News - February 2018 RSS Feed

The Basilica of St. Mary of the Angels celebrated its first anniversary Sunday by unveiling new artwork, announcing a new celebration and looking toward the future. St. Mary’s officials and parishioners gathered at the 103-year-old West Henley Street church to reflect on last year’s basilica designation from Pope Francis. The actual anniversary of the designation is Feb. 14 — the day Pope Francis’ decree was signed — but Feb. 14 falls on Ash Wednesday this year so the Mass was held Sunday instead. For the Most Rev. Gregory Dobson, St. Mary’s pastor, the Mass was about celebrating not only the basilica’s present, but also its future. Fr. Greg's blessing of the coat of arms... May the Lord bless this coat of arms. May it declare our devotion to our Holy Father; to all the successors of the apostles. May we reverence the apostolic mission of the church. And when we reverence that here, may we pay tribute to those who have dreamed about this place. May we honor those who make it what it is today. And we pray for those who will be the parishioners of the Basilica of St. Mary of the Angels for years to come. May this holy insignia truly be blessed this day as I pray a blessing upon all of you. And so we unveil the coat of arms of Pope Francis “to be here as long as this building stands. To dedicate this special space to this pope and to show our affinity and our devotion to the Holy Father. It’s a very simple way for us to remember Pope Francis here forever.”