Milwaukee, Wisconsin: Basilica of Saint Josaphat
The History of the Basilica of St. Josaphat:
The city of Milwaukee became a major destination for thousands of Polish immigrants following the Civil War. Fleeing religious repression, they numbered about 60,000 in Milwaukee by 1900. Since the Poles were almost uniformly Catholic, many parishes sprung up to accommodate their needs.
TBy the 1890s, their parish had grown to more than 12,000 souls. Their first church had burned down. Their second was too small. So they decided to build something astonishing: a church modeled after St. Peter’s Basilica in Rome. When the plans were nearly complete, Fr. Grutza learned that the Chicago Post Office and Custom House needed to be razed and he was able to purchase it for $20,000. The building was dismantled and the salvaged materials were loaded up on 500 railroad flatcars and brought up to Milwaukee. They were stockpiled on a vacant lot across the street. Father Grutza had hired a German-born architect named Erhard Brielmaier to design a church patterned after St. Peter’s in Rome. The church would have the same cross-shaped floor plan and huge central dome that distinguishes St. Peter’s.Stone by stone, these Catholic immigrants built their own little piece of Rome.
When the church was completed in 1901, its colossal dome was surpassed in size in America only by the dome of the U.S. Capitol. But they weren’t finished. After years of sacrifice and debt, the church’s interior was transformed with magnificent Austrian stained glass, soaring columns, elaborate ornamentation, and breathtaking sacred paintings. In 1929, Pope Pius XI elevated it to the dignity of a minor basilica—the first Polish-American church to receive that honor. And the result? One of the most magnificent Catholic churches in the United States.
There is a visitor center located in the Pope John Paul II Pavilion on the west side of the Basilica, the (open Monday through Saturday, 9:00 am to 4:00 pm). Walking tour brochures are available for your convenience. There is also a free exhibit of images and information detailing the story of the Basilica on the lower level of the Pavilion.
Formal tour presentations of the Basilica are regularly held after the 10:00 am Mass on Sundays. Simply gather in the front few pews immediately following the musical postlude (approximately 11:00 am). To schedule group tours on other days of the week, please call (414) 902-3523 or click here.
Traveling to the Basilica of Saint Josaphat:
Address: South 6th St. & West Lincoln Ave., Milwaukee, Wisconsin
GPS coordinates: 43° 0′ 10.2312” N, 87° 55′ 7.5684” W
Tel & email: see Basilica website
Visit the official website of the Basilica of Saint Josaphat in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.
