November 20
Immaculate Conception, Washington, D.C., USA
In 1792, John Carroll, newly Bishop of Baltimore, designated
"the Holy Mother of Our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ … the special
patroness of this Diocese," which then included the entire United
States. In 1846, U.S. Catholic bishops meeting in Baltimore refined the
declaration in accord with growing popular devotion to Mary Immaculate,
choosing "the Blessed Virgin Mary, conceived without sin, as the
Patroness of the United States of America," eight years before the
Pope made Mary's sinless nature an article of faith. In 1909, a $1,000
donation from a French Basilian priest in Detroit helped launch the
project of building a shrine to the nation's patron in its capital. The
new rector of the Catholic University of America in Washington, Thomas J.
Shahan, led the effort. On September 23, 1920, James Cardinal Gibbons
blessed the cornerstone, which lay on the site under wraps for two years
until a builder was found to begin the enormous construction project in
1922. The crypt church opened for worship in 1924 but was not completed
until a few years later. Work ceased during the Depression and Second
World War, and the Shrine remained underground until 1954, which Pius XII
proclaimed a "Marian Year." Construction resumed, and the
building was finally dedicated on November 20, 1959. New chapels and
artworks are still being added. The Shrine
contains over 70 chapels and oratories in honor of Our Lady, her Son, and
the saints, on both the crypt and upper church levels. Some recall the
Virgin's apparitions, such as that of Lourdes (dedicated 1931). Some are
national chapels donated by immigrant organizations, such as those of the
Mother of Sorrows (Slovakia, 1965), Our Lady of Charity (Cuba, 1977), and
Our Lady of Hostyn (Czech Rep., 1983). Others, such as those to Our Lady
of Perpetual Help (Redemptorists, 1962), Queen of All Hearts (Montfort
Missionaries, 1966), and Mother of Good Counsel (Augustinians) were
donated by religious orders. The building is also home to a gift shop and
cafeteria. Outside, the National Council of Catholic Women has sponsored a
Mary Garden with a fountain and a pool to reflect a statue of Mary,
Protector of the Faith. In 1990 Pope John Paul II honored the Shrine with
the title "minor Basilica." Its domed silhouette is visible
throughout much of Washington. In addition to thousands of tourists, the
Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception hosts
scheduled pilgrimages from various dioceses and ethnic groups throughout
the year. The patronal feast of the Shrine and its nation is the
Immaculate Conception, December 8.
Above: Immaculate Conception mosaic in the Upper Church, created in the Vatican studios after Murillo's painting, from the Shrine's website, www.nationalshrine.com
Also celebrated this date:
 | Panagia Kounistria, Skiathos, Sporades, Greece. Procession, service, bonfires, vigil. |
| Nostra Signora di Guadalupe, Rome, Italy. Painting in the Via Aurelia Basilica crowned, 1962. Feast December 12. |
| Notre Dame du Mali, Kita, Kayes, Mali (nearest Saturday) |