comes from the Book of Genesis, and which indicates this is a depiction of Mary under the title of the Immaculate Conception.
En EspañolBaptismal Font
The baptismal font at the Basilica of Saint Mary was donated in 1932 by the Catholic Daughters of the Americas, Court Kavanaugh #54. Click the link below to learn more about its history and symbolism.
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Ombrellino
When Saint Mary was declared a minor basilica, it received the traditional symbols of a basilica. Click below to learn the history of this important emblem.
En EspañolTintinnabulum
Another symbol of the relationship the Basilica of Saint Mary shares with the See of Rome, the symbolism of the tintinnabulum traces its origins to the Middle Ages.
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Transepts
The transepts in the Basilica of Saint Mary were installed during an 1881 church renovation, making the church cruciform in shape.
En EspañolParish
In the almost-230 years of its existence, the Basilica of Saint Mary has served under three different dioceses. Click the link below to learn more about the history of the Alexandria parish’s administration.
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Basilica Status
On December 6, 2017, Saint Mary Church in Alexandria was designated a minor basilica. It was formally dedicated in January 2018. Click the link below to learn more about what it means to be a basilica.
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