Evening star., 1954-12-20
Immaculate Conception Shrine Likely to Attract
One Million Visitors Yearly When Completed
By Riehord Rodgers


University that will attract an
estimated million visitors yearly.
It viii be the largest Catholic
Church in this hemisphere.
The edifice is the National
Shrine of the Immaculate Con-
ception. abuilding since 1920,
but stopped since completion of
the crypt some 20 years ago.
Next step is the superstructure,
to cost $14 million and requiring
about five years to erect
Concerned at Publicity.
The shrine's director is the
Right Rev. Patrick j. O'Connor.
He is somewhat concerned over
the amount of discussion given
the shrine's physical statistics,
compared to public interest over
its spiritual assets.
But even Msgr. O'Connor is
mildly awed by the purely struc-
tural features.
ut would be quite safe to say
the shrine will have at least a
million visitors year." the mon
signor said. Even now, the
shrine's crypt is on the list of
tourist attractions here.
Catholics list their United
States population at 30 million.
When their shrine to the Blessed
Mother is finished. it will be-
as of present plans-the greatest
monument ever built to honor
Christ's Madonna.
Moreover, it will be the only
Catholic church in the United
States big enough to house the
more than 200 bishops and lesser
prelates simultaneously in q
sanctuary.
All the bishops have Cooper
ated in the shrine's fund cam
paignS.
$4 Million Needed.
So far, about $11 million has
been collected toward the $14
million needed to build the main
church. Later there will be drives
to construct a bell tower to COM
plete the project.
The shrine's size perhaps does
dominate too much in any dis.
cussion of it.
One could become so impressed
by its hugeness as to neglect it's
art treasures. The proudest of
these is a mosaic of Murillo's
Immaculate Conception" It has
$4,000 pieces of natural-color
stone. in countless tints and
hues, took five years to assemble,
weighs 1000 pounds and is the
gift of two Popes. Now in the
crypt. it will be transplanted to
the main church.
The crypt has Is chapels, plus
a high altar of marble and
golden onyx.
The great tiled dome is an ar
tistic marvel. The crypt's ceiling
was built to support the main
church's floor, and is believed to
be the largest masonry arch in
the world.
Marble was gathered from 20
countries for the 80 varieties of
stone in the crypt's mosaic floor.
Not a Cathedral.
Though destined to be Cathol-
icism's showplace in the Western
World, the shrine does not quail
ify as a cathedral.
Properly speaking, a cathedral
is the church where a bishops
throne is located. And this is a
national shrine, rather than the
headquarters of any single bish-
opric.
Following the tradition of Eu-
ropes medieval edifices, CEN
turies in construction, the shrine
will be entirely of masonry, with
no steel beams, designers say.
Approximately 5000 worship
ers can gather in it at one time.
When the bell tower. or cam
panile, is done, and the shrine
is completed, the job will have
consumed some $22 million.
Some of this came from organi-
cations and individuals abroad.
But most of it was from Amer
icans-all over America, from
school children to parishes, dio-
ceSes and archdiocese-thus the
National" in its name.