Basilicas in Venezuela

I blogged about the following basilicas on January 1, 2021.

• Cathedral Basilica of Our Lady of Help in Valencia.
• Cathedral Basilica of St. Ann in Coro.
• Cathedral Basilica of the Immaculate Conception in Merida.

Basilica of Our Lady of Chiquinquira, Maracaibo, Zulia

Declared a minor basilica by Pope Benedict XV in 1920.

An image of the Child Jesus, the Virgin Mary, St. Andrew, and St. Anthony was discovered in 1709 and placed in a chapel that had been built in 1686.  The chapel was replaced in 1712 and the current neo-classical church was built between 1717 and 1723.  It was named the first minor basilica in Venezuela in 1920.

The first picture is from TripAdvisor and the rest are from Wikipedia.

Basilica Shrine of the Holy Chapel, Caracas, Federal District

Declared a minor basilica by Pope Pius XI in 1926.

Upon the order of the nation’s president, this neo-Gothic church was built in 1883.  It was built to resemble Sainte-Chapelle in Paris.  The church was badly damaged by a 1967 earthquake but has been restored to its original condition.

The first picture is from Flickr and the rest are from Wikipedia.

Pictures with sources

Cathedral Basilica of Our Lady of Coromoto, Guanare, Portuguesa

Declared a minor basilica by Pope Pius XII in 1949.

The Basilica is the Cathedral for the Diocese of Guanare.  It was built between 1788 and 1807 to replace a church destroyed by an earthquake.  The altarpiece is done in a Churrigueresque (Baroque-colonial) style.

All pictures are from Wikipedia.

Basilica of Our Lady of Consolation, Tariba, Tachira

Declared a minor basilica by Pope John XXIII in 1959.

The Augustinians built the first church here in 1690 although it has been rebuilt and renovated several times since then due to natural occurrences.  The Basilica houses a Marian image that pre-dates the church.

The first picture is from the basilica's website and the others are from Wikipedia.

Basilica of St. Peter the Apostle, Caracas, Federal District

Declared a minor basilica by Pope John XXIII in 1962.

The church was built in the early 1950s and is a smaller version of St. Peter’s Basilica in Vatican City.

From Flickr and Wikipedia.

Basilica of St. Teresa, Caracas, Federal District

Declared a minor basilica by Pope Paul VI in 1974.

An anti-Catholic president of Venezuela, having destroyed several churches, built the current church and dedicated it to his wife, Ana Teresa.  The neo-classical church was constructed between 1877 and 1881.

All pictures are from Wikipedia.

Basilica of the Holy Spirit, La Grita, Tachira

Declared a minor basilica by Pope Paul VI in 1976.

Churches have occupied this site since the 16th Century, but the current church was built primarily from 1886 to 1915.  It was renovated between 1959 and 1963.  For hundreds of years, pilgrims have come to worship Jesus as the Holy Christ of La Grita.  The image was sculpted by a monk, but it is believed Christ’s face was carved by an angel. 

Pictures are from a local source and Wikipedia.

Basilica of the Holy Christ of Grace, Barquisimeto, Lara

Declared a minor basilica by Pope John Paul II in 1993.

The Basilica was built between 1940 and 1959.

Pictures are from Pinterest and Wikipedia.

Basilica of Our Lady of the Valley, Isla de Margarita, Nueva Esparta

Declared a minor basilica by Pope John Paul II in 1995.

A church has been on Margarita Island since the early 16th Century.  The current neo-Gothic church was constructed in the 1890s.

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

Basilica of St. Lucy, Timotes, Merida

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

The church was built between 1911 and 1916.

Pictures are from Flickr, Pinterest, and Wikipedia.

Basilica of the National Shrine of Our Lady of Coromoto, Quebrada de la Virgen, Portuguesa

Declared a minor basilica by Pope Benedict XVI in 2006.

The church is dedicated to Our Lady of Coromoto, the patron saint of Venezuela.  Our Lady appeared to a Coromoto Indian chief in 1651 and 1652 urging him to be baptized.  The Basilica is built on the site of the second appearance.  The church was completed in 1996 in a Brutalist style.  The basilica holds about 2,500 people.

The first picture is from a local source and the other two are from Wikipedia.

Basilica of Our Lady of Guadalupe, Coro, Falcon

Declared a minor basilica by Pope Benedict XVI in 2008.

The Colonial-style church was initially built in the early 18th Century but was substantially rebuilt in the 1990s.

From Flickr and a local source.

Basilica of St. Anthony of Padua, San Antonio del Tachira, Tachira

Declared a minor basilica by Pope Francis in 2017.

The church was constructed between 1860 and 1914.

From Pinterest.

Basilica of St. Agnes, Cumana, Sucre

Declared a minor basilica by Pope Francis in 2023.

The church was rebuilt on the site of an older church in 1853.  It has a Neoclassical façade and a Neo-Renaissance colonial floor plan.  It was the Co-Cathedral for the Diocese until it was named a basilica.

From Wikipedia.