The Top Six Most Beautiful Catholic Churches In The USA

While Europe is home to many of the most beautiful churches in the world, America still has a lot to offer. On the Catholicism page on Reddit, there have been quite a few threads calling for answers as to the most stunning churches in the United States. After combing through all of the responses, these were voted the top six across the country. All cathedrals, basilicas and parishes were eligible. If you think we missed an important one, then leave the name in the comments. Number 6. The Cathedral of the Madeline in Salt Lake City. Completed in 1909, this is the mother church of the Diocese of Salt Lake City. It is the only cathedral in the United States under the patronage of St. Mary Magdalene. The exterior is predominantly a Neo-Romanesque design, while the inside displays more Neo-Gothic details. The plans for the interior were largely based upon the Spanish Gothic style. The colorful murals and polychrome were added early in the building process, as were the ornate shrines. The Blessed Sacrament Chapel within the cathedral contains the tomb of Bishop Scanlon, the first bishop of Salt Lake City. Resting atop the tomb is a case containing a small relic of St. Mary Magdalene. The cathedral in Salt Lake City is only one of two cathedrals in the world, holding first-class relics of the saint. Number 5. St. John Cantius Catholic Church in Chicago. The 19th century brought significant Polish immigration to Chicago, and this church is a direct result of this influx. Construction kicked off in 1893, and the inside is reminiscent of the art and architecture of 18th-century Krakow. The church takes its name for John Cantius, a Polish Catholic priest, scholastic philosopher, physicist, and theologian. The building has a façade of rusticated stone in the High Renaissance style, which dictated the use of classical elements such as columns, capitals, and arches. At the very top is a monumental pediment, decorated with the coat of arms of Poland's failed January Uprising. The interior is in the Baroque style, and the side walls are decorated with paintings of Polish patron saints. Today, the church remains a popular destination for those seeking the traditional Latin mass. Number 4. The Basilica of the Sacred Heart in Notre Dame. The Basilica is a major tourist attraction in northern Indiana, and is visited annually by more than 100,000 tourists. The Basilica features a World War I memorial door that honors the 46 Notre Dame students, alumni, and faculty who died in combat. Inside, there are three altars. The first is a high altar in Gothic Revival style. The second is called the Altar of Sacrifice, and was made from old pews and choir stalls from the Lady Chapel. The third altar is a Baroque altar in the Lady Chapel, believed to come from the studios of Giovanni Bernini in Rome. The ceilings are filled with a starry sky with angels, while the walls and transept are decorated with figures of saints. Each of the 12 bays of the vaulted ceiling is decorated with an angel, for a total of 96 painted angels. The Basilica contains 116 stained glass windows, seven side chapels, and a 20-ton organ with over 5,000 pipes. Number 3. The Cathedral Basilica of St. Louis. Completed in 1914, this is the mother church of the Archdiocese of St. Louis, and is known for its large mosaic installation and burial crypts. Completed in 1988, the mosaics collectively contain 41.5 million glass tesserae pieces in more than 7,000 colors. Covering 83,000 square feet, it is the largest mosaic collection in the world outside Russia. The church basement contains a museum dedicated to the mosaics in the church, as well as to some of the other artifacts found within the cathedral. Also in the church, Undercroft is a chapel dedicated to the souls of former leaders of the archdiocese. Currently, Cardinals John Glennon, Joseph Ritter, and John Carberry, as well as Archbishop John May, are buried in the cathedral's crypt. In 1999, a 14-foot-high welded stainless steel sculpture was installed on the side lawn of the church. It features a winged angel standing behind three children and playing a song of peace on their instruments. Number 2. The Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception in Washington, D.C. The National Shrine is the largest Catholic church building in North America and is also the tallest habitable building in Washington, D.C. Pope John Paul II raised the National Shrine to the status of minor basilica in 1990. Pope Benedict XVI bestowed a golden rose in 2008, and Pope Francis canonized Junipero Serra here in 2015. Its Greek-styled interior is crowned with numerous domes decorated in mosaics, similar to the Basilica of St. Mark in Venice, but much larger. The shrine was built in the style of medieval churches, relying on thick masonry walls and columns in place of structural steel and reinforced concrete. It was designed to hold 10,000 worshipers and includes modern amenities such as a basement cafeteria, hidden speakers to carry speech at the altar to the rear of the building, air conditioning, and what was formerly the largest radiant heating slab in the world. The final touches were added in 2017 when 24 tons of Venetian glass were added in the Central Trinity Dome, one of the largest mosaics of its kind in the world. Number 1. St. Patrick's Cathedral in New York City. The cathedral occupies a city block and is the largest Gothic Revival Catholic cathedral in North America. Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, over 5 million people visited the cathedral each year. St. Patrick's is clad in marble and has several dozen stained glass windows. The bronze doors that form the cathedral's main entrance on Fifth Avenue are flanked by towers with spires rising nearly 330 feet. Inside, it boasts a seating capacity of 2,400 people, numerous altars and stained glass windows, and a giant organ with 7,855 pipes. Services are held daily and all are welcome, visitors and worshippers alike. The main entrance features large bronze doors that display St. Joseph, St. Patrick, St. Isaac Jogues, St. Francis Cabrini, St. Kateri Tekakwitha, and Mother Elizabeth Seton. So the choice is clear. Distinguished by its captivating beauty, rich history, and profound religious significance, the cathedral surpasses all rivals.