transcript
Speaker 1:
[00:05] Hello and welcome to American Catholic History. If you like American Catholic History, please help others find it by sharing this episode and giving us a five-star rating wherever you get your podcasts. I'm Noelle Hester Crowe.
Speaker 2:
[00:18] And I'm Tom Crowe.
Speaker 1:
[00:20] Today we're talking about the first cathedral built in the United States, the church known commonly as the Baltimore Basilica. But its full title is the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary.
Speaker 2:
[00:34] A quick note, we will visit this basilica during our upcoming pilgrimage to sites in Maryland and Northern Virginia that are important for colonial and early American Catholicism. We're doing this in late July. Get details on our website, americancatholichistory.org, and join us. Space is limited. We must have a minimum of nine pilgrims by the end of May to do it. So get those details and join us. Now, that said, let's get into the actual story. It's we've got a lot to talk about.
Speaker 1:
[01:02] Right. It is the result of an incredibly bold strategy on the part of John Carroll, the first bishop of Baltimore. And it has inspired the respect and admiration of Americans of all faiths since his construction. It is truly a gem, and we are blessed to have it as the mother church of American Catholicism.
Speaker 2:
[01:20] One remarkable fact is that it was designed by Benjamin Henry Latrobe, who was considered the father of American architecture. Another project Latrobe was working on when he designed this cathedral was the US. Capitol Building.
Speaker 1:
[01:34] Latrobe was a highly influential architect. He was a good friend of Thomas Jefferson, and when Jefferson was president, he made Latrobe Surveyor of Public Buildings. In that role, he was involved in many construction projects in the brand new city of Washington, DC.
Speaker 2:
[01:51] So right off the bat, we're talking about a project of sufficient stature to gain the attention of one of the most important architects of his day. And given what was going on, this cathedral was part of the rise and development of what can be called American architecture.
Speaker 1:
[02:07] And to anyone who has ever been to the Basilica, especially since the 2006 restoration, this is no surprise. It feels like an exquisite example of the best elements of early American architecture. It is stately, it has a broad portico with a triangular pediment supported by ionic columns.
Speaker 2:
[02:26] Yeah, it's that Greek temple meets Georgian country manor house feel of American neoclassical architecture.
Speaker 1:
[02:32] But then, it is unmistakably Catholic. It has onion domes atop twin towers just behind the portico. It is overall in the shape of a Latin cross, and inside, the altar in its apps draws the eye forward.
Speaker 2:
[02:47] Absolutely. It is quintessentially American and thoroughly sacred. It is a unique combination that I've not really seen done so well in pretty much any other church, but all of this is frankly remarkable considering the climate of the times when construction began in 1806. Right.
Speaker 1:
[03:03] It was just 30 years since the Declaration of Independence had been signed and only 15 since the Bill of Rights had been ratified.
Speaker 2:
[03:11] Prior to these events, Catholics were an oppressed and maligned minority in the 13 colonies. The only place in the English speaking world where mass could be offered publicly was Pennsylvania and in Pennsylvania, only in two churches in Philadelphia. In New York, being a Catholic priest was punishable by death. In Maryland, mass could be offered, but only in chapels built on private lands like those estates owned privately by Jesuits. There were Catholics in many parts of the colonies, but they had no right to practice their faith, could not hold public office, and were held suspect for just being Catholic.
Speaker 1:
[03:46] So, the religious liberty guaranteed by the Bill of Rights was a seismic shift for everyone involved, even if it was the result of a long evolution in political thought. In fact, this meant that Catholicism was suddenly more free in the new USA than it was in many historically Catholic parts of the world.
Speaker 2:
[04:07] That certainly meant that the number of Catholics in the USA would grow rapidly.
Speaker 1:
[04:11] Add to that the rebellion and the break from Britain. Through the colonial era and after the Revolution, Catholics in America were under the jurisdiction of the Vicar Apostolic of the London District.
Speaker 2:
[04:22] Vicar Apostolic, not Bishop, because England had not had Catholic diocesan bishops for roughly 230 years.
Speaker 1:
[04:29] Yes, but after the Revolution, Catholics remaining subject to an English Bishop, well, that wasn't really tenable.
Speaker 2:
[04:35] Absolutely. Catholics in the New United States already had to deal with accusations that they were more loyal to the Pope than to the United States. The last thing they needed was to be seen as still loyal to an English Bishop.
Speaker 1:
[04:47] So in 1789, Pope Pius VI created the Diocese of Baltimore and made the Jesuit priest, John Carroll, the first Bishop of Baltimore.
