Feast of the Dedication of the Lateran Basilica in Rome

SUNDAY, November 9th, 2025

Did you know that the Lateran Basilica is considered the “Mother Church of the world”? It’s the Pope’s own cathedral (not St. Peter’s) and the oldest basilica in Rome.

After Emperor Constantine granted freedom to Christians in 313 AD, believers could finally build churches publicly. One of the first and grandest was the Lateran Basilica, originally dedicated to Christ the Savior. Over time, it was also dedicated to St. John the Baptist and St. John the Evangelist, which is why its full name today is quite the mouthful: The Archbasilica of the Most Holy Savior and of Saints John the Baptist and John the Evangelist in the Lateran.

Through fires, earthquakes, and centuries of rebuilding, this basilica has stood as a symbol of the Church’s faith, endurance, and renewal. When we celebrate this feast, we’re not just remembering a building, we’re celebrating what it represents: that God dwells among His people, and that each of us is a living temple of His presence.