This year, due to the COVID-19 restriction placed upon houses of worship by the District of Columbia that now limits the number of attendees to 250 persons per service, the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception in Washington, D.C. will implement, for the first time, an advance registration and ticketing system for the following Sundays and holy days beginning Dec. 20 throughout the Christmas season:
- Fourth Sunday of Advent (December 20)
- Vigil Masses of the Nativity of the Lord (Christmas Eve, December 24)
- Masses During the Day of the Nativity of the Lord (Christmas Day, December 25)
- Solemnity of the Holy Family of Jesus, Mary, and Joseph (December 27)
- Solemnity of Mary, the Holy Mother of God (January 1)
- Epiphany of the Lord (January 3)
- Baptism of the Lord (January 10)
Registration will open on Friday, December 18, at 9 am ET, on a first-come, first-served basis, with a 10-person ticket limit per registration. To register, please visit www.nationalshrine.org/mass-registration.
Throughout the year, especially during the Christmas Season, thousands of the faithful flock to the Basilica to participate in the celebration of Mass. With a 250-person maximum per Mass, the National Shrine in a press release said its administrators understand that the desire to register for and attend these Masses will far exceed the limit. In this regard, the noon Mass of each solemnity will be livestreamed at www.nationalshrine.org/Mass.
“We hope that those who are unable to join us in person due to current restrictions will participate with us online,” the press release said. “The priests, religious, and staff of the Basilica pray for a rapid end to the COVID-19 pandemic so all may be welcomed without restriction to the National Shrine once again.”
The Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception is the largest Roman Catholic church in North America, and it is among the 10 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, St. Pope John Paul II, and St. Mother Teresa of Calcutta.
The Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception, a landmark of faith in the nation's capital and the largest Catholic church in North America, is celebrating its centennial year. (CS photo/Mihoko Owada)
