Saint John the Evangelist Church in Stamford
is elevated to a "Minor Basilica"
by Pope Benedict XVI;
First Basilica in Fairfield County

STAMFORD, Saturday, October 17, 2009, 4:00 p.m. – It was announced today that His Holiness, Pope Benedict XVI, has raised Saint John the Evangelist Parish in downtown Stamford to the dignity of a "Minor Basilica." From now on, the parish will be called "The Basilica of Saint John the Evangelist."

This honorary title is granted by the Pope to certain churches outside the City of Rome as special recognition of the unique historical and spiritual work of the people and their priests. A Minor Basilica ranks second only to the Cathedral in its Diocese. Minor Basilicas enjoy some of the privileges of the four "Major" Basilicas, all located in Rome, including Saint Peter's Basilica in Vatican City.

There are only 65 Minor Basilicas out of the nearly 22,000 parish churches and missions in the United States. Saint John’s is the first Basilica in the Diocese of Bridgeport, which comprises all of Fairfield County. There is only one other basilica in Connecticut, the Basilica of the Immaculate Conception in Waterbury, blessed last year.

There are 1,561 Minor Basilicas in the world, among 271,000 parish churches and missions.

Special Relationship

"I am profoundly grateful to our Holy Father, Pope Benedict XVI, for this great blessing on our Diocese," says Bishop William E. Lori. "As a Minor Basilica, Saint John’s now enjoys a special relationship with the Holy Father. It becomes the Pope’s church and a center for the promotion of the teachings of the Holy Father and the Catholic Church's Magisterium, as well as a center for a deeper devotion to the Pope as the Successor of Saint Peter.

"On behalf of the entire family of faith in Fairfield County," Bishop Lori adds, "I congratulate Saint John’s Pastor, Msgr. Stephen DiGiovanni, and his parish staff on the hard work involved in preparing the materials submitted to the Holy See."

Mother Church of Stamford

Founded in 1847 to meet the needs of a growing Catholic population, Saint John’s is known as the "Mother Church of Stamford." The 23 churches and missions in Stamford, Greenwich, New Canaan, and Darien trace their roots to Saint John’s. The first wooden clapboard church was dedicated in 1851. The present church on Atlantic Street, the largest stone building in the state at the time, was completed in 1886.

Today, 162 years after its founding, Saint John’s continues to be the spiritual center of downtown Stamford and southwestern Fairfield County, with 1,500 registered families. Thousands of commuters visit the church weekly to light a candle, pray, join in the public devotions, avail themselves of the daily opportunity for the Sacrament of Reconciliation, or attend one of two daily Masses.

"We are profoundly humbled by this papal recognition," says Msgr. DiGiovanni. "This is not only a tribute to our Catholic ancestors who literally built the church by hand – it honors our many parishioners who contribute so much to the life of the parish, making Saint John’s the heart and soul of Stamford. We can all take great pride in this honor."

Application Process

With Bishop Lori's blessing, the formal application process began earlier this year. It included a detailed questionnaire from the Holy See; a complete history of the parish; an accounting of the liturgical, spiritual, and educational life; a detailed description of the interior and exterior of the church; and photographs of every nook and cranny. The materials were bound together in book form and sent for approval (nihil obstat) by the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops in Washington, DC. From there the petition was sent to the Vatican for scrutiny by the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments.

A Minor Basilica must meet special requirements of historical, artistic, and pastoral significance, as set forth by the Second Vatican Council in the Decree Domus Dei ("House of God"), promulgated in 1968.

The church, for example, "must stand out as a center of active and pastoral liturgy, especially through celebrations of the Most Holy Eucharist, of penance, and of the other sacraments, which celebrations set an example for others on account of their preparation and realization according to liturgical norms and with the active participation of the people of God."

Msgr. DiGiovanni points to the reverent offering of the Mass; the frequency that Confession is offered to the faithful (before every daily and Sunday Mass); and the piety and deep faith of his parishioners. In addition to the sacraments, Saint John’s offers a wide array of classes in theology, Church history, catechetical formation, Biblical Greek and Ecclesiastical Latin, the Saint Monica Institute for Patristic Studies, and symposia in liturgical music and Gregorian Chant, among others.

Historical Value

The church, furthermore, as the Vatican document states, "should be of an appropriate size and with a sufficiently large sanctuary"; "may enjoy a certain renown throughout the diocese"; and "the historical value or importance of the church and the worthiness of its art are also be considered."

"We are fortunate among churches in our Diocese to still have our original sanctuary intact," notes Msgr. DiGiovanni. The gothic High Altar of white Carrera marble and golden Mexican onyx dates to the church’s opening in 1886. The altar crucifix above the tabernacle is from the original 1851 church. The three stained-glass windows above the sanctuary, depicting the Incarnation, the Crucifixion, and the Resurrection, are Dutch in origin and the oldest in the church, dating to 1886.

Finally, a Minor Basilica must have "a sufficient number of ministers" and "an adequate schola cantorum, which is to encourage the participation of the faithful with sacred music and singing." Saint John’s has three priests; in addition to Msgr. DiGiovanni, Father Terry Walsh serves as Parochial Vicar, and Father Al Audette, Jr., is in residence.  Organist and Choirmaster Scott Turkington oversees several choirs, offering a wide range of liturgical music, including Gregorian chant.

"Music is so essential to the worship of God," Msgr. DiGiovanni says.

Symbols and Significance

Minor Basilicas, which often become pilgrimage destinations, have special rights and privileges. Plenary indulgences, according to the usual conditions, can be granted to the faithful on certain days, such as the anniversary of the dedication of the Basilica (in Saint John's case, May 30).

A Minor Basilica is given the privilege of displaying the crossed keys – the papal symbol – on its bulletin, stationery, banners, furnishings, and seal.

"The crossed keys are the keys of Heaven, symbols of the power to forgive sins or to hold them bound, given by Christ to Saint Peter and, through Peter, to the Catholic Church,"  Msgr. DiGiovanni explains.

Minor Basilicas, moreover, display two additional symbols, whose origins date back to the Middle Ages: a large umbrella (umbraculum) in the papal colors of scarlet and gold, once used to shield the Pope; and a bell (tintinabulum), which once sounded the Pope’s arrival.

To Msgr. DiGiovanni, who holds a doctorate in Church history and had published several books, these symbols and recognition are much more than colorful ornaments.

Dramatic Sign

"This grant to the parish underscores the unique nature of the Catholic Church: personally established by Our Lord on the Apostles, whom He sent to preach the Truth and to establish the one Church wherever they went," he explains.

"The Basilica of Saint John the Evangelist is a dramatic sign that, while the church building was created by local Catholics more than 150 years ago, the Faith, the Gospel, the Sacraments, and the life of Grace were not started by some ordinary 'guy' from scratch here in Connecticut," Msgr. DiGiovanni continues. "Nor can we change the Church at whim, as some people think they can.

"We receive our spiritual lives from Christ through His Apostles, handed down in an unbroken chain of Catholic bishops in communion with the Successor of Saint Peter, to our own Bishop Lori, who shares that priesthood with the priests of this parish," Msgr. DiGiovanni concludes. "Therefore, the lives of Catholics are enriched by the same forgiveness of sins, the same Body and Blood of Christ, the same life of Grace that Our Lord began when He first sent the Twelve Apostles out to extend His work beyond the borders of Israel, 2,000 years ago."

(To learn more about the Basilica of Saint John the Evangelist in Stamford, visit www.stjohnsstamford.com.)

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(Photos by John R. Glover)