When the official announcement was made on Aug. 15, 2020, the Solemnity of The Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary, that Pope Francis had granted the title of Minor Basilica to the Cathedral of St. Peter in Chains in downtown Cincinnati, it was a moment of great joy for its rector, Father Jan Schmidt, and for Catholics throughout the Archdiocese of Cincinnati.

The title of Minor Basilica, which denotes a closer relationship to the pope, is given to churches around the world in recognition of their historical or cultural importance, artistic beauty and significance in the life of the Church. In Rome, it is reserved for certain churches. With the designation, the Cathedral Basilica of St. Peter in Chains became the 89th minor basilica in the United States.

“For all of us who live and worship in our archdiocese, this is a great blessing and honor that has been bestowed on our cathedral church,” Archbishop Dennis M. Schnurr said at Mass on the basilica’s designation day. “Let us pray on this day, as we honor Our Lady in her Assumption, that the Church of the Archdiocese of Cincinnati, her clergy and faithful, along with all the people of this great city, may benefit from this blessing and give thanks for all that the Lord has brought to fruition.”

The decree, issued by the Vatican, reads: “At the request of his Excellency and Most Reverend Dennis Marion Schnurr, Archbishop of Cincinnati, with his letter from the 18th of August 2019 expressing the prayers and desires of the clergy and all the Christian faithful, the Congregation for Divine Worship and Discipline of the Sacraments by the power of the particular faculties conferred to it by the Supreme Pontiff, FRANCIS, most willingly bestows upon the Cathedral Church of Cincinnati, dedicated to God in honor of Saint Peter ‘in Chains’ the title and dignity of a MINOR BASILICA with all the corresponding rights and customary liturgical privileges, all things being rightly observed in accordance with the decree Concerning the Title of Minor Basilica ‘Domus Ecclesiae,’ issued on the 9th of November 1989.

All things to the contrary notwithstanding. From the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments, on the Solemnity of the Apostles St. Peter and Paul, the 29th day of June of the year 2020.”

St. Peter in Chains is a sacred and special place for area Catholics, a place built to be an image of Christ’s visible Church, well-designed and laid out for singing, praying and worshiping God by the local faithful.

“I have a deep love for the cathedral personally,” Father Schmidt told The Catholic Telegraph in 2020. “It was my father’s parish, my parents were married there and, as a seminarian, I lived there while ministering in Over-the- Rhine.”

The application process to become a basilica is detailed and lengthy, noted Father Schmidt, rector since 2017. For St. Peter in Chains, it took more than two years. To be considered for the designation, a church must meet six requirements: have an active pastoral liturgy (meaning the sacraments are celebrated regularly throughout the year); be of an appropriate size and have a sufficiently large sanctuary; have historical significance; have an adequate number of priests to celebrate the sacraments; have a sufficient number of lay ministers; and have an adequate Schola of sacred music.

Upon determining the cathedral met all the requirements, Father Schmidt gathered a committee of staff members and others from the archdiocese, who compiled a 240- page document that included responses to more than 100 specific questions from the Vatican. After review by Archbishop Schnurr, then the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, the proposal was ultimately sent to the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments in Rome.

A Mass of Thanksgiving for the designation was held Nov. 7, 2020, in a combined celebration with St. Peter in Chains’ 175th anniversary. During the liturgy, two major symbols that indicate a church is a minor basilica were processed in:

The ombrellino, “little umbrella,” is in basilicas worldwide, signifying the structures’ close ties with the Holy See. Its silk canopy is striped with red and gold, the traditional papal colors. During the Middle Ages, the ombrellino was carried above the pope during processions. Once placed in the sanctuary of St. Peter in Chains, it remains partially opened and would only be opened fully during a visit from the Holy Father.

The tintinnabulum is essentially a bell, or in the case of a cathedral, three bells, mounted on a pole to signify the church’s link to the pope. During the Middle Ages and Renaissance, it alerted the people of Rome to the pope’s arrival during papal processions. The tintinnabulum was placed in the sanctuary and can be used during other celebrations.

In the next issue of The Catholic Telegraph, we’ll focus on saints who have visited St. Peter in Chains.

This article appeared in the January 2025 edition of The Catholic Telegraph Magazine. For your complimentary subscription, click here.