Nov 18 – Dedication of the Basilicas of Sts. Peter and Paul
1Description
It’s the Feast of Dedication of the Basilicas of Sts. Peter and Paul, 3rd Class, with the color of White. In this episode: the meditation: “Eternal Salvation”, today’s news from the Church: “The Consoling Sisters of Narni: A New Church Under Construction”, and today’s thought from the Archbishop.
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Sources Used Today:
- “Eternal Salvation” – Death, Judgment, Heaven, and Hell: Meditations on the Four Last Things by St. Alphonsus de Liguori
- “The Consoling Sisters of Narni: A New Church Under Construction” (FSSPX.news)
- The Spiritual Life – Archbishop Lefebvre (Angelus Press)
The Feast of the Dedication of the Basilicas of Saints Peter and Paul is one of those days that draws us back to the very roots of the Church in Rome. Celebrated on November 18, it honors the two great churches that rise above the tombs of the apostles who shaped the Christian world. It is a feast not of architecture, but of memory: the memory of two lives poured out for Christ, and of the places where generations of believers have gone to pray, to weep, and to hope.
The Basilica of Saint Peter stands on Vatican Hill, built above the simple grave where the apostle was buried after his martyrdom in the first century. Constantine built the first basilica there in the 300s. Pilgrims came from every corner of the empire, some walking for months, to stand near the apostle who received the keys of the kingdom. Over time the building decayed, and the Renaissance popes rebuilt it into the vast basilica that stands today, crowned by Michelangelo’s dome. Yet for all its grandeur, what draws millions each year is still the same truth: beneath the altar rests the fisherman of Galilee, who died in Rome out of love for Christ.
Across the city rises the Basilica of Saint Paul Outside the Walls, built over the burial place of the apostle to the Gentiles. Constantine also built the first church here, and after a devastating fire in 1823, it was rebuilt stone by stone in the same style. Inside, you can still see the chains that tradition says bound Paul during his imprisonments. The basilica feels quieter and more spacious than Saint Peter’s, as if echoing the contemplative fire of the apostle who wrote letters from dark cells yet filled the world with hope.
The feast of their dedication reminds us that the Church is built on real lives, real sacrifices, and real places where grace took root. In the Middle Ages, Christians across Europe kept this day with special reverence, offering prayers for unity with Rome and for the strength to remain faithful to the apostolic witness. Even today, many pilgrims visit both basilicas in a single day, praying at the tombs of Peter and Paul as an act of unity and gratitude.
These two churches stand as visible reminders that the faith we profess has been handed down through martyrs, missionaries, and shepherds who loved Christ more than life itself.
Saints Peter and Paul, holy apostles and pillars of the Church, pray for us!
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