Basilica of Saint Mary of the Immaculate Conception, Norfolk

The Basilica of Saint Mary of the Immaculate Conception is a landmark of faith and history that traces its roots back to 1791. Established by French émigré Catholics as Saint Patrick’s, it is recognized as the oldest Catholic parish in the Diocese of Richmond, founded nearly three decades before the diocese itself. Although the original 1842 church was lost to a suspected arson fire in 1856, the resilient congregation was rebuilt just two years later, now dedicated to the Immaculate Conception following the 1854 papal declaration of the dogma.

Visitors are immediately struck by the basilica’s elegant stuccoed brick façade and its commanding three-stage tower topped with a slender spire, hallmark features of the Late Gothic Revival style. The building’s rectangular plan is accentuated by gothic verticality and delicate tracery, reflecting 19th‑century ecclesiastical design. Visitors stepping inside are greeted by soaring vaults, graceful columns, and stained-glass windows crafted by Munich’s Mayer & Company.

The basilica is also a living witness to Norfolk’s complex racial and cultural history. Initially segregated, the congregation became a place of inclusion when the pastor Fr. Matthew O’Keefe allowed Black Catholics to worship in the choir loft, defying anti‑Catholic and racist opposition from groups like the Know Nothings. A pivotal moment came in 1961, when the merging of the nearby Black Catholic parish of Saint Joseph’s resulted in the basilica evolving into one of the few predominantly African-American basilicas in the United States.

Honoring its profound cultural and spiritual significance, the church was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1979. On its bicentennial in 1991, Pope John Paul II elevated it to the rank of Minor Basilica-the only one in Virginia and the first with an African-American majority-praising its Black cultural heritage as enriching to the universal Church. Comprehensive restoration efforts renewed its foundations, organ, pews, and roof-while preserving historical elements such as balcony pews worn by enslaved congregants and uncovering crypts and tunnels that may have been linked to the Underground Railroad.