[Congressional Record Volume 152, Number 56 (Wednesday, May 10, 2006)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E766]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




      RECOGNIZING THE 200TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE BALTIMORE BASILICA

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                        HON. ELIJAH E. CUMMINGS

                              of maryland

                    in the house of representatives

                          Tuesday, May 9, 2006

  Mr. CUMMINGS. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to commemorate the 200th 
anniversary of America's first cathedral, the historic and beautiful 
Baltimore Basilica. Officially known as the Basilica of the National 
Shrine of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary, this magnificent 
cathedral, built from 1806 to 1821, stands as a symbol of the beginning 
of the Catholic Church in America, and the religious freedoms embodied 
in our Constitution.
  For over a century until the Revolutionary War, Catholics in America 
were a devoted but persecuted minority. After the Constitution was 
adopted, the Catholic Church embarked on the construction of a 
cathedral to celebrate their faith and their new-found right to worship 
freely.
  Under the guidance of the future first archbishop of America, John 
Carroll, a hill above the Baltimore Inner Harbor was selected in 1806 
as the site for the cathedral. After hearing about the proposed church, 
Benjamin Harry Latrobe volunteered his services as chief architect. 
Latrobe, the architect of the United States Capitol, is considered the 
father of American architecture and is responsible for what is now 
considered one of the world's most impressive buildings of the 19th 
century.
  In addition to its structural magnificence, the cathedral has 
fulfilled its place as one of the most historically significant 
churches in the world. Two-thirds of all American Catholic dioceses can 
claim their roots at the Baltimore Basilica, and three Plenary Councils 
guiding the Catholic Church's role in the expanding United States were 
held within its walls. The Basilica continued to embrace progressive 
ideals throughout the years by, for example, including the first order 
of African-American nuns in its convent.
  As we do today, the Baltimore Basilica has been honored on many 
occasions for its greatness. In 1937, Pope Pius XI raised the cathedral 
to the rank of a Minor Basilica. In 1972 it was declared a National 
Landmark and then in 1993 a National Shrine. The Basilica has also been 
greatly honored by the visits of His Holiness Pope John Paul II in 1995 
and Mother Teresa of Calcutta in 1996.
  Mr. Speaker, for the past two centuries, the Baltimore Basilica has 
stood as a beacon of hope and religious freedom. An architectural 
masterpiece built by two great visionaries, the Basilica continues to 
be ``a shining citadel'' of faith and hope for Maryland and the United 
States.

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