House of God
My favorite churches in America
“Woman, believe me, the hour is coming when neither on this mountain nor in Jerusalem will you worship the Father.“ - John 4:23
We learn from Jesus in His conversation with the Samaritan woman at Jacob’s well that the whole world is God’s temple, and we are to worship Him everywhere as long as we do it in spirit and truth. We Catholics often draw criticism from our Protestant brothers and sisters due to what they perceive as idolatry. The ornate decorations and heavy use of imagery tends to make them uncomfortable. They wonder why we spend so much on building fancy churches when that money could go to the poor. Recall what Jesus says to his disciples when the widow makes her offering in the treasury in Mark 12:41-44. He does not admonish her and tell her to keep the little amount of money she has. He praises her and says that she has given more than all the others in the temple because she gave everything she had. We are all called to give back to God. We build beautiful churches because God deserves to have a home of majesty and wonder.
There are several other reasons that we build these grand houses of worship. Historically in the Church, art was used as a method of teaching. Few people had the ability to read, so frescos and stained glass were used to serve as teaching aids, depicting scenes from scripture. We also build awe-inspiring churches because they are God’s house and a shelter for the Holy Eucharist. The high ceilings and columns of a cathedral draw our eyes upward to the heavens, and the strength that they convey represent the resilient and imperishable nature of our faith. Most importantly, art can inspire our mind and spirit in ways that words sometimes struggle to do.
Here are my favorite churches that I have been to in the United States. If you are ever in these cities, I would recommend that you stop in and visit these beautiful sanctuaries.
Honorable Mention - Basilica of St. John - Des Moines, IA
5. St. Cecilia Cathedral - Omaha, NE
The Spanish style cathedral began construction in 1905 and was one of the 10 largest cathedrals in the United States when it was finished in 1959. My family has made a tradition out of going to the midnight Christmas Mass here, and I would highly recommend it. It’s my favorite Mass of the year.
4. Basilica of the Sacred Heart - South Bend, IN
Construction started on the basilica in 1870 and was completed in 1888. It is located on the University of Notre Dame campus and is the tallest University chapel in the United States. It has probably my favorite tabernacle of any church I’ve been to.
3. Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception - Washington D.C.
This basilica has the distinction of being the national Catholic church of the United States. It began construction in 1920 and was completed in 2017. It is the largest Catholic church in North America. One of the most unique features of this church are the 82 distinct Marian chapels located throughout the building.
2. Basilica of St. Josaphat - Milwaukee, WI
This Polish style church was completed in 1901. It was modeled after St. Peter’s Basilica in Rome and it has one of the largest copper domes in the world. I would say that this church easily has the most beautiful ceiling artwork of any other in America if it weren’t for my next pick.
1. Cathedral Basilica of St. Louis - St. Louis, MI
I really can’t begin to describe how unbelievable this church is. It was built in seven years with the groundbreaking in 1907 and completion in 1914. It was designated a basilica in my birth year of 1997 by Pope Saint John Paul II. As incredible as the outside appearance of this church is, the focal point of the cathedral is on the inside. The ceiling is a series of mosaics that contain 41.5 million glass tesserae pieces in over 7,000 colors. It spans 83,000 square feet, and is the largest mosaic in the western hemisphere and the largest in the world outside of Russia.
God Bless You All,
Michael