Basilicas in Chile

Dedicated to the late Steve B.

Basilica of Our Lady of Mercy, Santiago

Declared a minor basilica by Pope Pius XI in 1922—the first in Chile.

The Neo-Renaissance Basilica was built by the Order of the Blessed Virgin Mary of Mercy in 1795.  The basilica museum has a rare rongorongo tablet.

All pictures are from Wikipedia.

Basilica of Our Lady of Perpetual Help, Santiago

Declared a minor basilica by Pope Pius XI in 1925.

The Basilica was designed in a Gothic Revival style by two members of the Redemptorist order.  It was built with reinforced concrete between 1906 and 1919.  Due to the First World War, only 20 of the planned 29 stained glass windows were installed.  The 1897 Freres pipe organ is now a national monument.

The first picture is from a local source, the second is from TripAdvisor, and the last two are from Wikipedia.

Basilica of the Heart of Mary, Santiago

Declared a minor basilica by Pope Pius XI in 1929.

The Basilica was built by the Claretians between 1876 and 1882.  The clay-brick masonry church was severely damaged by an earthquake in 2010 but has been restored.

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

Basilica of the Savior, Santiago

Declared a minor basilica by Pope Pius XI in 1937.

The brick masonry basilica was built between 1870 and 1932 employing a Neo-Gothic style.  The church is large enough to hold 5,000 people but received major damage due to earthquakes in 1985 and 2010.  Restoration attempts are underway.

The first picture is from a local website and the second is from Wikipedia.

Basilica of Our Lady of Mount Carmel, Santiago

Declared a minor basilica by Pope John Paul II in 1987.

The Basilica, also known as the National Sanctuary of Maipu, was constructed under the order of Bernardo O’Higgins in gratitude for the independence of Chile from Spain.  It was originally built between 1818 and 1892 but was mostly destroyed by an earthquake in 1906.  The current church was built between 1948 and 1974 and is the tallest church in Chile.  The Basilica has an image of Our Lady of Mount Carmel that dates at least to 1785.

The first picture is from Pinterest and the other two are from Wikipedia.

Basilica of Our Lady of Lourdes, Santiago

Declared a minor basilica by Pope John Paul II in 1992.

The Basilica was built in the 1930s in a neo-Byzantine style.  It has 7,000 square feet of stained-glass windows and 16 statues of prophets.

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

Basilica of St. Ann, Rengo, O’Higgins

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

Although the parish dates to the late 18th Century, the current church was built between 1882 and 1894.  The church sustained major damage from a 1985 earthquake and was reconstructed between 1991 and 1996 utilizing neo-Romanesque and neo-Baroque styles.  The Basilica can hold 2,000 worshippers.

Pictures are from Wikipedia.

Basilica of Our Lady of the Rosary, Andacollo, Coquimbo

Declared a minor basilica by Pope John Paul II in 1998.

An image of Our Lady was found near Andacollo in the 16th Century and soon attracted pilgrims.  The current church, the fourth on the site, was built between 1873 and 1893.  An annual procession with Our Lady’s statue brings people from all over the world to Andacollo.

The first picture is from a local source and the others are from Pinterest.

Basilica of the Heart of Mary, Antofagasta

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

The basilica was built between 1913 and 1928 by the Missionary Sons of the Immaculate Heart of Mary.  The basilica is designed using neo-Gothic and neo-Byzantine designs.  The church was damaged by an earthquake in 1995 and received further damage by hooded men who attacked the church in protest of clergy sexual abuse.  

The first two pictures are from local sources, the third is from Pinterest, and the last is from Wikipedia.