Basilica of St. Mary (Alexandria, Virginia)

The Basilica of Saint Mary is a Catholic minor basilica and parish church of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Arlington in Alexandria, Virginia, United States. Located in Old Town Alexandria, the church stands within the Alexandria Historic District, which was added to the National Register of Historic Places and designated a National Historic Landmark District on November 13, 1966. The Basilica of Saint Mary is the oldest Catholic parish in Virginia. It was founded in 1795 by Francis Neale, then the president of Georgetown College. On December 6, 2017, Pope Francis designated the parish church as a minor basilica. The decision was announced on January 15, 2018, and the basilica held its inauguration Mass on September 8, 2018. The church houses a venerated 19th-century image of Our Lady of the Immaculate Conception, which was enthroned in 1895 during the parish's centennial celebration. In observance of the church's 230th founding anniversary, the image was given an episcopal coronation on December 8, 2024, by Michael F. Burbidge, bishop of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Arlington.

Church data from Wikidata (CC0). Summary from Wikipedia (CC BY-SA).