West Virginia church named minor basilica

December 14, 2009

Pope Benedict XVI has elevated the Co-Cathedral of the Sacred Heart in Charleston, West Virginia, to the status of a minor basilica. According to a diocesan press release, the co-cathedral is the 63rd church in the United States to be named a minor basilica in recognition of its historic, architectural, or other significance.

The first three American churches to be named minor basilicas were St. Adalbert Church (Buffalo, 1907), St. Mary Co-Cathedral (Minneapolis, 1926), and the National Shrine of Our Lady of Victory (Lackawanna, NY, 1926). The four major basilicas in Rome are St. John Lateran, St. Peter’s, St. Paul Outside the Walls, and St. Mary Major.

 

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Further information:

• Pope Elevates Co-Cathedral of the Sacred Heart to Minor Basilica (Diocese of Wheeling-Charleston)
• Pope Elevates Charleston's Co-Cathedral of Sacred Heart to Minor Basilica (WOWK-TV)
• Sacred Heart Co-Cathedral - Charleston, WV