Pastor's Weekly Message

Feast of the Dedication of the Lateran Basilica in Rome, 8-9 Nov 2025



Dear Fellow Saints-in-the-Making,

Joyful greetings in Jesus the Eternal High Priest!

Today, Holy Mother Church celebrates the Feast of the Dedication of St. John Lateran, by which we commemorate the Major Basilica of St. John in Lateran. This particular church is honored each year on November 9, because it is the “Mother and Head of all the churches of the city [that is, Rome] and of the world.”

The Basilica stands next to what was once a palace belonging to Plautius Lateranus, hence the “Lateran” Palace. Once Emperor Constantine legalized Christianity and made it the religion of the Empire, he ceded the Lateran Palace to Pope Melchiades to be his residence. The Lateran Palace became the residence of the Popes for the next thousand years. In 324, Constantine had the Basilica built and Pope Sylvester dedicated it to Our Most Holy Savior, as seen by the words “Christo Salvatore” engraved at the frontispiece in between the central columns. The church was the first place that Christians could worship freely and openly in the Roman Empire. This Feast, therefore, connects us a Church throughout time and space.

The Basilica was rededicated to St. John the Baptist in the 10^th Century and then in the 12^th Century, to St. John the Evangelist. Therefore the full name of this church is the Archbasilica of the Most Holy Savior and of Saints John the Baptist and the Evangelist at the Lateran, and, in brief, “St. John at Lateran.” It is the only Archbasilica in the world. 

In 1309, the Pope left Rome for Avignon, where the Popes remained for the next 70 years. Upon the return of the Papacy to Rome, the residence of the Pope was moved to Vatican Hill, where the Popes have lived ever since.

St. John at Lateran is of particular importance as it is the Pope’s parish in so far as he is the Bishop of Rome. It is his cathedral, where his cathedra or seat of authority is.  The church is the oldest and most important church in all of Christendom. The members of our parish family on pilgrimage to Rome for the Jubilee Year will be visiting the Archbasilica of St. John at Lateran tomorrow, November 10. Please know that you and yours will be held in my intentions at Mass, as you have been at the Masses I celebrated in Italy throughout the past week. We return this Thursday. Please pray before the icon of the Sacred Heart of Jesus for our safe return. St. Jude The Apostle is hosting the icon from the Knights of Columbus for most of November. 

God love you! I do.

Fr. Lewis