WASHINGTON 鈥� Founded in 1795, St. Mary鈥檚 Catholic Church in Old Town Alexandria is the oldest Catholic church in Virginia.
At nearly 225-years-old, the age of the building is even more noticeable on cold days when a draft can fill the air.
But it鈥檚 that age, and the character of a long-running congregation, that helped it receive a prestigious designation.
At the end of the 8:30 a.m. Mass on Sunday, Jan. 14, Bishop Michael Burbidge, who leads the Diocese of Arlington, asked the congregation to sit down for a moment following the final prayers of the service so he could speak a little longer.
鈥淭his church, the parish church of St. Mary in Old Town, has been given the title of a minor basilica,鈥� Burbidge said.
There are only 84 basilicas around the country, including the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception in Northeast D.C.
The next closest ones can be found in Baltimore, Norfolk, Philadelphia and Hanover, Pennsylvania.
If you thought a basilica was just a fancy name for a really big church, it turns out that鈥檚 not the case.
鈥淭he name of a basilica is not based on the size or the seating capacity,鈥� Burbidge said. 鈥淏ut rather its historical significance, its sacredness, its beauty.鈥�
鈥淚t needs to have a certain significance,鈥� added Father Ed Hathaway, who helped lead the effort to designate St. Mary鈥檚 as a basilica. 鈥淭hat could be because it has the relics of a saint, it has a particularly artistic heritage, or in our case, the history is so important and vital.
鈥淭his church is the oldest [Catholic] church in the Commonwealth and was built in a time where proclaiming and living the faith was very challenging,鈥� Burbidge said. 鈥淎nd yet this church stood in the midst of a community as a visible and powerful sign of God鈥檚 presence among us.鈥�
The process of getting a church designated as a basilica is a thorough one.
The application required months of research and approval from the bishop, Hathaway said. But that鈥檚 only the first of several approvals needed before it even makes it to the pope, who has the final say.
鈥淭he naming of St. Mary鈥檚 as a basilica is great for this local parish community,鈥� Burbidge said. 鈥淏ut it is an honor to the entire diocese because one of our churches is now connected in a very unique and special way with the Holy See. So the whole diocese rejoices in this announcement.鈥�
