The Basilica of Saint Mary

Here follows an excerpt from the Clio Foundation website about the Basilica of Saint Mary as written by Ben M.:

Introduction:
The Basilica of St. Mary is home to the very first Catholic parish founded in the Commonwealth of Virginia and West Virginia (they were one state until 1863). The parish was established in 1795 as the Church of St. Mary by the Very Reverend Francis Ignatius Neale, S.J., who was also the President of Georgetown College (now university) and the Pastor of Holy Trinity Church (est. 1787). President George Washington, who became aware of efforts to establish a Catholic parish in 1788, donated funds to the endeavor. The land on which the first church building stood is now the basilica's cemetery, which was the first Catholic cemetery in Virginia. As the first Catholic parish in the Commonwealth, St. Mary's served as the "mother" church to other Catholic parishes in Virginia. As such, it was instrumental in growing Catholicism in the region.

Backstory and Context:
The first Catholic mass in Alexandria was offered by a Catholic chaplain to French soldiers in 1781 (the French were assisting the Americans in the fight agaisnt the British in the American Revolutionary War). In 1788, five years after the war concluded, former Aide-de-Camp of General Washington, Colonel John Fitzgerald, initiated a fundraising campaign to build the first Catholic church in the Commonwealth. It was at this time that George Washington donated money to the cause (Fitzgerald hosted a dinner that Washington attended). Other prominent member of Maryland and Virginia society contributed as well. Thornton Alexander, the son of Alexandria founder John Alexander, donated property where the parish' first church building would be erected (as stated above, it is now where the cemetery is located).

The property for the current church was purchased in 1810. It took many years for the current church to be built, however. Most of it was it was erected in 1827 and a bell and tower in 1856 (the present bell tower was added in 1894). A number of other additions and alterations have been made over the years as well. On January 14, 2018, the Vatican officially designated the church as Minor Basilica.


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Here follows an excerpt from the "Parish History Profiles" created by the Catholic Diocese of Arlington published on their website:

Founding Pastor: Fr. Francis Ignatius Neale, SJ
Parish Founded: 1795
Church Dedication: 1827
Additional Dates of Importance: In 1810, the parish moved to its present location in the heart of the city at 310 South Royal Street. In 1826, Rev. Father Joseph W. Fairclough, pastor, erected the sanctuary and the major portion of the present church at its current location: 310 South Royal Street. The school was founded in 1869.

School Information:

Basilica of Saint Mary School
Founded: 1869
Founding Pastor: Fr. Peter Kroes, SJ

When the Sisters of the Holy Cross opened Saint Mary Academy in 1869, the pastor made an agreement with the sisters that they would also help fulfill the need for a free parish school. That same year, two sisters started Saint Mary Catholic School-a free school for all parish children. At first, the school operated from Saint Mary Hall, a large brick building at the corner of Royal and Wolfe Streets (today it is a parking lot). In 1870, there were 20 girls and 20 boys enrolled. The girls and boys each had separate classrooms. The only plumbing was outdoors. School population swelled, and, by the 1940s, sixth and seventh graders began to attend their classes in the Lyceum on Duke Street. At that time, the school was still free, being underwritten by parish contributions. Wartime restrictions prevented the construction of new school space, but, by the end of World War II, plans were firmly in place for expansion. A large plot of land, originally purchased for the expansion of Saint Mary Cemetery, became the site of what is today's school at 400 Green Street. Construction on the "new" school began in 1948; moving day was March 1, 1950. The school had 12 classrooms, a library, principal's office, teachers' lounge, clinic, cafeteria and multi-purpose room. Enrollment that year was 512 students-and growing. The population peaked in 1962-1963 when there were 1,170 students. The west wing of the school was added in 1952, with five classrooms and a kindergarten. Until then, the school was staffed by the Sisters of the Holy Cross. By 1954, lay teachers were hired, and a new convent was constructed adjacent to the school for the teaching sisters. The new convent was the sisters' residence until it was converted to a junior high in the mid-1990s. This building, known as Stephens Hall, was renovated again in 2011, becoming today's middle school for grades 6-8. Additional changes and improvements to the school also included the building of Msgr. Wingler-Ella Hill Hall (also known as "the gym"). A large portion of the costs of construction were covered by a generous donation from lifelong parishioner, Miss Ella Hill. Upon her death, she had willed her house on Lee Street to the parish, and the pastor, Father Wingler, earmarked the profits from the sale of her house for the construction of the gym. To advance and deliver better the school's academic curriculum and ensure the students are equipped with 21st-century learning tools and experiences, and to provide the growing parishioner base with greater opportunities to engage with one another, the school has embarked on a visionary campus and facilities renovation and expansion project, due to be completed by December 2022, which includes an 8,000-square-foot library media center, new outdoor recreational spaces and parking, as well as improvements to the interior of the school.

Cemetery Information:

Saint Mary Cemetery
Founded: 1795
Interred: More than 6,000

What Makes This Parish Unique?

Over the years, as our nation grew, so did the influence of the Church of Saint Mary, solidly establishing Catholicism throughout this region. Saint Mary's history is intertwined with the founding of our nation and our God-given freedom to practice our Catholic faith. For more than 225 years, the parishioners have led the way in faith for the community, building on the legacy of the prayers and sacrifices of those who have gone before them.

Designation as a minor basilica began a new chapter in Saint Mary's parish history. It brings honor not only to the parish, but to the Diocese of Arlington and to Roman Catholics throughout the country. As one of more than 85 minor basilicas in the United States, it has a special relationship to the Holy See and to the Holy Father in Rome. This relationship is represented by the ombrellino, tintinnabulum, papal cross keys, and the basilica seal. The parish continues to be a lively and vibrant Catholic community, united in celebrating the Eucharist through reverent liturgies.

As articulated by their motto, “Cum Petro Ad Jesum Per Mariam” (“With Peter to Jesus Through Mary”), parishioners seek to unite themselves to Jesus through Mary, guided by the Magisterial teaching of the Church, and believe in the universal call to Holiness: that every human person is called to be a saint. With a friendly and welcoming outreach to the less fortunate, especially through the parish's Society of Saint Vincent de Paul, parishioners share their Faith and evangelize the community through worship, education, service and fellowship. What also makes the parish special is the Basilica School of Saint Mary. Founded in 1869, it is the oldest Catholic school, with the largest enrollment (715 students in 2021), in the Diocese and region.

Parish History:

The Basilica of Saint Mary is the oldest Catholic church in Virginia. The date of its founding is April 10, 1795. Fr. John Thayer, a missionary, visited the Catholics in Alexandria that day and subsequently wrote to Bishop John Carroll, forwarding their urgent request for a church, which the bishop approved. But the roots of Saint Mary Church are much deeper. In the colonial period, it was illegal for Catholics to worship publicly. They were forbidden to vote or hold public office. Despite these restrictions, a number of Catholics lived in Alexandria. Some were the descendants of Maryland's original Catholic settlers, others were Irish and English immigrant tradesmen, and a sizeable number were enslaved persons and free blacks.

Until religious freedom was established in 1776, Catholics met in private homes for Mass whenever a priest came to Alexandria. Col. John Fitzgerald, mayor of Alexandria, an aide and personal friend to George Washington during the Revolutionary War, was a leader of the small flock. He too wrote to Bishop Carroll. During a Saint Patrick's Day party at Fitzgerald's home, a collection was taken up to purchase land for a church. Washington was present and made a sizeable donation. A tract of land was purchased at the south end of Alexandria, near the present Wilson Bridge and Jones Point. A small brick chapel was erected on the site. Fr. Francis Ignatius Neale, SJ, was the founding pastor. Because the location of the chapel was not near the center of town, and difficult to reach, the pastor, Fr. Joseph Fairclough, purchased two adjoining lots between Chapel Alley and South Royal Street.

On July 19, 1826, the cornerstone was laid for what eventually became the current Saint Mary Church building. The parish remained small until the 1840s, when a large number of Irish immigrant laborers arrived, which coincided with Saint Mary becoming the Mother Church of Virginia as it established the earliest of its numerous missions. As the population grew, the church became too small. In 1856, it was greatly expanded. A new marble altar and a very high steeple were added.

After the Civil War, Alexandria slowly returned to normal. The parish thrived. Many new spiritual and benevolent organizations became active in the parish. The Society of Saint Vincent de Paul was chartered by a small group of parish businessmen to help the needy. The church was remodeled and expanded several more times. In 1891, Saint Mary's close association with the Jesuits ended. Fr. Henry Cutler became the first pastor from the Diocese of Richmond. Supported by the newly affluent and generous Irish parishioners, he embarked upon a major expansion and renovation. The church entrance was extended to its present length, a limestone front was added, and the current steeples and belfry were erected. The church now held 1,200 worshipers. Over the years, a number of changes have been made to the church's interior. After Vatican II, much of the remaining ornate Gothic interior was removed, including the side altars and the altar rail. In the last 20 years, the trend has reversed. Saint Mary recently installed a beautiful antique marble altar rail.

As the parish entered the new millennium, Saint Mary was doing well. Numerous spiritual, charitable and social activities continue to be a regular part of the daily parish life. Then, in 2017, Saint Mary received a major honor: On December 6, 2017, Pope Francis designated it to be a minor basilica, an honor bestowed on only a small number of churches. The parish's long history, as well as its long tradition of spirituality and service to the community and the universal Church, were certainly factors in this award. The basilica, currently led by Fr. Edward Hathaway, continues to be a beacon of faith and service.


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Here follows an excerpt from the Basilica of Saint Mary's website about the history of the church:

History
Founded in 1795, the Basilica of Saint Mary, located in Alexandria, Virginia, is the first Catholic parish in the Commonwealth of Virginia and West Virginia, which were one state territory up until 1863. President George Washington made the first contribution for the creation of a Catholic parish in Virginia in the late 1700s, equivalent to approximately $1,200 today. A donation was made for a portion of land at the south end of the city on Church and South Washington Streets. It was here that the first brick structure known as the Church of Saint Mary was built under the guidance of the Very Reverend Francis Ignatius Neale, S.J. in 1795. The land later became, and still remains today, the Basilica of Saint Mary’s cemetery, the first Catholic cemetery in Virginia.

In 1810, the parish moved to its present location in the heart of the city at 310 South Royal Street. By 1826, Pastor Fr. Joseph Fairclough erected the Sanctuary and the major portion of the present-day church, which was formally dedicated in 1827. Throughout the 1800s, the Church of St. Mary played a crucial role in the growth of Catholicism in Virginia. Many mission churches that the Basilica of Saint Mary established have gone on to become independent parishes within the Diocese of Arlington.

Today, the Basilica of Saint Mary continues to be a vibrant and lively parish community with 54 apostolate groups, 400 parishioners regularly volunteering throughout the community, 18 lay staff members and 3 full-time priests. In 2020, the Basilica of Saint Mary celebrated 225 years of parish life. The Basilica School of Saint Mary (K-8), which regularly has an enrollment of over 700 students, also celebrated a historic 150th anniversary in 2019.

Founding
The Basilica of Saint Mary was founded as the church of Saint Mary, a Roman Catholic parish, in 1795 by the Very Reverend Francis Ignatius Neale, S.J., President of Georgetown College (now university) and Pastor of Holy Trinity Church (established 1787). The Basilica of Saint Mary is distinguished as the “eldest daughter” of the Church in the Commonwealth of Virginia and West Virginia, which existed as a single state territory until 1863.

The two “Port Cities” of Alexandria (1749) and Georgetown (1751) stood as independent jurisdictions, which were later incorporated into the District of Columbia. In 1790, President George Washington and the United States Congress established the District of Columbia (now the City of Washington, D.C.) Washington, D.C. was completely destroyed by the War of 1812 and by 1847, the city of Alexandria was incorporated into the Commonwealth of Virginia. As reflected in the annals of the Diocese of Richmond, the Basilica of Saint Mary in Alexandria holds the unique distinction of being the first official Roman Catholic parish in the Commonwealth of Virginia:

“There were few Catholics within that vast territory between the Atlantic Ocean and the Ohio River. Harsh laws had discouraged them from settling in colonial Virginia. It was not until the passing of Thomas Jefferson’s Bill for Establishing Religious Freedom in 1786 that Catholics were free to worship openly in the Old Dominion. Within ten years, Catholic communities began to form. St. Mary’s at Alexandria was established in 1795 as the first Catholic church in Virginia. Records from 1794 show that the Catholic congregation in Norfolk owned a parcel of land for religious purposes. More precisely, the Norfolk land was held by the Norfolk Catholic community’s lay trustees. It was their conflict with their pastor over this land that prompted Vatican authorities to persuade the Pope [Pius VI] to set up a Virginia diocese with a residential bishop to suppress the ‘Norfolk Schism.’ As the first Bishop of Richmond, the Pope Pius VII chose Father Patrick Kelly, then president of St. John’s Seminary, Birchfield, Ireland. He was consecrated bishop in St. James Chapel, Dublin on August 24, 1820. Arriving in Norfolk the following January, Bishop Kelly found that, not only was his congregation sorely disunited, it was also too poor to support a bishop and his work. The new Bishop was forced to support himself by operating a school. Obtaining permission to return to Ireland, Bishop Kelly left Virginia in July, 1822 without ever having visited his see city, Richmond, which had no organized Catholic community at that time. ” History of the Diocese of Richmond: http://richmonddiocese.org/about-us/history-of-the-diocese/

