1st LI Roman Catholic basilica in Southampton

Long Island has its first Roman Catholic basilica.

During a Mass and dedication Sunday, Diocese of Rockville Centre Bishop William Murphy inaugurated the Sacred Hearts of Jesus and Mary Church in Southampton into a minor basilica, an elevated status from that of a parish church.

"In this basilica, the graces of God will fall ever more abundantly," Murphy said during the ceremony, which now means the church can display the coat of arms of Vatican City on its facade and use the crossed keys of St. Peter on furnishings and appointments.

An honor bestowed rarely, the church joins 72 others in the country and more than 2,000 worldwide chosen for their historical, spiritual or architectural significance, as well as their active worship communities. Old St. Patrick's Cathedral on Mulberry Street in Manhattan and the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception in Washington are on the list.

"When we first heard the news, it was pretty astonishing," usher and parishioner Edward T. Callaghan of Southampton said. "This is a big thing, a very big honor."

With the new designation, it is now the Basilica Church of the Sacred Hearts of Jesus and Mary. Built during 13 months spanning 1907 and 1908, the white marble church was created after Irish Catholic immigrant servers and gardeners said they would no longer work in the area without a place to worship, the pastor, Msgr. Jeffrey Madley, said.

Wealthy Protestant families and working-class Irish gave money for construction, which cost $100,000 and used blocks from the New York Public Library that had been discarded for imperfections.

"It was the dimes and quarters of the workers that built this," Callaghan said.

The pulpit is 400 years old and from France; the stained glass windows are from Austria. Decorated into each of the nave arches are shamrocks.

"It's been a significant church in the area," said Madley, who has been with the church for 12 years and leaves for one in Shoreham in June.

At the start of the Mass, Murphy presented to Madley a certificate from the Vatican bestowing the minor basilica title. He read it aloud and accepted emblems of significance. One was an Ombrellina, a red and yellow umbrella that symbolizes the protection and presence of God. A bell on a post, called a tintinnabulum, was unveiled.

"This basilica now has an extremely important role to play. . . . It is up to you and me by our faith . . . to make this beautiful basilica alive with prayer," Murphy said.

Parishioners filled the 650-seat church. Near the service's end, they gave an ovation to Madley, and another to the Rev. Michael Vetrano, who will take over at the end of June. "It's a wonderful thing to come into a parish when they're on a high," he said.