Speaker 2:
[04:57] And Carroll was a pitch perfect man for the position. He was a well-educated man and very world-wise. He was born in Maryland but had studied and taught in Europe for many years before returning to the United States. He was a very diplomatic man, but he wasn't a wilting flower. He had no hesitancy about asserting the primacy of Catholicism over every other faith. He was cousin to Charles Carroll of Carrolton, the only Catholic to sign the Declaration of Independence, and he was a good friend of Ben Franklin. All in all, he was incredibly well-suited to the difficult task of being the first Bishop of the massive and unwieldy diocese of Baltimore.
Speaker 1:
[05:34] Now, you've got to listen to our previous episode about John Carroll and Ben Franklin to find out how Ben Franklin helped the Pope to choose Carroll.
Speaker 2:
[05:43] That is one of my favorite little stories that we've done on American Catholic History.
Speaker 1:
[05:47] Also, he was well aware that in spite of the law of the land now being favorable, or at least officially ambivalent towards Catholicism, the culture of the people at large hadn't changed that much.
Speaker 2:
[06:00] All right, those who already thought that the anti-Catholic laws were dumb would be happy to see the change. And the sizable anti-Catholic factions who thought Catholicism was a threat to good American ideals would be riled up by this development and would likely cause problems.
Speaker 1:
[06:15] So, with all of that as foundation, Bishop Carroll had to build up the church in his new diocese of Baltimore. But he had to do so with a scarcity of priests, a scarcity of churches, and a scarcity of money. In a diocese that stretched from the top of Maine to the bottom of Georgia and from the Atlantic Coast more or less to the Mississippi River.
Speaker 2:
[06:38] You know, simple task. Yeah. In a letter to the Bishop of Cartagena in Spain, which he wrote in part to plead for resources, Bishop Carroll wrote, I am in charge of a diocese without boundaries, a diocese which I might say is the object of hatred, placed as it is among prevailing heresies. Everything must be arranged and introduced very gradually. A type of ecclesiastical discipline rather than its proper form must be imposed upon the clergy, the people, and the method of divine worship. Everywhere the diocese suffers from the scarcity of priests to whom the administration of sacred things can be safely entrusted, especially while we are closely watched by the heretics. Churches either do not exist or they are in a wretched condition due to the fact that the Catholics, who for so many years have been oppressed by harsh laws and have been reduced to a state of great poverty or scarcity, are beginning to come to life and emerge from their pitiful condition. This is the state of our affairs. So his was not a comfortable or an enviable position.
Speaker 1:
[07:43] No, not at all.
Speaker 2:
[07:44] But hey, you got to start somewhere.
Speaker 1:
[07:46] And what Bishop Carroll started with was a firm faith that success in this new diocese was God's will. He saw the advent of freedom of religion in the new United States as part of God's providence.
Speaker 2:
[08:00] Right. In his framework, the founders of the United States were acting, whether they knew it or not, to advance the providence of God for the Church. Bishop Carroll, on the other hand, set out quite consciously to act in accord with God's will within this new world of religious liberty. To begin his work, he began to recruit priests from Europe and to plead for financial support. He needed money to build churches and priests to man them and to go out as missionaries.
Speaker 1:
[08:27] But he didn't limit his goals to more priests and more churches all over the country. He also set his sights on erecting respected educational institutions and a grand cathedral.
Speaker 2:
[08:39] Yes, and this set of priorities may seem like trying to run before you can walk since the diocese was so poor and in such need of even the bare necessities of church life.
Speaker 1:
[08:48] Right, why divert much-needed funds to things like a grand cathedral or top-tier educational institutions if your rank-and-file Catholic parish can barely scratch out a living? But Bishop Carroll had an answer for that.
Speaker 2:
[09:02] The answer was one word, amplitude. Amplitude is a notion within Catholic apologetics that one of the signs that the Catholic Church is the true Church of God is its size and global character. Amplitude says that though the Church may suffer persecution and thus contract in some parts of the world, it shall be on the march and spreading in others. This global ebb and flow is a sign of God's providential protection of the Church as a whole.
Speaker 1:
[09:33] Amplitude. I like that.
Speaker 2:
[09:35] Yes.
Speaker 1:
[09:35] I can think of it in smaller circumstances too.
Speaker 2:
[09:39] Yes, exactly.
Speaker 1:
[09:40] So, to Bishop Carroll, as the Church was suffering so greatly in Europe, the ongoing persecution in England, the wars of religion in Germany, and the rumblings that became the French Revolution, the growth of the Church in America was the providential response. And he believed that marks of this response needed to include a respectable college, a vibrant seminary, and a grand cathedral that all would respect and admire.
