St. Fidelis Church - Victoria, Kansas

 (CNS photo/ Doug Weller, The Register)

Destination: Bishop Edward J. Weisenburger of Salina, Kan., received the news from the Vatican in early March that it had granted the diocese’s application to have St. Fidelis designated a minor basilica. It’s dedication as a basilica will be June 7. 
Masses are 5 p.m., Saturdays; 10 a.m., Sunday; 6:45 a.m., Tuesday, Thursday, Friday; 7 p.m., Monday and Wednesday.
Why to go: Visiting a basilica can provide Catholics with a plenary indulgence — remission of the temporal punishment a person is due for sins that have been forgiven.
The historic church’s 141-foot twin towers are easily seen from nearby Interstate 70, and about 16,000 people visit it each year. The Romanesque structure is 220 feet long, 110 feet wide at the transepts, 75 feet tall and seats 1,100. At the time of its dedication in 1911, it was considered the largest church in the state. Colored-glass windows made in Munich were installed in 1916, and stations of the cross were imported from Austria in 1917. The cost to build the church and furnish it totaled more than $95,000.Democratic presidential candidate William Jennings Bryan dubbed it the “Cathedral of the Plains” when he visited in 1912.
The building was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1971. Since 1994, the parish has spent nearly $1 million on restoration, repairs and mechanical and physical updates.
It is also among the “8 Wonders of Kansas,” so named during a ceremony at the Capitol in Topeka in January 2008.
Amenities: Guided tours are available for people who call the parish office several days ahead of time.
(Grand) Kid friendly: Absolutely.
Info: Address: St. Fidelis Church, 601 10th St., Victoria, KS 67671. Phone: 785/735-2777 Web: http://www.stfidelischurch.com/

- Compiled by Sharon Boehlefeld
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