Basilicas in France—Alsace and Poitou-Charentes

Alsace

Basilica of Our Lady of Marienthal, Marienthal, Bas-Rhin, Grand-Est

Declared a minor basilica by Pope Leo XIII in 1892.

A church was built here in the 13th Century, but the current Gothic Revival church was built between 1863 and 1866.  A Madonna and a Pieta date to the early 15th Century.

All pictures are from Wikipedia.

Basilica of the Sacred Heart, Lutterbach, Haut-Rhin, Grand-Est

Declared a minor basilica by Pope Pius XI in 1922.

The Neo-Romanesque church was built between 1905 and 1908 to replace an 18th Century Baroque church.  The church was heavily damaged during the Second World War, but reopened in 1953.

The top picture is from TripAdvisor and the other two are from Wikipedia.

Basilica of Our Lady of Thierenbach, Jungholtz, Haut-Rhin, Grand-Est

Declared a minor basilica by Pope Pius XI in 1936.

Benedictine monks evangelized this area around 730.  A young man was said to have been miraculously cured here in the 12th Century and this attracted the attention of the Abbot of Cluny.  Impressed by the area’s beauty and the number of pilgrims that it attracted, he opened a Cluniac priory in 1130.  The Cluny monks remained here until 1790 when they left due to the French Revolution.  The church has been destroyed many times due to war and fire and the current building dates to 1932.  

The first two pictures are from local sources and the other two are from Wikipedia.

Basilica of Our Lady of Mont Sainte-Odile, Ottrott, Bas-Rhin, Grand-Est

Declared a minor basilica by Pope Benedict XVI in 2006.

The Duke of Alsace built a castle here in the 7th Century on top of a mountain 2,500 feet above sea level.  His daughter, St. Odile, converted the castle to a convent.  The convent church, which is the basilica, was built in a Baroque style between 1687 and 1692.  Over 1.3 million pilgrims come here every year, and perpetual adoration has been ongoing since 1931.

The first two pictures are from local sources and the other two are from Wikipedia.

Poitou-Charentes

I blogged about the following basilica on May 20, 2019.

• Cathedral Basilica of St. Peter, Poitiers.

Co-Cathedral Basilica of St. Peter, Saintes, Charente-Maritime, Nouvelle-Aquitaine

Declared a minor basilica by Pope Pius IX in 1870.

The basilica is the co-cathedral for the Diocese of La Rochelle.  It was built between the 12th and 17th Centuries in a Flamboyant Gothic style.  The church was heavily damaged by Huguenot soldiers in 1568 but was mostly restored. 

All pictures are from Wikipedia.

Basilica of St. Eutrope, Saintes, Charente-Maritime, Nouvelle-Aquitaine

Declared a minor basilica by Pope Leo XIII in 1886.

The church was constructed between 1081 and the 15th Century employing Flamboyant Gothic and Romanesque styles.  Named for an early bishop and martyr, it was a stop on one of the pilgrimage roads to Santiago de Compostela in Spain.  It was staffed by monks from the Abbey of Cluny for several centuries up until the French Revolution.  By the beginning of the 19th Century, the church had physically deteriorated and had to be largely rebuilt.

All pictures are from Wikipedia.

Basilica of Our Lady of Mercy, La Chapelle-Saint-Laurent, Deux Sevres, Nouvelle-Aquitaine

Declared a minor basilica by Pope Paul VI in 1964.

The Gothic church was constructed between 1891 and 1933.  It replaced an earlier church built to house a statue of the Virgin Mary discovered in the 16th Century.  Mary has been venerated at this site by pilgrims since that time. 

Pictures are from TripAdvisor and Wikipedia.

Basilicas in Poland—Warsaw and Lodz

Warsaw

I blogged about the following basilica on February 28, 2020.

• Cathedral Basilica of St. John the Baptist, Warsaw.

Cathedral Basilica of the Blessed Virgin Mary Venerated in the Mystery of the Assumption (St. Sigismund), Plock, Masovia

Declared a minor basilica by Pope Pius X in 1910.

The basilica is the cathedral for the Diocese of Plock.  Originally built in the first half of the 12th Century, it was rebuilt in a Renaissance style after a 1530 fire.

The first two pictures are from local sources and the last two are from Wikipedia.

Basilica of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, Warsawa-Praga, Masovia

Declared a minor basilica by Pope Pius XI in 1923.

Russia controlled this part of Poland for many years and the Czar did not allow the construction of Catholic churches.  This ban was lifted in 1905 and a temporary wooden church was built.  Construction of the current church began in 1907 and was completed in 1923.  The construction was financially supported by Princess Maria Radziwill.  The basilica is administered by the Salesians.

The first two pictures are from the basilica's website and the last is from a local website.

Basilica of the Annunciation of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Czerwinsk nad Wisla, Masovia

Declared a minor basilica by Pope Paul VI in 1967.

The Romanesque church was built in the 12th Century as an abbey church.  Gothic and Baroque elements were later added.  It was constructed with granite blocks.

The top two pictures are from local sources and the rest are from Wikipedia.

Basilica of the Annunciation of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Pultusk, Masovia

Declared a minor basilica by Pope Paul VI in 1974.

The church dates to 1449 but received a major renovation a century later.  There are 14 side altars and several 15th Century gold vessels.

Both pictures are from Wikipedia.

Basilica of the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Teresin near Sochaczew, Masovia

Declared a minor basilica by Pope John Paul II in 1980.

The church was built between 1939 and 1954.  Above each entrance is a bas-relief of a Franciscan saint or other saint who had a special devotion to Our Blessed Mother.

The top picture is from the archdiocesan website and the other is from Wikipedia.

Cathedral Basilica of St. Michael the Archangel and St. Florian the Martyr, Warsawa-Praga, Masovia

Declared a minor basilica by Pope John Paul II in 1997.

The Gothic Basilica is the cathedral for the Diocese of Warsawa-Praga.  The brick church was built between 1868 and 1904 and can accommodate 8,000 worshipers.  The retreating German army blew up the church in 1944, but it was reconstructed by 1972.

All pictures are from Wikipedia.

Basilica of the Holy Cross, Warsaw, Masovia

Declared a minor basilica by Pope John Paul II in 2002.

This Baroque church was built in the late 17th Century to replace a 16th Century church.  It was badly damaged by the Germans during the Second World War but was restored.

All pictures are from Wikipedia.

Basilica of the Holy Trinity, Kobylka, Masovia

Declared a minor basilica by Pope Benedict XVI in 2010.

The Baroque church was built between 1736 and 1740.

Pictures are from a local source and Wikipedia.

Lodz

I blogged about the following basilica on March 6, 2020.

• Cathedral Basilica of St. Stanislaus Kostka in Lodz.

Cathedral Basilica of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary and St. Nicholas, Lowicz, Lodz

Declared a minor basilica by Pope John Paul II in 1999.

The basilica is the cathedral for the Diocese of Lowicz.  A wooden church was built here in 1100 and was replaced by a Gothic brick church in 1355.  The current Baroque church was constructed between 1625 and 1668.  Twelve archbishops of Gniezno and primates of Poland are buried in the church as they often resided in Lowicz.

All pictures are from Wikipedia.

Basilica of St. James, Piotrkow Trybunalski, Lodz

Declared a minor basilica by Pope Francis in 2019.

The church is primarily Gothic with Baroque and Rococo elements.  Portions of the church date to the 12th Century but it was primarily built in the 14th and 15th Centuries.

All pictures are from Wikipedia.