Dear Henry,
We had a bunch of hotel and airline points that were about to expire. With the city of Orlando's post-COVID push to bring in tourists, I decided to schedule a trip to the National Shrine of Mary, Queen of the Universe, for the solemnity of All Saint's Day. I've always felt like any trip that comes together quickly means that it is a trip you are supposed to take, and so, even though I'm still not sure how one "pilgrims" off, I flew to Orlando to check out the shrine.
The concept for this basilica began in the early 1970s, after the completion of Disney World and the large influx of tourists that the theme park brought. It was designed by Rogers, Lovelock, and Fritz and is adapted from St. Peter's Basilica floorplan. However, it would take nearly 15 years of fundraising before the ground was broken on August 22, 1990, on the Feast of the Queenship of the Blessed Virgin Mary.
Completing the 2,000-seat church would take more than two and a half years, with the first mass not being held until January 31, 1993. The building wouldn't be dedicated until August 22, 1993. Finally, it would be elevated to a national shrine in 2004.
The shrine offers daily and weekend masses and reconciliation. It isn't a parish church and doesn't offer baptisms, marriages, and funerals. In addition to the main sanctuary, it also has a Marian chapel. This small prayer chapel features several stunning, museum-quality paintings, a large mural/shrine for Our Lady of Guadalupe, and the most amazing blue stained glass.
Actually, all of the art (stained glass, sculpture, and paintings) at the basilica was amazing. Pope Benedict XVI said, " The only really effective apologia for Christianity comes down to two arguments: the saints the Church has produced and the art which has grown in her womb."
There are many artistic arguments to be found here, including the very old (1640!) and very stunning 9'x6' oil on canvas painting called The Assumption of the Blessed Virgin by Bartolome Murillo.
Behind the altar is the adoration chapel, and it contains the most beautiful wooden tabernacle shaped like a tree. It was a very moving place to pray while contemplating the Eucharist set within the tree. It brought to mind the entire process of the Eucharist with one powerful image.
There isn't just one stunning piece in the main sanctuary to talk about.
The crucifix is carved out of linden wood and placed against beveled glass panels. It weighs about 600 lbs. It has a modern/contextual feel and, unlike many crucifixes, portrays a very calm and relaxed Jesus.
To the right of the altar is a Carrara marble statue of Mary and the Infant Jesus created by sculptor Jill Burkee, and it is an incredibly moving piece.
The stained glass windows and the stations of the cross paintings are enthralling, and I must confess that I struggled to keep my "eyes forward" during the masses I celebrated there.
I'm not sure, really, what I expected to happen, though. I didn't receive any personal revelations as I walked through the Rosary garden. However, I was able to come to a sense of peace about the limitations my medical needs placed upon me within the adoration chapel and the need to be more insistent about my care.
I also spent a fair amount of time in the Marian shrine and tried to reconcile my feelings about my mother. However, those feelings are still a work in progress.
The basilica has a great gift shop, well stocked with rosaries and statues of Mary. The store also sells books regarding the art found in the shrine, and you can pick up CDs of the shrine's organist, Peter Richard Conte, who is, in a word, fabulous.
Masks are recommended in the main chapel (where social distancing is possible). Within the smaller Adoration and Marian shrines, masks are required.
Of course, you don't need to be a Catholic (or even a Christian) to come to the Basilica. It is open to everyone, Monday through Friday, 8 to 5, Saturdays, 10 to 7, and Sundays, 7 to 2, and it is worth checking out all of the artwork, even if you don't stay for a mass.
It's a great place to find peace in a bustling area.
xoxo a.d. elliott
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a.d. elliott is a wanderer, writer, and photographer currently living in Salem, Virginia.
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