St. Mary's Basilica (Phoenix)
St. Mary's Basilica – officially The Church of the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary – is a church of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Phoenix located at 231 North 3rd Street at the corner of East Monroe Street in downtown Phoenix, Arizona. It was built from 1902 to 1914 in a combination of the Mission Revival and Spanish Colonial Revival styles, and was dedicated in 1915. It replaced an earlier adobe church built in 1881 when the parish was founded. The parish has been staffed by the Franciscan Friars since 1895. The current church  was elevated to a minor basilica by Pope John Paul II in 1985. The oldest Roman Catholic parish church in the greater Phoenix area, St. Mary's was the only parish in Phoenix until 1924 and is home to Arizona's largest stained glass windows collection and a 26 rank pipe organ built by the Schantz Organ Company. The building was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1978 as "St. Mary's Church". Architecture. The church's Mission Revival–Spanish Colonial Revival structure supports four domes spanning the length of the Basilica. All the domes are compound  design with the pendentives, following Roman architecture, transferring the weight of the roof to the pillars. The dome over the intercept point of the crossover, the nave center aisle and the apse, is topped with stained glass and features a lantern above the dome to emit light into the nave and sanctuary. The dome located over the altar is topped with a cupola designed to provide light to the altar. The two bell towers are topped with onion shaped domes, typical of the churches of Bavaria and Austria, where Fr. Novatus Benzing, the Pastor at the time, and Br. Leonard  Darscheid, the Architectural Consultant, both originated. The towers house four bells which ring daily. The renowned Gothic-style stained glass collection was manufactured by the Emil Frei Studio of Missouri. The large upper windows depict scenes from the life of the Blessed Virgin Mary, while the lower nave and transept windows depict images of popular Saints of the Franciscan Order and of the heritage of the cultures represented in the community at the time (German, Spanish, Irish). Also noteworthy are the Stations of the Cross by the Andrew Kaletta Studio of St Louis. Rather than simply being painted, they are  cast in high relief on a gold background which causes the figures and their detailed features to stand out prominently. Basilica. Pope John Paul II elevated St. Mary's to the rank of a minor basilica in 1985, two years before his visit to Phoenix in 1987, when he visited St. Mary's and addressed crowds of thousands from the balcony on the facade. The principal symbols of its status as a Basilica – the Tintinnabulum (large bell on a column) and the Ombrellone (large gold and red umbrella) – are displayed in the sanctuary. St. Mary's became the 32nd basilica  in the United States and remains the only basilica in Arizona. The church, a Phoenix Points of Pride, is located at the northeast corner of North 3rd Street and Monroe in downtown Phoenix, a carillon of the Copper Square. Liturgy and worship. Saint Mary's Basilica is an active parish church and center of worship for the Diocese of Phoenix. It is known for maintaining a traditional form of liturgy featuring the pipe organ, choir, men's schola and a wide range of music from traditional Gregorian chant to Renaissance polyphony and contemporary composers in its services. Masses are celebrated  from Monday to Friday at Noon, beginning with the singing of the Angelus, and on Sundays at 5:00 pm (Saturday Vigil), 9:00 am and 11:00 am. Solemn Choral Vespers are also celebrated on Sunday evenings at 5:00 pm during the seasons of Advent and Lent. St. Mary's also holds Devotions to Saint Anthony of Padua on Tuesdays after the noon Mass, and Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament on Thursdays after the noon Mass, concluding with Benediction at 2:00 pm. Clergy and staff. The Basilica is staffed by the Franciscan Friars of the Province of Saint Barbara, whose coat of  arms and various symbolism can be found displayed prominently throughout the building. The Rector is The Very Rev. Michael Weldon, O.F.M., and he is assisted by the Parochial Vicars, Rev. Micah Muhlen, O.F.M. and Rev. Edward Sarrazin, O.F.M. Also in residence are Rev. Luis Baldonado, O.F.M. and Br. Scott Slattum, O.F.M. Due to the centrality of its location and its historical importance, many of the important liturgical events of the Diocese of Phoenix are split between the Basilica and the Cathedral of Saints Simon and Jude, with the Bishop of Phoenix, The Most Rev. Thomas J. Olmsted as the Principal  Celebrant.