In 1781, a Catholic chaplain serving French soldiers in the Army commanded by Marshal Jean- Baptiste Donatien de Vimeur, Comte de Rochambeau, offered the First Holy Mass in Alexandria City. With the assistance from Rochambeau’s army, General George Washington secured a victory at Yorktown, Virginia over the British forces in the Revolutionary War. When Rochambeau left Virginia in 1782, the need for a place for Catholics to worship became more urgent. A testimony to this fact exists in the letter from the French Revolution exile and priest, Abbé Jean Dubois, S.S., following his 1791 visit to Alexandria city. Abbé Dubois wrote to Colonel John Fitzgerald (former Aide-de-Camp to General Washington during the Revolutionary War and prominent Alexandria resident) in a letter offering to say Mass:

“I hold myself subject to the direction of the Bishop of Baltimore, whether I will settle for a while at Richmond. If My ministry would be agreeable in your city, it will be a pleasure and an honor to go there from time to time to exercise its functions; I do not ask any contribution for this, I wish but the consolation of being of use. . . . Although a Frenchman I begin to speak several words of your English and I hope to speak it perfectly in a time.”

In 1826, Abbé Dubois was installed as the Third Bishop of the Roman Catholic Diocese of New York until his death on December 20, 1842. Additionally, Bishop Dubois went on to found and serve as the first president of Mount Saint Mary’s College (now University) in Emmitsburg, Maryland, site of the major Seminary and second oldest Catholic university in the United States.

On March 17, 1788, Colonel Fitzgerald hosted a dinner for prominent Maryland and Virginia citizens at his home in Alexandria, hoping to raise building funds for the first permanent Catholic parish in the Commonwealth. Verified documentation from the period exists to prove that General George Washington himself made a contribution to the fund. Additionally, Thornton Alexander (heir to John Alexander, the founder of the City of Alexandria) and Colonel Robert T. Hooe, (a Protestant gentlemen who served in the War with Colonel Fitzgerald) agreed to donate a portion of the land at Church and South Washington Streets, then just outside the Alexandria city limits. It was here that Virginia Catholics built the first brick structure known as the Church of Saint Mary. The cornerstone was laid in 1795, and work continued in 1796, according to letters from Archbishop John Carroll, S.J. of Baltimore. The land which later became and still remains the Basilica of Saint Mary’s cemetery, the first Catholic cemetery in the Commonwealth of Virginia.

In 1810, a parcel of land closer to the center of Alexandria was purchased for the new church. In 1826, Reverend Father Joseph W. Fairclough, Pastor, erected the Sanctuary and the major portion of the present church at its current location – 310 South Royal Street.

Throughout the centuries that followed, the Basilica of Saint Mary has played a crucial role in the growth of Catholicism in Virginia. From her inception, the Basilica of Saint Mary has done her part in helping to share the word of God through her creation and support of mission churches in Maryland, Virginia and West Virginia. Among the earliest of the “mission” churches was Saint Ignatius in Oxon Hill, Maryland, which remained a Mission until 1948 (now part of the Archdiocese of Washington). These missions have flourished, becoming independent parishes within the Diocese of Richmond (1820), the Diocese of Wheeling-Charleston (1850), and the Diocese of Arlington (1974), which now numbers over seventy parishes. With the current enrollment exceeding 700 students, the Church of Saint Mary parish elementary school, founded in 1869, remains the largest elementary school in the Diocese.

In 1891 when the Richmond Diocese assumed jurisdiction of the Basilica of Saint Mary, it inherited an established, vibrant and thriving parish with a historic, well preserved church, and a parish school of quality reputation. The Basilica of Saint Mary remains the “Jewel in the Crown” of the Jesuit-founded Maryland Assistancy churches. For the faithful of the Diocese of Arlington, the Basilica of Saint Mary inspires all who seek out Catholic spirituality in her beauty, rich history, sacred musicality, and active pastoral liturgy.