On Monday, January 6, 2025, the Holy Father, Pope Francis, appointed Cardinal Robert McElroy of San Diego, as the eighth Archbishop of Washington. With this appointment, Cardinal McElroy becomes the chair of the National Shrine Board of Trustees.
Cardinal McElroy has served as a member of the Shrine Board since 2022 and faithfully attends our annual meeting. We look forward to hosting his Installation Mass as Archbishop of Washington in Mary’s Shrine on March 11, 2025.
I am grateful for the six years that Cardinal Wilton Gregory served as chair of the Shrine Board, as well as for the thirteen years he served as chair of the Liturgy and Music Committee prior to his appointment as Archbishop of Washington. Cardinal Gregory will remain a member of the Shrine Board of Trustees, as all United States cardinals serve as ex officio members of the Shrine Board.
During this time of transition, please keep Cardinal McElroy, Cardinal Gregory and the faithful of both the Archdiocese of Washington and Diocese of San Diego in your prayers.
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ABOUT THE BASILICA
The Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception is the largest Roman Catholic church in North America, and it is among the ten largest churches in the world. Dedicated to the patroness of the United States, the Blessed Virgin Mary under her title of the Immaculate Conception, the Basilica is the nation’s preeminent Marian shrine and patronal church and has been designated a national sanctuary of prayer and pilgrimage. Among those who have visited the National Shrine during its 100-year history are Pope Francis, Pope Benedict XVI, Saint Pope John Paul II, and Saint Mother Teresa of Calcutta.