Basilica of St. Mary of the Assumption (Marietta, Ohio)

The Basilica of St. Mary of the Assumption is a Minor Basilica of the Catholic Church located in Marietta, Ohio, United States. It is also a parish church of the Diocese of Steubenville.

Basilica of St. Mary
of the Assumption
Front of the basilica
Location in Ohio
39°25′17″N 81°27′21″W
Location506 4th St.
Marietta, Ohio
CountryUnited States
DenominationRoman Catholic Church
Websitestmarysmarietta.org
History
Founded1838
ConsecratedDecember 12, 1909
Architecture
Architect(s)Emile M. Uhlrich
StyleSpanish Colonial Revival
GroundbreakingJuly 1, 1903
Completed1909
Construction cost$129,000
Specifications
Number of domesThree
Administration
DioceseSteubenville
Clergy
Bishop(s)Most Rev. Jeffrey M. Monforton
Pastor(s)Msgr. John M. Campbell

History

The first Mass celebrated in what is now Marietta was celebrated by the Rev. Joseph de Bonnecamp, S.J. who was the chaplain to a French expedition from Quebec.[1] The Mass was celebrated at the confluence of the Muskingum and Ohio Rivers. There were few Catholics in the early years of the town. By the 1830s a priest would occasionally visit from Wheeling. Bishop John B. Purcell of the Diocese of Cincinnati bought land in Marietta in 1837 and sent a resident priest the following year to establish the parish. A building on the property was used by the parish for worship until 1853 when the first church building was built. The building was inundated by floods in 1884, 1891, 1895 and 1898.[1]

The property for the present church was acquired in 1900 after the 1,000-member parish determined it needed to move to higher ground.[2] The house on the site was moved to the north side of the property and is still in use as the rectory. Cleveland architect Emile M. Uhlrich designed the church in the Spanish Colonial Revival style. The ground was broken on July 1, 1903 and Bishop James J. Hartley of the Diocese of Columbus, which St. Mary's became a part of in 1868, laid the cornerstone on June 12, 1904.[1] The building was enclosed in 1905 and work halted until 1907 while subscriptions were paid off and new funds were raised. The church was consecrated by Bishop Hartley on December 12, 1909. The stained glass windows were created in Munich, Germany.

In 1945 St. Mary's transferred to the newly established Diocese of Steubenville. Pope Francis decreed on June 13, 2013 that St. Mary's Church was elevated to the status of a minor basilica.[3] It was solemnized by Bishop Jeffrey M. Monforton on November 5, 2013.

References
  1. "History of the Basilica". Basilica of St. Mary of the Assumption. Archived from the original on 2014-06-02. Retrieved 2014-05-31.
  2. "Marietta Churches Walking Tour". Marietta, Ohio. Archived from the original on 2016-08-28. Retrieved 2014-05-31.
  3. "Basilica of St. Mary of the Assumption". GCatholic. Retrieved 2014-05-31.
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