1,000 ANGELS!

Father Baker was fond of saying: “There are a thousand angels in the Basilica!” The truth is, though, there are far more than that.  According to estimates, the Shrine’s interior contains anywhere between 2,000 and 2,500 angels.  An exact count has never been agreed upon.

Father Baker’s intent was to put an angel in every conceivable sight line. Why? Their role in proclaiming God’s good news and the reality of heaven.

The largest can be actually found on the exterior.  The four copper angels on the Basilica’s dome each stand 18-feet tall and weigh thousands of pounds.  They sound their trumpets to the four directions of the globe.