[Congressional Record Volume 169, Number 72 (Friday, April 28, 2023)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E380]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




    HONORING THE BASILICA SHRINE OF OUR LADY OF THE MIRACULOUS MEDAL

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                           HON. DWIGHT EVANS

                            of pennsylvania

                    in the house of representatives

                         Friday, April 28, 2023

  Mr. EVANS. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize the Miraculous 
Medal Shrine, a Marian devotional destination and ministry of the 
Vincentians of the Eastern Province in the Germantown section of 
Philadelphia, as it has been elevated by the Vatican to Minor Basilica 
status. This designation is shared by only one other church in the City 
of Philadelphia, the Cathedral Basilica of Saints Peter and Paul, and 
91 others across the United States. The Shrine, along with the Chapel 
of the Immaculate Conception that houses it, are now known as The 
Basilica Shrine of Our Lady of the Miraculous Medal.
  The new designation follows a multiyear application that culminated 
in a decree issued by Pope Francis. The Shrine is now promoted as an 
exemplary site of liturgical and pastoral activity within the 
Archdiocese of Philadelphia. Minor Basilicas are given prominence among 
other churches and shrines, receive certain honorifics, and are tasked 
with special responsibilities.
  The Basilica Shrine of Our Lady of the Miraculous Medal, a ministry 
of the Vincentians of the Eastern Province of the United States, is a 
sanctuary of prayer and an inspiration of Marian devotion for Roman 
Catholics throughout the world. Established in 1927 on the grounds of 
Saint Vincent's Seminary in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, the Shrine, and 
the Romanesque church that houses it were elevated to a Minor Basilica 
by the Vatican in 2023.
  Visitors come to the Basilica Shrine daily for Holy Mass, solemn 
prayer and meditation, and pilgrimage to God and the Blessed Virgin 
Mary, while beholding its breathtaking artwork, sculptures, stained 
glass, altars and architecture. The Basilica Shrine is also home to the 
Perpetual Novena, a prayer of devotion to Our Lady recited in person.
  It is indeed an honor to have such a prestigious decree bestowed upon 
one of Philadelphia's faith based institutions.

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