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Translation<\/strong><\/p>\n COLUMBUS<\/p>\n At the request of His Excellency, the Most Reverend Earl K. Fernandes, Bishop of Columbus, in a letter of 18 June 2022 expressing the prayers and desires of the clergy and the lay faithful, the Dicastery for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments, with the power of faculties given to it by the Supreme Pontiff FRANCIS, very willingly bestows upon the parish church in the town of Lancaster that is dedicated to God in honor of the Blessed Virgin Mary of the Assumption, the title and dignity of a MINOR BASILICA, with all the attached rights and liturgical concessions to be observed as these are regulated by the Decree \u201cRegarding the Title of a Minor Basilica,\u201d promulgated on 9 November 1989.<\/p>\n \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 <\/span>All this is granted, anything to the contrary notwithstanding.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 <\/span>Issued from the office of the Dicastery for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments on 7 July 2022.<\/p>\n + Arthur Roche + Victor Francis Viola, O.F.M. <\/p>\n <\/p>\n The Bestowal of the Title of Minor Basilica Background on Basilicas\u2028<\/strong> Types of Basilicas The other three are the Vatican Basilica of Saint Peter, the Basilica of Saint Mary Major, and the Basilica of Saint Paul-Outside-the-Walls. \u2028\u2028Minor Basilicas are those churches throughout Christendom that have been given a special designation by the Holy Father.\u00a0 Reasons for bestowing this designation may be granted for architectural beauty, historical significance, liturgical renown, or for any combination of these attributes.\u00a0 A Minor Basilica shares a special relationship with the See of Rome and with the Holy Father.<\/p>\n Various privileges and obligations The papal symbol, that is, “crossed keys,” may be exhibited on banners, on furnishings, and on the seal of the basilica.<\/p>\n The rector of the basilica or the person in charge of it may wear in the exercise of his office \u2014 over the cassock or the religious habit and the surplice \u2014 a black mozetta with red piping, buttons, and buttonholes.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n A STATEMENT FROM THE<\/strong> VATICAN GRANTS \u201cMINOR BASILICA\u201d TITLE TO\u00a0ST. MARY OF THE ASSUMPTION\u00a0CHURCH IN LANCASTER<\/strong><\/p>\n St. Mary of the Assumption is the first church in the Diocese of Columbus to receive the title, \u201cMinor\u00a0Basilica.\u201d<\/p>\n COLUMBUS \u2013 In a letter addressed to the Most Reverend Earl K. Fernandes, Bishop of Columbus, the\u00a0Vatican decreed that St. Mary of the Assumption in Lancaster, Ohio has been granted the title of, \u201cMinor\u00a0Basilica.\u201d<\/p>\n The letter, signed by Archbishop Arthur Roche, the Prefect for the Dicastery for Divine Worship and the\u00a0Discipline of the Sacraments, and Archbishop Vittorio Francesco Viola, O.F.M., Secretary of the\u00a0Dicastery, sent on July 7, 2022, decreed the status of minor basilica to this \u201cimportant church…\u00a0intensifying the bond with the Church of Rome and with the Holy Father, also promotes it as an\u00a0exemplar of liturgical and pastoral action within the Diocese.\u201d<\/p>\n The church started in 1817 in the home of Michael Garaghty at the corner of Main and High Streets, and\u00a0was officially named \u201cSt. Mary of the Assumption\u201d in 1818\/19. The parish will now be named, \u201cBasilica\u00a0of St. Mary of the Assumption.\u201d<\/p>\n In October of 2021, Bishop Robert Brennan along with pastor, Reverend Craig Eilerman, petitioned the\u00a0Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments for the title. Bishop Brennan\u2019s\u00a0letter read in part, \u201cIt is the home of a thriving Catholic community and is already a destination for\u00a0pilgrims and visitors who seek to experience the holiness of this place, and to admire the beauty of this\u00a0sacred edifice.\u201d<\/p>\n Bishop Earl K. Fernandes affirmed the request in June of 2022. The bestowal of the title of Minor Basilica is an initiation of a very particular bond between St. Mary of\u00a0the Assumption Parish Church and the Holy Father; it sets the church of St. Mary apart in rank from\u00a0other churches. While the principal church of Columbus is St. Joseph Cathedral, the Basilica ranks after\u00a0the Cathedral as a church of great distinction.<\/p>\n \u201cI am thrilled that our church has been granted the title of a Minor Basilica. It\u2019s an affirmation of\u00a0the strong Catholic faith that has existed for over 200 years in Lancaster and of the outstanding\u00a0beauty of St. Mary of the Assumption Church.\u201d – Reverend Craig\u00a0Eilerman, St. Mary of the\u00a0Assumption Church<\/p>\n The Basilica of St. Mary of the Assumption in Lancaster is one of 105 churches in the Diocese of\u00a0Columbus. It is the seventh church in Ohio to be granted the title of minor basilica. The other minor\u00a0basilicas in Ohio include; Basilica and National Shrine of Our Lady of Consolation (Carey), Basilica of St.