Basilica Shrine of St. Mary (Wilmington, North Carolina)

Basilica Shrine of Saint Mary
Basilica Shrine of St. Mary
Basic information
Location	412 Ann Street Wilmington, North Carolina, United States
Affiliation	Roman Catholic Church
District	Roman Catholic Diocese of Raleigh
State	North Carolina
Ecclesiastical or organizational status	Former Pro-Cathedral, current Minor Basilica
Status	Active
Leadership	Bishop Michael Francis Burbidge
Architectural description
Architect(s)	Rafael Guastavino
Architectural style	Spanish Baroque

The Basilica Shrine of St. Mary is a Roman Catholic basilica in Wilmington, North Carolina, in the Diocese of Raleigh.

Its historic main church is of the Spanish Baroque style. It was designed by Spanish architect Rafael Guastavino, who is known for his work on the Biltmore Estate, Basilica of St. Lawrence, and Duke Chapel. The church was constructed without wooden or steel beams and without nails, instead using brick tile.

Wilmington’s Roman Catholic origins are with the 1820 organization of the Charleston Diocese in South Carolina under Bishop John England. He visited Wilmington regularly from 1821 to 1843. On January 1, 1845, the Rev. Thomas Murphy (1806–1863) was appointed Pastor of the Congregation of Wilmington, North Carolina. Under his supervision, the Church of St. Thomas the Apostle was built and completed in 1847. The Church was named a pro-cathedral when Cardinal James Gibbons took up residence as Vicar Apostolic of North Carolina in 1868. St. Thomas Church closed in 1966 and the parish merged with St. Mary Parish. The former church building is now known as Saint Thomas Preservation Hall.

In the 1890s Father Christopher Dennen encouraged the formation of a new church. On May 20, 1908 ground was broken for the Saint Mary Church. The cornerstone of the church was laid on October 21, 1909 by Bishop Leo Haid, who was at the time the Vicar Apostolic of North Carolina. The first Mass held at the church was on December 17, 1911. On April 28, 1912 the parish was dedicated as St. Mary Pro-Cathedral by Cardinal Gibbons, but was returned to being a parish church when the Diocese of Raleigh was formed, and took over the area of Wilmington. The new cathedral of the Diocese of Raleigh, Sacred Heart Cathedral, is located in Raleigh, and the cathedral for the Diocese of Charlotte, Cathedral of St. Patrick, is in Charlotte.