New dome at US national shrine will be a 'wonder to behold'

Builders, Church leaders, and choristers gathered last week atop eight floors of scaffolding in the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception in Washington, DC, for the blessing of the workspace where a new mosaic will be installed on the dome.

"It will be a wonder to behold," said Washington Cardinal Donald Wuerl of the dome, which is expected to be completed by the end of next year. 

The mosaic will depict the Trinity, Mary, and 13 saints associated with the United States or the national shrine, the four evangelists, and words from the Nicene Creed.

The finished dome also will mark the completion of the national shrine, according to the original architectural plans for the church set to mark its centennial in 2020 - the 100th anniversary of the placement of its foundational stone.

During the blessing, Cardinal Wuerl offered prayers for the success of the project and the safety of the workers involved. He said the shrine puts into "image form" the message of the Gospel and does so "in a way that everyone can bask in its beauty."

He said the finished dome, with its particular emphasis on American saints, will remind people of the "face of who we are and the face of God." He also said it will reflect "living images of God and living images of everything we are capable of being."

In introductory remarks, Msgr Walter Rossi, rector of the national shrine, stressed the parallels between the mosaic design on the dome and the very character of the shrine itself - often described as America's Catholic church - representing a mosaic of Catholic parishioners from every corner of the globe.

He said a special one-time collection for the dome work will take place on Mother's Day, May 14, 2017. 

The last time a national collection was done for the shrine was in 1953 when it was being built.