Overview
The Church of the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary, also called St. Mary’s Basilica, is Phoenix’s oldest Catholic parish and its second-oldest church. Between 1872 and 1881, Catholic priests from Florence, Arizona, traveled by buggy every three months to celebrate the liturgy.
The community built the church between 1902 and 1914, blending Mission Revival and Spanish Colonial Revival styles. It was officially dedicated in 1915 and replaced an earlier adobe church built in 1881 when the parish was founded.
Starting in 1895, Franciscan Friars staffed the parish. Until 1924, it was Phoenix’s only Catholic parish. On Sept. 6, 1976, the Arizona Historical Society named St. Mary’s an historic site. About a decade later, in 1985, Pope John Paul II elevated the church to a minor basilica.
Quick Facts
- Status
- Existing
- Postal code
- 85004
