Renewal underway at Baltimore Basilica

More than 50 feet above Baltimore, Doug Johnson stood atop the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary April 15, surveying aging shingles and shaking his head. Those immediately in front of him weren’t bad – but elsewhere across the roof, many of the 20-year-old shingles were cracked and crumbling.

“A lot of pieces come off and slide into built-in gutters, clogging them,” said Johnson, capital projects manager for the Archdiocese of Baltimore. “Water can build up two or three feet deep, leak into the building and damage the plaster.”

The wooden shingles, made from old-growth Eastern White Cedar recovered from a South Carolina bog during the basilica’s mid-2000s restoration, cover the roof and parts of the grand dome. They protect the polyurethane membrane beneath, which provides the roof’s waterproofing.

Years of exposure – especially to ultraviolet radiation – have taken a toll, Johnson said, and the shingles have reached the end of their lifespan.

Replacing them is a major part of a $10 million campaign, “A Legacy of Light, A Living Inheritance,” expected to launch around July 4, coinciding with the nation’s 250th anniversary.

The campaign includes $3 million for capital projects, $3 million for the Source of All Hope missionary program, $3 million for a capital trust and $1 million for the basilica’s music program, including the establishment of a school of sacred music for children.

“We’re already about halfway to the goal with only about 25 percent of our work done,” said Father Brendan Fitzgerald, rector. “It’s been exciting to see such strong support.”

Johnson said the shingles should be replaced by Thanksgiving, with materials still under consideration. Another major project will replace the basilica’s exterior lighting to improve nighttime safety. The current lighting is so intense it can make it difficult to see across the campus after dark.

Email George Matysek at gmatysek@CatholicReview.org

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