Germantown’s Miraculous Medal Shrine elevated to minor basilica status

A prominent Catholic shrine in Northwest Philadelphia has received an elevated status following a decree from the Vatican on Wednesday.

The Miraculous Medal Shrine, located on the grounds of St. Vincent’s Seminary in Germantown, is now designated as a minor basilica following the Vatican’s decision. In the Catholic church, minor basilicas are considered important sites of “liturgical and pastoral activity” in the areas where they are located, and receive “certain privileges and responsibilities,” a shrine representative said in a statement.

As a result of its elevated status, the Miraculous Medal Shrine, as well as the Chapel of the Immaculate Conception where it is housed, will be known as the Basilica Shrine of Our Lady of the Miraculous Medal. The shrine is now one of only two minor basilicas in Philadelphia, following the Cathedral Basilica of Saints Peter and Paul in Center City, which received that designation in the 1970s.

The designation comes following a years-long application process, and a decree from Pope Francis, a representative said. Nationwide, 91 other churches share the designation. Major basilicas, by contrast, are considered the highest-ranking Roman Catholic churches, and all four are located in Rome.

“It is an esteemed honor to be recognized by the Vatican as a Minor Basilica. We are both overjoyed and humbled by this recognition,” Father Timothy V. Lyons, the basilica’s rector, said. “This historic proclamation marks the next chapter in the Shrine’s history and recognizes the significant role it has played in the Catholic Church, the Philadelphia Archdiocese, and the Shrine community.”

Established in 1927 by a prominent group in the Catholic church known as the Vincentians, the Shrine has since become a devotional destination, prayer sanctuary, and historical landmark for Roman Catholics around the world. It is the site of the Perpetual Novena of Our Lady of the Miraculous Medal, a prayer of devotion that has taken place every Monday since 1930, and is now livestreamed on the shrine’s social media pages.

As part of its new designation, the shrine will receive special items reserved for basilicas, and is permitted to display Vatican City’s coat of arms on its façade, as well as the crossed keys of Saint Peter on its altar items, furniture, and accessories. The designation also grants the shrine the ability to “remove all temporal consequences of sin to individuals,” which typically remain even after a sin is forgiven, as part of a concept in the Catholic church known as “plenary indulgence,” according to a statement.

“The Miraculous Medal Shrine is a great gift drawing souls closer to Christ through the intercession of the Blessed Mother,” Philadelphia Archbishop Nelson J. Pérez said. “I congratulate the Vincentians and all those working to sustain the Shrine and its ministry. May their work continue to bear great fruit.”