Since 1954, we have been bringing Christ in the City of Newark and beyond.

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The Cathedral Basilica of the Sacred Heart is built on the highest peak in Newark next to Branch Brook Park. The French Gothic Cathedral covers 45,000 square feet, an area equal to that of London’s Westminster Abbey, and is longer and taller than St. Patrick’s Cathedral in New York City. Built over a 55-year period, beginning at the turn of the century, the land was purchased in 1871 for $60,000. The cost, initially estimated at $1 million, soon rose to $18 million. Most of the money was raised through large donations and church collections throughout the Archdiocese. The edifice was dedicated on October 19, 1954.

The title of "Sacred Heart" honors Jesus Christ's love for humanity. He made the human face of God's love present in Galilee. The same love reached out to us here and now.

We invite you to allow the Cathedral Basilica of the Sacred Heart to lead you in prayer and to deepen your own faith, hope, and love.

About the Cathedral Basilica of the Sacred Heart

The Cathedral Basilica of the Sacred Heart is considered one of the most spectacular cathedrals in the country. Built on the highest peak in Newark next to Branch Brook Park, the French Gothic Cathedral covers 40,000 square feet, an area equal to that of London's Westminster Abbey. It is longer and taller, even, than the renowned St. Patrick's Cathedral in New York City.

Built over a 55-year period, beginning at the turn of the century, the land was purchased in 1871 for $60,000. The cost, initially estimated at $1 million, soon rose to $18 million. Most of the money was raised through large donations and church collections throughout the Archdiocese. The edifice was dedicated on October 19, 1954.

The structure features hand-carved decorations of wood, stone, and marble imported from countries around the world. Its stained-glass windows, crafted in Munich, Germany, are considered among the finest in the world. The fourteen bells in the west tower were cast in Padua, Italy, and tested by Vatican bell experts. The woodwork and pews are Appalachian oak. Both a national and state historical landmark, the building boasts massive bronze doors imported from Rome, and an altar of Italian marble from the quarry in Pietrasanta.

The five ambulatory chapels surrounding the sanctuary reflect the ethnic and racial diversity of the Roman Catholic Church in the Archdiocese of Newark at the time of completion: St. Patrick (British Isles); St. Lucy Filippini (Italian, Portuguese); St. Boniface (German speaking); St. Stanislaus of Kraków (Polish-Slovak-Hungarian); St. Anne (Hispanic, African, and Asian).

Behind the main altar is the most impressive chapel of all, the Lady Chapel. Dedicated to Our Lady of grace, it has an altar crafted from Carrara marble and three brilliant chandeliers of hand-cut crystal.

A little known fact is that the five former bishops of Newark are buried in the Cathedral crypt.

The Cathedral's organ, a world-class concert instrument, was build by Shantz Organ Company of Orrville, Ohio. It has 9,513 pipes and is the largest church organ in New Jersey.

The 36-foot rose window in the gallery over the main entrance is the largest such window in the Catholic Church in the western hemisphere. The granite façade was illuminated on Christmas Eve in 1986, making the edifice visible on the night horizon. With its 232-foot twin towers, taller than the Notre Dame in Paris, and its great copper spire, soaring almost 300 feet skyward, the Cathedral Basilica represents a beacon of hope to all who look upon it.