The Basilica of St. Mary in Alexandria held a grand opening Sept. 15 of its new parish museum, as parishioners were able to check out the rich history of Virginia’s oldest Catholic parish after all Sunday Masses.
The museum’s permanent exhibit narrates the history of the basilica, through word, image and object, beginning with the earliest experiences of Catholics in the New World. It shares the basilica’s rich history, making available the various historic objects belonging to the parish. The basilica hopes to grow access and availability to its history through rotating temporary exhibits and with a museum website that offers more in-depth information. The current temporary exhibit focuses on Catholic England and the persecution of Catholics during the time of King Henry VIII.
Several days earlier, during an open house and reception for invited guests, Virginia Nyce, the basilica’s archival manager and the curator of the museum, expressed her appreciation for all the parishioners who helped collect and preserve the history of the basilica.
“It is so impressive to me the way that parishioners, past and present, have undertaken the safeguarding of their history,” said Nyce. “History is not something that necessarily belongs to anyone, but it is entrusted, for a time, to a generation of people. And it is up to that generation to be good stewards of that treasure. From the earliest days of the basilica to today, different priests and parishioners have taken it upon themselves to research and to write down St. Mary’s history. It is their work that made this museum possible, and we are thrilled to be able to share our story in this new way.”
Father Edward C. Hathaway, rector, also expressed his gratitude, as well as the importance of Catholic history being shared to the wider community.
“If you don’t know your past, you don’t know who you are or where you’re going,” Father Hathaway said. “Ours is a treasure, which we carry with us. In this parish, people are known for loving history. That’s what brings many people to Old Town Alexandria — because of their love of history and architecture. The Catholic Church is very much a part of that story. One of the reasons we desired to tell that story in our new museum is because sometimes the Catholic Church may go unrecognized in the larger Alexandrian community. Even though the basilica probably has one of the largest congregations in Old Town, many people aren’t aware of our heritage or the contributions that Catholics have made to Virginia and our nation. I’m grateful that our museum offers a great overview of the basilica’s rich historical patrimony.” With the assistance of Youth Apostles Father Peter Clem, parochial vicar, Father Hathaway also blessed the museum and cut a ribbon as a symbolic way to show that the museum was open officially.
The Basilica Museum is housed in the St. Joseph Room of the Lyceum Building at 313 Duke St. and will be open during parish office hours from Monday to Friday 9 a.m.-5 p.m.
“The Basilica Museum is such a powerful reminder of our Catholic history — not just in our parish, but also in our state and our country,” said parishioner Adria Tayrani after visiting the museum. “As parishioners, we are blessed to pray in this historic church that others before us lovingly worked hard to build and maintain. The museum honors their legacy and revives those experiences through a wonderful collection of treasures, one of the dearest has to be the old tabernacle doors.”
Founded in 1795, the Basilica of St. Mary is the first Catholic parish in the Commonwealth of Virginia and West Virginia, which were one state territory until 1863. President George Washington made the first contribution for the creation of a Catholic parish in Virginia in the late 1700s. A donation was made for a portion of land at the south end of the city on Church and South Washington Streets. It was here that the first brick structure known as the Church of St. Mary was built under the guidance of Jesuit Father Francis Ignatius Neale in 1795. The land later became, and still remains today, the basilica’s cemetery, the first Catholic cemetery in Virginia.
In 1810, the parish moved to its present location in the heart of the city at 310 South Royal St. By 1826, the pastor, Father Joseph Fairclough, erected the sanctuary and the major portion of the present-day church, which was formally dedicated in 1827. Throughout the 1800s, the Church of St. Mary played a crucial role in the growth of Catholicism in Virginia. Many mission churches that the basilica established have gone on to become independent parishes within the Diocese of Arlington.
Next year, the basilica will celebrate its 230th anniversary.
Briceño is director of communications and evangelization for the basilica.