Speaker 2:
[10:09] In fact, the next portion of that letter to the Bishop of Cartagena, which we quoted from before, reads, Quote, This is the state of our affairs which nonetheless can easily change for the better, and the growth of the Catholic Church in this country can be promoted if in other places, and especially in this Episcopal city. Some church can be erected which will be suitable for celebrating the sacred liturgy. For this reason, I am trying as hard as possible to erect a Catholic cathedral, but I clearly realized that my efforts will be in vain unless the inexhaustible Christian liberality of the wealthy regions of Spain will undertake the task.
Speaker 1:
[10:47] So, he clearly believed that the presence of a great cathedral was important as a visual mark of the presence and prominence of Catholicism in America.
Speaker 2:
[10:56] But there was another way in which Bishop Carroll framed the emergence of the church in the new United States. He drew a parallel to the emergence of the church in Rome after Constantine issued the Edict of Milan which legalized Christianity. In one of the appeals that he wrote to American Catholics to gain their donations for the new cathedral, he wrote of the early Christians and how, as soon as they were freed from oppression, they built grand temples to God and devoted themselves to solemn liturgies and praise and thanksgiving. Likewise, he says, Catholics in America had reason to act similarly.
Speaker 1:
[11:31] To emphasize part of what you paraphrased, it wasn't just a cathedral that was important, it was the liturgical life which a cathedral gives rise to. Bishop Carroll knew the importance of liturgy, especially in a nation mostly populated by anti-liturgical Protestants. Carroll saw the public acts of the liturgy as a means of claiming the new nation for the church, and, like the grand cathedral, a way to inspire awe and, perhaps, curiosity among non-Catholics.
Speaker 2:
[12:03] Yes, liturgy needed to be fully grand and fully sacred, drawing the person of faith out of the mundane of everyday life and into the contemplation of the Almighty. Carroll wrote of the liturgy, quote, It must be visible, and by its splendor contribute to raise in us ideas worthy of the greatness of the master to whom it subjects us and proposes as the object of our worship. For this purpose, we're ordained the public ceremonies of religion.
Speaker 1:
[12:30] So, to bring all this amplitude to reality, Carroll founded Georgetown College in 1789, then in 1792, St. Mary Seminary. These were, respectively, the first Catholic College and the first Catholic Seminary in the United States.
Speaker 2:
[12:47] And as early as 1792, the Grand Cathedral was discussed. Nothing happened on it, however, until after the turn of the 19th century. In the first years of the 1800s, Bishop Carroll decided it was time. He started raising the money by appeals to American Catholics as well as bishops and wealthy Catholics in Europe.
Speaker 1:
[13:05] Next, Bishop Carroll needed an architect. He knew Latrobe was the best, so he set out to get him. He didn't want to just approach him because he might not get in the front door, so he tried a side door. Carroll had some basic plans for a cathedral drawn up and sent them to a friend in Philadelphia for review.
Speaker 2:
[13:25] This friend of his was also a friend of Latrobe, and Carroll probably knew this. Carroll also probably expected that the friend would show the plans to Latrobe. Both of those things happened, and what happened next was probably what Carroll was hoping for. Latrobe sharply criticized the plans and offered his services free of charge.
Speaker 1:
[13:47] Now Latrobe was Protestant, but he was not anti-Catholic. He was happy to take on the project. We already mentioned his connection to Thomas Jefferson and that he was working on the Capitol Building in Washington at the time. He probably viewed this as a unique opportunity. He had studied architecture in Paris and other great cities of Europe, which would have meant studying great Catholic churches. I would imagine the opportunity to design the first grand cathedral in this new nation was a chance that an architect like Latrobe simply could not pass up.
Speaker 2:
[14:20] I would expect so. So Latrobe offered his proposal. Now since his architectural training included both the neo-gothic and the neo-classical styles, he offered two different proposals to Carroll, one in each style. Carroll chose the neo-classical. Many historians say this was because Carroll very intentionally wanted to align the architecture of his cathedral with that of the new federal buildings going up in the new nation's major cities. Such a choice would make a statement about the church being part of the fabric of America. There's not much evidence to support this interpretation, but it would make sense. The truth appears to be that Carroll simply preferred that style over the Neo-Gothic for this church.
Speaker 1:
[15:03] One possible reason for that preference is the chapel where he was consecrated bishop in 1789, St. Mary's Chapel at Lullworth Castle in England. That structure, the first Catholic church built in England since the Reformation, was Neo-Classical. Carroll's choice of Neo-Classical may have come down to that personal connection.
