Basilica of the Immaculate Conception, Conception Abbey

History & Significance

Basilica · Est. Cornerstone laid 1883; dedicated May 10, 1891

The Basilica of the Immaculate Conception is the abbey church of Conception Abbey, a Benedictine monastery founded in 1873 by monks from Engelberg Abbey, Switzerland. Designed in Romanesque style by Franciscan architect Adrian Wewer, the church was dedicated in 1891 and is renowned for its Beuronese murals. Pope Pius XII designated it a minor basilica in 1940, the first basilica west of the Mississippi River. It lies within the Diocese of Kansas City-St. Joseph in northwest Missouri.

Romanesque Revival with Beuronese murals

• •Abbey church of Conception Abbey, a Benedictine monastery founded 1873 by monks from Engelberg, Switzerland
• •Cornerstone laid 1883; dedicated May 10, 1891; designed by Franciscan architect Adrian Wewer
• •Designated a minor basilica by Pope Pius XII in 1940 (cited as the first basilica west of the Mississippi River)
• •Located in Conception, Missouri, within the Diocese of Kansas City-St. Joseph
• •Listed on the National Register of Historic Places; famed for its Beuronese-style murals