\u00a0Mary of the Assumption (Marietta), Basilica of Our Lady of Mount Carmel (Youngstown), Basilica and\u00a0National Shrine of Our Lady of Lebanon (North Jackson), and Cathedral Basilica of St. Peter in Chains\u00a0(Cincinnati).<\/p>\n While somewhat familiar to Catholics, the term Basilica originally referred to a specific function and style\u00a0of building in use during the time of the Roman Empire. A Basilica was a public building used by the\u00a0Emperor or Judges for major events of noble import or significance. The structure was usually\u00a0distinguished by columns, a long center aisle, and an apse within the building. It was into the apse that\u00a0the Emperor or Judge would be seated. As Christianity became the official religion of the Roman Empire,\u00a0Basilicas were converted into churches, with the Altar and Tabernacle of Our Lord, Jesus Christ\u00a0substantially present in the apse, the place once occupied by the emperor. The Basilica thus became the\u00a0\u201cRoyal House\u201d where Christians gathered to celebrate the Eucharist and proclaim that Jesus Christ is Lord.<\/p>\n There are two types of Basilicas: Major Basilicas and Minor Basilicas. All the Major Basilicas are found in\u00a0the city of Rome. Minor Basilicas are those churches throughout Christendom that have been given a\u00a0special designation by the Holy Father. Reasons for bestowing this designation may be granted for\u00a0architectural beauty, historical significance, liturgical renown, or for any combination of these attributes.\u00a0A Minor Basilica shares a special relationship with the See of Rome and with the Holy Father.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Translation COLUMBUS At the request of His Excellency, the Most Reverend Earl K. Fernandes, Bishop of Columbus, in a letter of 18 June 2022 expressing the prayers and desires of the clergy and the lay faithful, the Dicastery for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments, with the power of faculties given to it […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":16977,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_et_pb_use_builder":"off","_et_pb_old_content":"","_et_gb_content_width":"","_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-16518","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"yoast_head":"\n
\nPrefect<\/em><\/p>\n
\nArchbishop Secretary<\/p>\n
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\n<\/strong>The bestowal of the title of Minor Basilica is an initiation of a very particular bond between St. Mary of the Assumption Parish Church and the Holy Father, it set the church of St. Mary apart in rank from other churches.\u00a0\u00a0While the principal church of Columbus is St. Joseph Cathedral, where the\u00a0cathredra<\/em>\u00a0is found (the chair of the Bishop, the symbol of his authority), our Basilica ranks after the Cathedral as a church of great distinction.<\/p>\n
\nWhile somewhat familiar to Catholics, the term Basilica originally referred to a specific function and style of building in use during the time of the Roman Empire. A Basilica was a public building used by the Emperor or Judges for major events of noble import or significance.\u00a0 The structure was usually distinguished by columns, a long center aisle, and an apse within the building. It was into the apse that the Emperor or Judge would be seated.\u2028\u2028As Christianity became the official religion of the Roman Empire, Basilicas were converted into churches, with the Altar and Tabernacle of Our Lord, Jesus Christ substantially present in the apse, the place once occupied by the emperor.\u00a0 The Basilica thus became the \u201cRoyal House\u201d where Christians gathered to celebrate the Eucharist and proclaim that Jesus Christ is Lord.<\/p>\n
\n<\/strong>There are two types of Basilicas: Major Basilicas and Minor Basilicas. All the Major Basilicas are found in the city of Rome. First among them is the Lateran Basilica of Saint John, which is the Pontifical Cathedral of the Holy Father as the Bishop of Rome.<\/p>\n
\n<\/strong> \u2028The faithful who devoutly visit the basilica and within it participate in any sacred rite or at least recite the Lord’s Prayer and the profession of faith may obtain a plenary indulgence under the usual conditions (sacramental confession, Eucharistic Communion, and prayer for the intention of the Supreme Pontiff):<\/p>\n\n
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\n\u201cWith the transition of bishops, the Congregation wanted to know whether we should move\u00a0forward with the request, and, of course, I said, \u2018Yes.\u2019 It\u2019s a great honor for the Diocese of\u00a0Columbus. It\u2019s a beautiful and historical church, which has been restored and enhanced. In\u00a0Lancaster, people of faith have gathered to worship God for more than two centuries. Here they\u00a0have celebrated sacred moments in their lives. The designation also shows the ongoing loyalty\u00a0of the Diocese of Columbus and its people to the Holy Father. The designation is a testimony to\u00a0the faith that was brought here by missionaries and a reminder to continue to be missionaries, bringing Good News to others!\u201d \u00a0– Bishop Earl K. Fernandes, Diocese of Columbus<\/p>\n