Speaker 2:
[15:24] So the Neo-Classical was chosen. Latrobe's design was laid out in a Latin cross, which is typical of Latin-right Catholic churches. He included a very large dome that dominates the crossing. On a suggestion from Thomas Jefferson, the dome was made double-walled with an oculus, which was a technique also used to great effect in the US. Capitol Building.
Speaker 1:
[15:43] This design allows for a striking effect. When you look up at the dome, you can see through an opening, called an oculus, as you just mentioned, in the center of the inner dome. What you see in the center of the outer dome above is a large carved rosette with a wooden dove in flight suspended below it. This scene is illuminated by natural light coming from 24 skylights in the outer dome that are hidden from sight by the inner dome.
Speaker 2:
[16:13] Surrounding this scene on the inner surface of the inner dome is a coffered grid, like that on the inner surface of the dome of the Pantheon in Rome. And each of the recesses of the coffers is a rosette. The dome is a wonderful and striking feature of this church. Throughout the rest of the building, the ceiling is a combination of smaller domes and barrel vaults. The tall, large, milled windows were of clear glass to let in as much light as possible.
Speaker 1:
[16:38] The next challenge was a location. Initially, they looked at land down closer to the harbor in Baltimore, but that wasn't seen as optimal for a number of reasons, including the potential for flooding. Instead, they set their sights on a hill on the outskirts of town, but it was a hill that was plainly visible from the distant harbor.
Speaker 2:
[16:59] This was a significant choice because at the time, Baltimore was the major port that welcomed immigrants. More people were entering the US through Baltimore than through any other city. So when immigrants first set their eyes on a US city, one of the major features to welcome them would be the majestic Catholic Cathedral high up on the hill.
Speaker 1:
[17:17] It's quite an impression.
Speaker 2:
[17:18] Absolutely. Note also that he chose the Assumption of Mary as the patron of this church. The Assumption wasn't a defined dogma until 1950, but it was already believed by Catholics to be the case. It was not, however, believed by Protestants. I imagine naming the cathedral in honor of St. Paul or St. John or another of the less controversial saints would have been a less bold move. But again, Archbishop Carroll was in the business of making statements. We are Catholic, we are American, liturgy matters, the sacraments are real, beautiful architecture matters, and Mary was assumed into heaven.
Speaker 1:
[17:54] Right. Again, Carroll was intent on making a statement with every aspect of this. It's also important to note that there was no other cathedral in the US for any denomination at the time.
Speaker 2:
[18:06] And that's kind of striking thing to consider.
Speaker 1:
[18:09] Kind of is. Again, we don't usually think of Catholics being so important in this country from so early on, but we really were.
Speaker 2:
[18:18] So the plans were completed and a site chosen. They broke ground in 1806. The ceremony for the blessing and the laying of the cornerstone was a grand affair. Bishop Carroll really claiming America in a liturgical manner in and through this cathedral. The ceremony included a grand procession, everyone in full vestments chanting the processional cross, incense, planting a cross in the ground where the altar would eventually be the whole nine yards. Many of these things would have been considered idolatrous by the majority of the area protestants, but Carroll knew the truth of it. We are bodily beings, we worship God with our whole selves, and the power to bless, to sanctify, to bind and loose was given to the church, and by golly, he was going to put the full liturgical glory of Catholicism on display.
Speaker 1:
[19:02] Construction took time as funds were not always abundant. Then the War of 1812 caused everything to come to a halt. Work resumed. But then John Carroll, who had become an archbishop in 1808, died in December 1815. His successor, Leonard Neal, took up the cause. But then he died just 18 months later.
Speaker 2:
[19:24] Finally, the third archbishop of Baltimore, the French-born Ambrose Maréchal, managed to complete the project to the point where it could be opened and blessed. This happy occasion took place on May 31st, 1821.
Speaker 1:
[19:38] To be clear, the entire structure wasn't completed. The portico wasn't added until 1863, and the interior took a long time to fully decorate.
Speaker 2:
[19:47] Even with these parts still yet to be realized, the Cathedral of the Assumption drew widespread acclaim. It was acknowledged as the most architecturally sophisticated building in the country at the time. The only other building which came close was the US. Capitol.
Speaker 1:
[20:03] But the cathedral, and not the Capitol, is considered Benjamin Latrobe's masterpiece.
Speaker 2:
[20:09] I'm sure many have been moved by this incredible church, as I myself have been, but we'll mention two prominent names. The first is someone whom we spoke about in another episode, General Joseph Warren Revere. Revere was, as you might have guessed, or know if you listen to our episode on him. Yes. A descendant of Paul Revere. He was his grandson. Revere was a general in the Union Army during the Civil War, and he was not Catholic until he visited the Cathedral of the Assumption. That experience was a key moment in bringing him to conversion.
