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The main Kevelaer pilgrimage church was raised to the status of a papal basilica in 1923. The Basilica is where the major pilgrimage services are held.
This is where the people of God gather together with Mary in prayer, just as reported in the Acts of the Apostles. The image of “The Assumption of the Blessed Virgin into Heaven” is a reminder of the goal of earthly pilgrimage. The painting is the work of Friedrich Stummel.
It is based on the idea of the “biblia pauporum”: The pilgrim who spends time in the Basilica in search of inner peace gazes at the paintings and can meditate on an event in the life of Christ, the history of the church, Christian life in the sacraments, Scripture or the Liturgy. The countless ornaments never repeat themselves. Like their message, their pattern is always new. The colour scheme is clearly inspired by the Saint Chapelle in Paris. |
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The Nave and the southern and western transepts were completed in 1864 according to the plans of the Cologne “Dombaumeister” Vincenz Statz, while the tower, which is over 90 metres tall, was completed 20 years later.
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