Basilica of Saint Mary, Minneapolis

For other basilicas dedicated to the Virgin Mary, see Basilica of St. Mary.

The Basilica of Saint Mary—Catholic
U.S. National Register of Historic Places
The Basilica of Saint Mary in 2008
Location:	Hennepin Ave. at 16th St. Minneapolis, MN
Coordinates:	44°58′23.01″N 93°17′9.49″W
Built:	1907
Architect:	Masqueray, E.L.
Architectural style:	Classical Revival, Other
Governing body:	Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Saint Paul and Minneapolis
NRHP Reference#:	75000985
Added to NRHP:	March 26, 1975

The Basilica of Saint Mary is a Roman Catholic minor basilica located on its own city block along Hennepin Avenue between 16th & 17th Streets in downtown Minneapolis, Minnesota. It was the first basilica established in the United States. The Basilica of Saint Mary is the Co-cathedral of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Saint Paul and Minneapolis and is one of the finest examples of Beaux-Arts architecture in the country.^{[citation needed]}

Interior of the Basilica of Saint Mary.

History

The Basilica of Saint Mary was constructed between 1907 and 1915 to the design of Franco-American architect Emmanuel Louis Masqueray. It was established as a minor basilica by Pope Pius XI in 1926, making it the first basilica in the United States.

The building was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1975.

In 1991, its old copper roof was replaced, stopping the water leaks and damage and that were occurring. In 2011, after being named one of 25 Twin City finalists, the building was the recipient of a $100,000 preservation grant from Partners in Preservation, chosen through a public vote; the funds were used to repair the narthex and sacristy of the Basilica, and help restore the paint and gold leaf found throughout the structure.

In fall 2010, Lucinda Naylor, the basilica's artist-in-residence since 1995, was suspended after she went public with plans for a "personal art project" constructed from donated copies of a DVD entitled "Preserving Marriage in Minnesota" sent to Roman Catholics statewide by Archbishop John Nienstedt and Minnesota's other Catholic bishops. Her project, "DVD to ART", was in response to the Church's opposition to recognition of same-sex unions in Minnesota and the DVD's encouragement of church members to support a state constitutional amendment banning gay marriage, which would reinforce existing state law established since Baker v. Nelson, a 1971 court case.

Venue

Since 1995, the site has been the venue for the Basilica Block Party weekend music festival. Proceeds have gone toward repairing the aging structure and assisting the needs of poor families in the area. The Basilica also hosts the Minnesota Sinfonia, a professional non-profit orchestra, for their winter classical concert series. Concerts are always free to the public and are funded by grant makers, corporations, and individual contributions.

DeLaSalle High School uses the church for its commencement ceremonies every spring.^{[citation needed]}

External links

Media related to Basilica of Saint Mary at Wikimedia Commons

• The Basilica of Saint Mary Official website
  • History of the Basilica
• Website of the Archdiocese of Saint Paul and Minneapolis
• Basilica Block Party