And how odd is this, this morning's Macon Telegraph (at least in its on-line edition) has this story about a recently designated minor-basilica near Detroit! Read it by pressing here! The Telegraph must be clairvoyant or my clairvoyant telepathy is being received by them!
St. Joseph Church in Macon is certainly a more stunning gem of architecture compared to Sacred Heart and certainly has a strong liturgical and parish life to support its application to be a minor-basilica.
Press here to find out how St. Joseph Church may well become The Basilica of Saint Joseph, Husband of the Blessed Virgin Mary or The Basilica of Saint Joseph for short!
Symbols St. Joseph Basilica would receive: Umbrella, Papal Coat of Arms and Tintinnabulum
Symbols of a Basilica
Traditionally the special insignia of a minor basilica have been the "conopeum" and the "tintinnabulum." The former is a large umbrella composed of alternate red and yellow silk stripes. The latter is a bell mounted on a pole. Both were used in ancient times in papal cavalcades to the stational churches.
The umbrella was used as protection against inclement weather; the bell was used to marshal the procession and to signal its approach. Customarily these insignia are displayed in the sanctuary of the church. They are also carried in processions after the processional cross, the basilica bell preceding the umbrella or "ombrellone."
23 comments:
Would you like this? Why?
I am the asking the question😀
No, the honorific is not warranted.
Wrong again you'll have to eat your words!😀
Let's pack a bag. I think somebody might be going on an ego trip.
In my Jean Luc Picard voice, "Make it so."
St Joseph's seems to tick most of the boxes. Make sure you get a canopaeum and tintinnabulum to adorn the sanctuary and occasionally carried in procession. In the British Isles there are only five basilicae minores. Three are in Ireland. Of the two in England one (St Chad's, Birmingham) is a metropolitan cathedral and the other (Downside) is a Benedictine monastery.
There was a third (Corpus Christi, Manchester, built by the Norbertines at the beginning of the 20th century). It was deconsecrated in 2007 and is now a Moslem cultural centre.
Pray that it be so! Macon is so excited (once they find out) and as the Visitor's bureau's outdoor sign outside of Macon shows over the large, looming figure of St. Joseph Church, "If these walls could talk they would sing!" There will be an exultant and exuberant singing of the Alleluia Chorus if this is so. I have no reason to think it won't be so.
Churches do not have egos, Anonymous.
But pastors do.
Anonymous,
How would calling a church a "basilica" boost the pastor's ego? The present pastor didn't build, design or pay for the church.
I believe Basilicas must have Mass in Latin, so yes.
Now, I can see how calling Father McDonald a "basilica" could boast his ego. "Basilica Allan J. McDonald, esq."
Just as long as I not called imbasilica!
I'm no expert, but the word I hear is that the rector of a Basilica may wear a black mozetta with red piping, buttons and button holes.
Someone told me once that the Diocese of Savannah would not let another church in the diocese be a basilica if the Cathedral itself is not made a basilica.
Anonymous,
Could he just wear a red baseball cap that says, "basilica"?
Father McDonald, I will pray for you and the people of St. Joseph in this endeavor. How wonderful it would be to have a basilica in the heart of Georgia! It would be a recognition of what the parishioners now and those who have gone before have given in service to the church and to all of middle Georgia.
As a member of the Basilica in Atlanta I served, along with with many others, on our "basilica committee". It was surely a unifying undertaking for our parish....a real grass roots effort to bring it to fruition!
Mallen
Quickness it was under another regime and the quote was, shouldn't the Cathedral be one?
Mallen, thank you for your words. I was going to call Sacred Heart to find out who our committee chair could contact there to find out what you all went through. Please email me with a contact person:
frajm@st-joseph.cc
God bless.
I do know of one parish church that was recently made a basilica, but the chancery staff initiated the process and carried it through to the end. The parish itself was not directly involved.
Joe I think you are wrong that basilicas need masses in Latin. In my diocese, Toronto, we have a minor basilica near the downtown and there is NO Latin masses of either form there. There is also one in a smaller township in another diocese an hour away in Guelph, ON, which was made a basilica in 2014 Dec and it has NO Latin masses of either form (though I think a private group used it for a EF Requiem soon after.)
Julian is right that basilicas are not required to have Masses in Latin (although it is desirable that they do so) but it is expected that the laity can say or sing together in Latin those parts of the Ordinary that pertain to them (see SC).
They are also required to have a schola cantorum so that the music proper to the Roman liturgy (Gregorian chant) can accompany the liturgy. Without this they can hardly fulfil the requirements of SC and Musicam Sacram, which remain the liturgical norms.
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