Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception

A brief timeline

The vision is linked to the U.S. bishops’ 1846 choice of Mary under the Immaculate Conception as national patroness. The foundation stone was laid in 1920, and generations of the faithful continued building and adorning the shrine across a century.

Architecture and art

Romanesque–Byzantine forms, domes, and mosaics distinguish it from familiar Gothic models. More than 80 chapels and oratories present Marian titles and the heritage of immigrant Catholic communities, including Vietnamese Catholics.

A living church

The shrine is both national and universal. Communities with different languages meet in one liturgy, showing that Catholic unity does not erase culture but gathers its traditions around Christ and Mary.

If you visit, remember that this is first a place of worship: check the official liturgical schedule, keep silence, and respect the local community.