The Trinity Dome
Christ in Majesty flanked by Mary and John, surrounded by prophets and saints. The dome diameter is 29 metres. The effect of looking upward into the glittering gold and blue is overwhelming.
01At a Glance
The Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception in Washington DC is the largest Catholic church in North America and one of the largest in the world, covering approximately 77,500 square metres. Completed in stages from 1920 to the 1990s, it stands on the grounds of the Catholic University of America, a few kilometres from the US Capitol. Its Byzantine-Romanesque style and 139-metre campanile are landmarks of the Washington skyline. The basilica is a national votive offering to the Virgin Mary under her title of the Immaculate Conception — the patronal title of the United States, declared by Pope Pius IX in 1847. The building was funded entirely by donations from American Catholics, and its chapels and apses — over 70 of them — reflect the ethnic diversity of American Catholicism: a Vietnamese chapel, a Polish chapel, a Filipino chapel, an African American chapel, chapels for Irish, Italian, Latin American, and Central European immigrants. The Trinity Dome above the main nave is the largest mosaic in the Western hemisphere. The vast interior, with its 5,000-pipe organ and capacity for 6,000 worshippers, hosts the annual National Votive Mass on December 8 (Feast of the Immaculate Conception), a national holy day of obligation that draws Catholics from across the country.
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The largest Catholic church in North America — covering approximately 77,500 square metres
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Over 70 chapels represent the ethnic diversity of American Catholicism The Trinity Dome contains the largest mosaic in the Western hemisphere Funded entirely by voluntary donations from American Catholics across the country Our Lady under the Immaculate Conception title was designated Patroness of the USA in 1847
02Plan Your Visit
03Must See
What to seek out, and why it matters
The Ethnic Chapels
together they constitute a pilgrimage through the diversity of American Catholic immigration history.
The Crypt Church
Lower level The lower church, built and consecrated before the upper basilica, has its own atmospheric quality: lower ceilings, intimate chapels, and the devotional density of a space that has been in continuous use since the 1920s. The crypt altar is the historic heart of the shrine.
The Memorial Hall
Exterior [OUTDOOR] The 139-metre campanile rises above the basilica and can be seen from miles across the Washington skyline. The bells include the bourdon bell, cast in France, dedicated to peace. The tower is visible from the Mall and from the Capitol Hill area — a Catholic landmark at the heart of American civic geography.
04Masses & Events
5Reflection & Prayer
Over 70 chapels for 70 different national and ethnic traditions. A Vietnamese Our Lady alongside a Polish Black Madonna alongside a Latin American Our Lady of Guadalupe alongside an African American chapel. This building is an argument about what American Catholicism is: not one thing, but many things, each bringing its own image of Mary, each contributing to the same immense roof. The basilica is both a theological statement about Mary and a sociological statement about immigration. They are not as different as they seem.
Galatians 3:28
“There is neither Jew nor Gentile, neither slave nor free, nor is there male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus.”
Read in full on Bible Gateway →06More
The Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception in Washington DC is the largest Catholic church in North America and one of the largest in the world, covering approximately 77,500 square metres. Completed in stages from 1920 to the 1990s, it stands on the grounds of the Catholic University of America, a few kilometres from the US Capitol. Its Byzantine-Romanesque style and 139-metre campanile are landmarks of the Washington skyline.
A National Votive Offering
The basilica is a national votive offering to the Virgin Mary under her title of the Immaculate Conception — the patronal title of the United States, declared by Pope Pius IX in 1847. The building was funded entirely by donations from American Catholics, and its chapels and apses — over 70 of them — reflect the ethnic diversity of American Catholicism: a Vietnamese chapel, a Polish chapel, a Filipino chapel, an African American chapel, and chapels for Irish, Italian, Latin American and Central European immigrants.
Architecture and Worship
The Trinity Dome above the main nave is the largest mosaic in the Western hemisphere. The vast interior, with its 5,000-pipe organ and capacity for 6,000 worshippers, hosts the annual National Votive Mass on December 8 (Feast of the Immaculate Conception), a national holy day of obligation that draws Catholics from across the country.
Gallery5 photos
Saints Associated With This Site
Artworks Here
Part of this pilgrimage