The cathedral in downtown Cincinnati, dedicated Nov. 2, 1845, is among the oldest cathedrals built as cathedrals still in use in the United States. The Cathedral of St. Peter in Chains had a renovation in 1957 and decades later received an honor that changed its name.
Question: A reader asked “When did the Cathedral Basilica of St. Peter in Chains become a basilica? I’ve always heard the cathedral in Covington referred to as the Cathedral Basilica of the Assumption, but basilica seems to be something added to St. Peter in Chains more recently.”
The designation was requested in 2018
Pope Francis granted the title of minor basilica to the Cathedral of St. Peter in Chains in 2020, according to a release from the Archdiocese of Cincinnati. The Cathedral of St. Peter in Chains Basilica was the first in the Cincinnati Archdiocese to hold the title of minor basilica.
In 2018, Father Jan Kevin Schmidt, rector of the cathedral, requested that the Vatican’s Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments grant the title of minor basilica to the historic church in Cincinnati.
The title is given to churches around the world in recognition of their historical or cultural importance, artistic beauty and significance in the life of the Church and denotes a closer relationship to the pope. The title of major basilica is reserved to certain churches in Rome.
The Cathedral Basilica of St. Peter in Chains became the 89th basilica in the United States when it was designated. The Cathedral Basilica of the Assumption, formerly St. Mary’s Church located in Covington was elevated to a minor basilica much earlier, on Dec. 8, 1953, by Pope Pius XII.
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This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: When did St. Peter in Chains become a basilica? Just Askin’
Reporting by Jennie Key, Cincinnati Enquirer / Cincinnati Enquirer
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
By Jennie Key, Cincinnati Enquirer | USA TODAY Network
