The Basilica of St. Francis Xavier is one of Iowa's most beautiful churches and a must-see attraction in Dyersville.
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By JAY P. WAGNER / POSTED FEB. 21, 2007
The Basilica of St. Francis Xavier is the Catholic parish for the residents of Dyersville, Iowa. It is one of only 52 basilicas in the United States, and the only one outside a large metropolitan area. The parish is part of the Archdiocese of Dubuque. The church was named in honor of the missionary Saint Francis Xavier.
The Gothic-style Basilica was built to include columns with vaulted ceilings and has a seating capacity of about 1,100 people. The building features 64 stained glass windows, including a rose window above the
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future, the Umbrella cannot be opened all the way.
Although Dyersville’s first settlers were English, German settlers began arriving in the area in 1846. At the time, all four of the town’s churches were Protestant and the Germans were forced to attend services in nearby New Vienna. But as the German population grew, so did the number of Catholics. In 1857 a priest was assigned to Dyersville but plans for a church didn’t develop until about 1880, 13 years after the Rev. Anton Kortenkamp came to Dyersville as its second pastor. The cornerstone was laid on June 3, 1882. Kortenkamp also had the foresight to have the altar placed upon a foundation of solid rock, which is one of the requirements for a church to be elevated to a Basilica.
When the building was finished in 1888, special trains brought people from all over the state of Iowa to witness this dedication. After the completion of the present building, the old church was converted into classrooms. It was later torn down after a new school was completed.
The move to elevate Saint Francis Xavier began in the 1940s. Then Father Hoffman, who had served in Europe began to advance the cause to Vatican officials. The cause was furthered when a high ranking German Cardinal visited the church. In the mid-1950s the church building was consecrated. On the interior there are a number of small gold crosses on the side walls. This means the church building may never be used for any other purpose, and is one of the steps necessary for elevation to the rank of Basilica. Also, the parish worked hard to maintain a debt-free status, another requirement for elevation.
In 1947, the Cardinal Archbishop of Berlin, Germany visited Dyersville, and was impressed by the stately church, which resembles some of the great churches in Europe. He was also impressed by the almost solid Catholic population of the whole surrounding territory, and said it would be very fitting that this great church be raised to the dignity of a Basilica. When all the requirements were met St. Francis Xavier Church was made a Basilica by His Holiness, Pope Pius XII, in 1956, after first having been solemnly consecrated in 1955.
In the mid-1990s, the parish began to offer a Tridentine Mass at noon on Sundays. This mass is either said or sung in Latin according to the 1962 Rite. This is the only such Mass in the Archdiocese of Dubuque.
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front entrance and, interestingly, a window featuring Saint Francis Xavier ministering to American Indians. Xavier never visited the United States or met with Native Americans, but the maker of the window misunderstood the congregation’s request for stained glass art of the saint ministering to people from India.
The main altar, built from Italian marble, is covered with a Baldacchino canopy and is based on the one at St. Peter’s in Rome. The two side altars are both made of carved butternut wood with gold highlights. Paintings and frescos adorn much of the basilica’s interior.
Both of the church’s steeples are more than 200 feet tall, topped by 14-feet-tall crosses. Airplane pilots are said to often use the steeples as landmarks during flights.
Because one of the roles of the Basilica is to serve as the Pope's church in the event he would visit the area, the church features a special Bell and Umbrella. Because the Pope is not expected to visit the area in the foreseeable
This window shows Saint Francis Xavier ministering to American Indians, despite the fact that Xavier actually did mission work in India.