Speaker 1:
[20:41] Another name that is much better known is Ralph Waldo Emerson. Emerson, the noted transcendentalist, attended a high mass at the Cathedral and later wrote to his wife, There is the way religion should be. The priest and the people are nothing, and the fact is everything. In the same letter, he wrote, It is well for my Protestantism that we have no Cathedral and conquered.
Speaker 2:
[21:06] Well, church architecture is supposed to be a transcendent experience. It is supposed to take you out of the rigmarole of the daily grind and point you straight to God. It is supposed to smooth away your cares, help you realize that you have left all that behind you and have drawn more closely to the throne of God. Great architecture, and this is great architecture, will have that effect on any person of goodwill. Emerson was wrong about many things, but he understood the importance and the testimonial weight of great architecture and beauty.
Speaker 1:
[21:36] Through the 19th century, the cathedral was the site of seven provincial and three plenary councils of Baltimore. Until not too long ago, it was the site of more priestly ordinations and episcopal consecrations than any other cathedral in the country. In 1937, it was named a minor basilica, and eventually it was declared the national shrine of the Assumption. It is, in so many ways, the mother church of Catholicism in the United States.
Speaker 2:
[22:05] But it didn't escape the ravages of time, the effects of neglect, and the impact of misguided choices for decoration and renovation made by others who didn't share Emerson's appreciation. The light-colored floor was replaced by dark green marble. The bright and airy color scheme was repainted with drab colors. The skylights were covered over, possibly because they were leaking and it was easier to just cover them. The clear windows were replaced with stained glass. The white painted pews were replaced with dark wooden ones.
Speaker 1:
[22:35] And all of this served to make the interior very dark and heavy. The opposite effect of what Latrobe's architecture was supposed to bring. In the 1950s, the Archdiocese of Baltimore built a new cathedral in a well-to-do northern neighborhood of the city, and the Cathedral of the Assumption became a co-cathedral and lost its place as the primary place of major diocesan events. Over time, the neighborhood around the Basilica of the Assumption became really rough.
Speaker 2:
[23:03] But in the early 2000s, Archbishop William Cardinal Keeler approved an ambitious plan to restore the Basilica to its original Latrobe splendor. She was closed to the public for about 15 months from 2006 into 2008. Every inch of the place was evaluated, bad paint choices removed, the white pews restored, the skylights reopened, the color scheme was returned to the pale yellows and creams prevalent in the era of its construction. It also received much-needed upgrades in ventilation, wiring, and accessibility.
Speaker 1:
[23:37] Plus, the undercroft or crypt level was opened to the public. Down there, they put in a museum and chapel to accompany the tombs of many archbishops of Baltimore, including John Carroll, who had been buried in the crypt under the sanctuary.
Speaker 2:
[23:51] And the result is stunning. I was in seminary when it reopened, and I was part of the seminary choir at Mount St. Mary's in Emmitsburg. One of the first Masses offered there at the Basilica was the opening Mass for the annual meeting of the US. Conference of Catholic Bishops. I was privileged to be cantor at that Mass. I'll never forget the experience of walking around the space before Mass, the light, the space, the joy. It was, it is an amazing edifice. And like we said, it will be part of our pilgrimage to Catholic Maryland and Virginia this summer. Got to join us. Get details at americancatholichistory.org/pilgrimages.
Speaker 1:
[24:29] The Baltimore Basilica, as it is commonly known, is an integral part of the history of the church in this country. It is an architectural marvel that draws visitors of every faith or no faith at all to marvel at its beauty and be drawn closer to God, whether they know it or not. And nowadays, since its restoration, it is an active part of the efforts to renew its neighborhood of Baltimore. The next time you're in Baltimore, don't miss a chance to visit America's first cathedral, the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Assumption of Mary. This has been American Catholic History. If you enjoy American Catholic History, please become a supporter. Get information on how to become a supporter at americancatholichistory.org.
Speaker 2:
[25:14] Also on our website, sign up for our newsletter. Learn more about the Baltimore Basilica, see about our pilgrimages, and find other great stories from American Catholic History.
Speaker 1:
[25:23] We also love the great reviews our listeners leave. Those and the five-star ratings help others find us. You can email us feedback, questions, tips for episode topics, or other comments at feedback at americancatholichistory.org. You can find us on Facebook at facebook.com/americancatholichistory, on Instagram at ACH underscore podcast, and follow us on X at ACH 1513. I'm Noelle Hester Crowe.
Speaker 2:
[25:51] And I'm Tom Crowe.
Speaker 1:
[25:52] Thanks for listening to American Catholic History, brought to you by the support of listeners like you.