WHAT IS A BASILICA

What is a Basilica?

by Michael J. Hopkins, C.Ss.R.

There were basilicas in the Roman Empire before the birth of Christ. And, they were not 'church type' buildings. A basilica was an official government building, usually located in Rome or any major city, at the central plaza. A basilica had a special shape to it; usually a large rectangular building, with two rows of columns running down the left and right hand sides, and a large, long, central hall running down the middle.

At one end, usually located in the east, the main government official sat to judge cases brought before him. This would be the local judge or praetor, or, in Rome, the Emperor, himself. At the other end of the rectangle there were the main doors. There were often five doors; one door for each aisle, and one for the main hall section.

Much private business would take place in the 'mini-halls' running down the side aisles of the basilica; public business and/or trials might take place in the main section. A basilica was not the ordinary place for people to gather for worship or prayer. That was usually assigned to a temple; or, to one's own home.

In the early 300's, the Emperor Constantine granted religious freedom, and even made Christianity the 'official' state religion. Christians were able to worship publicly and safely for the first time. The terrible days of open and dreadful persecution were over. In 313, Constantine gave Pope Miltiades a palace on the Lateran hill as a residence; and began building a church later called the Basilica of St. John at the Lateran (photo of interior to right). This basilica is really the Holy Father's cathedral--not St. Peter's. It was the same Constantine who began construction of that first church over the tomb of Peter, and, authorized the use of public funds for building other Christian churches in Rome, Jerusalem, Africa, and other parts of the Empire. Many of those buildings took the shape and form of the typical Roman public building, the Basilica.

Since that time, the term 'basilica' came to mean more than just the shape and form of a church building. Over the years, four special churches in Rome were declared to be 'Major Basilicas': St. John Lateran--the Pope's Cathedral; St. Peter's in the Vatican-for the Patriarch of the ancient church of Constantinople in Turkey; St. Paul Outside the Walls for the Patriarch of Alexandria in Egypt; and St. Mary Major for the Patriarch of Antioch in Syria. Other churches, such as the Franciscan Monastery at Assisi, have been added to the list of Major Basilica churches; but, these four are the original and primary ones.

Many churches have been given the title of 'Minor Basilica' by the Holy Father for special reasons. There are 11 of them in Rome, itself; and 34 in the U.S. Of those 34, only one is in Massachusetts- -and, that one is in Roxbury- -The Basilica of Our Lady of Perpetual Help! On September 8th, 1954, the Feast of the Birth of the Blessed Mother, our parish church was declared a Minor Basilica. We have some special privileges that come with that.

A basilica is allowed to have its own Coat of Arms- -just like a diocese and its Bishops. We have the Icon of Perpetual Help as our coat of arms. (You can see that near the pillar on the right hand side of the church.) We are allowed to carry a special little Tower with a small bell in processions inside the church. On one side of that tower is the Icon of Perpetual Help; and, on the other side is the Coat of Arms of the Redemptorists. (You can see that near the pillar on the left hand side of the church, next to the pulpit.) Over on the far right hand side, near the altar of St. Joseph, there is a strange looking umbrella.

This umbrella is called either the 'Umbellina... or, Pavilion'... Originally, this umbrella or tent would cover and protect the Holy Father or the Patriarch from severe weather. The colors are alternately red and yellow- the colors of the Holy Father, and, the colors of the Roman Senate in the days of the Roman Empire. A basilica is usually considered a very special Papal Church! The umbellina or pavilion is kept half way opened as a sign that the basilica is ready and able to welcome the Holy Father to celebrate the Liturgy.

On our umbellina we have several decorated panels. The Icon of Perpetual Help is repeated several times on the panels; the Redemptorist coat of arms is there, along with the coat of arms of Cardinal Cushing who was Archbishop of Boston in 1954, and, several panels with lilies--an ancient symbol of the Blessed Mother- -the Lily of Israel.

Fr. Michael J. Hopkins was born in Brooklyn, NY. After graduation from Mount St. Alphonsus Seminary in Esopus, NY, he took his vows as a priest of the Redemptorist Order at lIchester, MD in 1957. Since that time, Fr. Hopkins has served parishes in Maryland, Pennsylvania, Vermont, Virginia, New York, Georgia, North Carolina, and Florida as well as an assignment as Chaplain's assistant at Dartmouth College.

Fr. Hopkins came to the Mission Church as Parochial Vicar in August 1993. Since that time, he has been busy, among other assignments, writing the very informative descriptions of the altars, and other locations around the sanctuary of the Mission Church. This article was published in 1995.