Basilica and Co-cathedral of the Assumptionof the Blessed Virgin Mary
Baltimore Maryland.
Cathedral of Baltimore.
After the war of independence the Holy See permitted the establishment, in the new republic, of a native hierarchy. Baltimore, because of the large concentration of American Catholics in that city, and because of the city's historical connection to the development of English speaking Catholicism in the New World was chosen as the See City for the new diocese. In 1806 the Cathedral of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary was consecrated and became the first cathedral of American Catholicism. Since it open it has been elevated to the rank of a Basilica, and enjoys the title of Co-Cathedral of the Arch-diocese of Baltimore. This magnificent edifice has been a focal point of Catholic life in the United States, functioning not only as the heart of the Diocese and after the Arch-diocese of Baltimore, but as the location for three local councils and a host of other national Catholic events.
An view of the interior of the Basilicaafter the renovation project of 2004.
