The Dedication of the Lateran Basilica (November 9, 2025)

Quick question: What is the “mother church” for Roman Catholics? Most people think it’s St. Peter’s Basilica at the Vatican, but that is incorrect. Yes, St. Peter’s is where all the high-profile events of the Catholic Church take place: the announcement and blessing of the new pope; the general papal audiences; the canonization of new saints; and the annual Christmas Midnight Mass with the Holy Father, seen by a worldwide audience. These are significant events, but if St. Peter’s is not the mother church of the Catholic faith, what is?

The answer is: the Basilica of St. John Lateran in Rome. The basilica is named after St. John the Baptist, and after the Lateranus family, on whose property the great church was built. St. John Lateran is the earliest basilica of Christianity. What is a basilica? The term originally referred to the large open spaces in the Roman Empire that were used for public gatherings. In the Catholic Church, basilica refers to a large and important church that has been given ceremonial rights by the pope.

Every bishop has a cathedral church, the central church of the diocese where the bishop’s chair or cathedra is housed. The pope is the Bishop of Rome, and his diocesan cathedral is St. John Lateran. Why does the whole Church celebrate the dedication of this Roman archbasilica today? First, keep in mind that many parishes, including cathedrals, celebrate the anniversary of their dedication. You can think of that Dedication Day as a local feast day for the parish. Since St. John Lateran is the mother church for all of Catholicism, in a very real sense today, November 9, is a “local” feast day for the whole Church.

I had the privilege of twice visiting the Lateran Basilica myself in 2013 and 2019, and I must say I was overwhelmed by its size, its stunning architecture, and its beautiful artwork of paintings, statues, and stained glass. A highlight for me was the magnificent statues of the Twelve Apostles. I was also pleased to see how simple the pope’s cathedral chair is, not fancy or ornate at all. If you ever get an opportunity to visit Rome, be sure to visit St. John Lateran and the other four major basilicas, including St. Peter’s.

What do today’s readings teach us on this anniversary of the dedication of our mother church? The First Reading from Ezekiel says that God dwells in his temple.

“The angel brought me back to the entrance of the temple, and I saw water flowing out from beneath the threshold toward the east… Along the banks of the river, fruit trees of every kind shall grow… They shall bear fresh fruit, for they shall be watered by the flow from the sanctuary.”

I am reminded of the baptismal font in our churches today. It is in the temple that the life of grace is bestowed on new members of the Church. 

In the Second Reading from the First Letter to the Corinthians, Saint Paul teaches that WE are God’s temple:

“Do you not know that you are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwells in you? If anyone destroys God’s temple, God will destroy that person; for the temple of God, which you are, is holy.”

And in today’s Gospel from John, Jesus teaches that his Body – his physical body and the Body of the Church – is a temple built on the foundation of the Resurrection.

“Destroy this temple and in three days I will raise it up.”

The stunning beauty of a church building – even one as magnificent as the Lateran Basilica in Rome – is no match for the glory of the Risen Jesus living in each one of us as members his Body. As we celebrate the dedication of our mother church, let us be reminded that a church building is only as good as the people who gather and worship within.