Three years ago, Bishop Robert Brennan made his first visit to Lancaster St. Mary of the Assumption Church to open its bicentennial year on the solemnity of its patroness.
The beauty of the parish’s sanctuary, which had just undergone extensive renovation, left a lasting impression on him. So much so that a year later when he returned in 2020 to close out the bicentennial year, he asked the church’s pastor, Father Craig Eilerman, whether he’d ever considered pursuing a special designation for the historic church.
That conversation and future discussions set the wheels in motion for a process that culminated in the diocese’s second oldest church receiving the special designation of a minor basilica from the Vatican.
The official announcement to parishioners was made at a 6 p.m. Mass on Sunday, Aug. 14, the Vigil of the Solemnity of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary, celebrated by Bishop Earl Fernandes, the Diocese of Columbus’ recently installed shepherd.
The Lancaster church becomes the first minor basilica in the diocese, the seventh in Ohio and the 91st in the United States. Others in the state include the Basilica and National Shrine of Our Lady of Consolation in Carey, the Cathedral Basilica of St. Peter in Chains in Cincinnati and the Basilica of St. Mary of the Assumption in Marietta.
A minor basilica is a special designation conferred on churches from the See of Rome based on several factors, including architectural beauty, historical significance and liturgical celebrations. Minor basilicas are located throughout the world while major basilicas are limited to inside the city of Rome.
A basilica ranks in importance right below the principal church of the diocese, which is St. Joseph Cathedral, the bishop’s church, in Columbus.
Various privileges and obligations such as plenary indulgences are attached to visits to a minor basilica by the faithful.
“It’s not every day that a church is erected as a minor basilica, and so, Catholics of the Diocese of Columbus should take stock of the faith planted here by missionaries,” Bishop Fernandes said. “What begins as a tiny seed blossoms into something beautiful for God. This happens not only by grace but by the prayers and sacrifices of so many of the faithful through the centuries.”
Lancaster’s rich Catholic history dates to 1817 and the first Mass celebrated there by Father Edward Fenwick, OP, a Dominican priest who later became the bishop of Cincinnati. His nephew, Father Dominic Young, was installed as the first pastor of the parish. In 1808, Fenwick had celebrated the first Mass in Ohio near Somerset, also in the Diocese of Columbus.
St. Mary’s was housed in two church buildings during its early years before the current church was completed in 1864, while the country was immersed in the Civil War, and consecrated by Cincinnati Archbishop John Purcell in 1864.
“When I first visited the Church of St. Mary of the Assumption in Lancaster in August 2019 for the opening of the bicentennial year following its recent renovations and restoration, I was struck by the beauty of the church and the rich history of the parish,” said Bishop Brennan, the bishop of the Diocese of Brooklyn, New York since November 2021. “That evening and in further visits also showed the great faith of the people of the parish.
“This legacy of beauty, history and faith is evident in so many of the parishes in central Ohio. It is a blessing to be able to designate certain places in a special way, and I am grateful to the Holy Father for designating St. Mary’s as a minor basilica.
“As such, it becomes a special place for prayer and pilgrimage, for a deepening of faith, and connects us with the generations that have gone before and those yet to come in giving praise and glory to God.”
Father Eilerman, the pastor at St. Mary since 2011, will receive the title of basilica rector. The rector may wear a black mozetta (a vestment or cape that covers the shoulders) with red piping, buttons and buttonholes over his cassock or religious habit.
A minor basilica is also allowed to use the “crossed keys” of the papal symbol along with an official seal.
“I’m very grateful for Bishop Brennan encouraging this,” Father Eilerman said. “I’m not sure I would have thought of it on my own. And I have to say that Bishop (Emeritus James) Griffin and Bishop (Emeritus Frederick) Campbell were very supportive and wrote letters of support.”
The process to receive the designation started with gathering the necessary documentation and responses to more than 100 questions (all in Latin, translated by diocesan Vicar General Msgr. Stephan Moloney) from the worship office at the Vatican.
As the questions were answered and various materials gathered from the parish, “we created a book in the end and had it professionally printed and then sent that along in a binder,” said Father Eilerman, who credited Brian McCauley, St. Mary’s director of religious education, for his significant contributions to the project.
The report, which included an endorsement letter from Bishop Brennan, then went to Archbishop Jose Gomez, president of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, for his approval. It was forwarded to Rome for examination from the dicastery, which makes its recommendation to the pope.
Bishop Fernandes then was asked for his approval, which he sent in a letter to the Vatican on June 18, and last weekend he was formally notified that minor basilica status was granted.
“This is a great moment of pride for the Diocese of Columbus,” Bishop Fernandes said. “It is a reminder of the great faith of the people of Lancaster and of the beauty of the church and its liturgy.”
In January 2019, the beautification project of the 150-year-old Gothic structure commenced and took eight months to complete. A reopening Mass was celebrated on the Solemnity of the Assumption in August of that year.
Noted church architect William Heyer of Columbus was responsible for the restoration, which returned the interior to a look closer to its original state in 1864.
“His vision, and I would include myself, was, as much as possible, in keeping with the reforms of the Second Vatican Council, to restore the church to its original plan after different things had been done through the years,” Father Eilerman said.
The most significant modifications, as part of a $2.5 million campaign, were moving the tabernacle to its original position in the center of the church, repairing water damage to plaster, refinishing pews and flooring, renovating the sacristy, restoring shrines to St. Joseph and the Blessed Virgin, replacing terrazzo wall coverings with wooden wainscoting, doubling the size of restrooms, refurbishing two confessionals, giving the Stations of the Cross new gothic frames, adding artwork on both sides of the main entrance from the vestibule into the sanctuary and reconditioning a 30-year-old, 2,093-pipe Austin organ.
The historical significance and beauty of the church played a key role in receiving its new designation, but Father Eilerman noted the faith of the parishioners, who were thrilled to learn of the announcement at Sunday evening’s Mass, is equally important.
“One of the things that I recognized when I came here, and it’s very clear, is that we have generations of faith,” he said. “It’s not unusual to see three or four generations sitting in the pews on Sunday, worshiping together – a great-grandfather, grandfather, father and son.
“I think that’s something the parishioners here at St. Mary’s are aware of, and, I don’t know if pride is the right word, but they understand their deep roots, and a lot of them have family names that go back many, many years.”
With the church now a basilica, it becomes a place where not only regular parishioners come to worship but also that more pilgrims are likely to visit.
“We want to make the church more available,” Father Eilerman said. “We’re working on a booklet to show where things are in the church. We’re working with the local visitors’ bureau to make sure our pamphlets are out there, and people know about it.
“And then we’ll see how things develop in terms of beginning some special services and prayers. None of that’s concrete yet.”
With the world and the Church embroiled in so much turmoil, Bishop Fernandes pointed to this honor as a welcome piece of good news.
“Here we celebrate what has gone right in Lancaster,” he said. “For more than 200 years, the mission of the Church has been carried out, and people have given praise, thanks and glory to God for His many blessings.
“The designation reminds the whole diocese at this stage in its history that we were founded by missionaries, and we remain missionaries. The Church is missionary by its very nature, and we have to continue to make disciples. The physical building itself reminds us that beauty, truth and goodness are inseparable, and the beauty of this church draws us more deeply into the truth of God’s goodness and love.
“Finally, every church building, but especially a basilica, is a reminder that God comes to dwell with His people, and the people always have a place in the house of the Church, in the house of God as we journey, by growing in holiness daily, to our true home, which is heaven.”
