PALM BEACH | Sixteen years ago, when JoAnne Burkholder first walked into St. Edward Church, she cried because it looked and felt like the majestic churches she grew up with in New Jersey. It was like discovering a touch of home in Palm Beach, she said. Now, her home has been named a basilica.
On March 1, 2025, the Palm Beach community and Bishop Gerald M. Barbarito celebrated the latest milestone in a near-century of milestones for St. Edward Parish with the reading of a Vatican proclamation designating the church as a minor basilica. Since cathedrals and basilicas are permitted to have holy doors during a holy year, the bishop was on hand to bless the double doors on the north side of the basilica as holy doors.
Greeting Bishop Barbarito at the start of the Saturday vigil Mass, Archimandrite Glen Pothier, now-rector of the basilica, said, “It’s very wonderful that you’re here this evening with us. This is an important Mass in our parish on the island of Palm Beach. The church of Palm Beach, this beautiful basilica, is the heart of the island.”
Father Pothier read the Dec. 13, 2024, document from the Vatican Dicastery for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments establishing the Basilica of St. Edward. The arduous process of having the church elevated to a basilica began by asking the bishop’s permission and assistance. After Bishop Barbarito’s approval, Father Pothier contacted the U.S. bishops’ conference in Washington, and a formal questionnaire was sent to him that included 119 questions probing whether St. Edward met the established criteria to be designated as a basilica.
“There were questions about the juridical status of the church within the Diocese of Palm Beach, the number of parishioners and the date the church was consecrated,” he wrote in the March 2 parish bulletin. “There was a detailed section on the description of the church, including its construction, the dimensions of the sanctuary, the altar and its composition, the position of key liturgical items in the church, including the pulpit, the type of chair that the presider occupies, where the tabernacle and baptistry are located, and where the confessional is.”
They also needed to submit extensive documentation as part of the process, Father Pothier wrote. Thankfully, the parish has substantial archives going back to the 1920s.
“My goal was to petition the Holy See early enough so that, if granted, the title would be in place by the time of the parish’s centenary in 2026,” he wrote. “When completed, the questionnaire and associated documentation was forwarded to the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops on March 22, 2024, and, following their review, the complete packet was sent to the Vatican on April 17, 2024.”
A problem arose when Vatican officials commented that the current celebrant’s chair didn’t fit the magnificence of the sanctuary, so plans were made to have a chair carved from Carrera marble, matching the marble throughout the sanctuary. The chair is due to be installed this summer when it arrives from Tuscany, Italy.
Other items befitting a basilica are expected to be added this year, including an “ombrellino” (small silk red and yellow striped canopy, or umbrella, symbolizing a readiness to welcome the pope, should he visit), and a tintinnabulum, which is a small bell mounted on a pole used in the Middle Ages and Renaissance to signal a pope’s arrival. Both items are being crafted by artisans for later inclusion.
The basilica’s crest contains the crossed keys of Peter, which is a papal symbol, along with a depiction of the ombrellino; the crest of St. Edward, king of England, in the upper left quadrant; a pelican, which symbolizes Christ’s self-sacrifice; Marian icons of a fleur-de-lis and A and M for Ave Maria; waves of water reminiscent of the diocesan crest; and a flowing ribbon with the basilica’s motto, which is above the sanctuary: Deus Meus et Omnia (My God and my All).
In his homily, Bishop Barbarito congratulated Father Pothier and his parishioners for this special recognition, which reflects the splendor of the basilica and the beauty of its members.
St. Edward’s members support each other as a family, from the very young to the very old, the bishop said. “Here in Palm Beach at St. Edward’s Parish, that family, that beauty of God, shines forth. That’s what makes this basilica such a magnificent basilica, not only because of the artwork that’s present here, but because of the beauty of you, the family of St. Edward’s Parish.”
The basilica is a reminder of the role Catholics play in their families, parishes, the diocese and the universal church, he said.
“All basilicas outside of Rome are called minor basilicas, as is St. Edward’s,” Bishop Barbarito said. “But the four basilicas are actually the churches of the pope in Rome, St. Peter’s being the first among them. Because of this recognition for us, we recognize our particular role as part of the family of the universal church, part of a family that holds to the faith that goes back to Jesus himself, that holds to the faith that Jesus handed on to the apostles.
“This is a great day in the life of St. Edward’s Parish because it reflects all the great days which have made up St. Edward’s Parish,” he added.
Before blessing the designated doors with holy water and incense, Bishop Barbarito prayed: “O God our Father, you are the hope that does not disappoint and the beginning and end of all things. Bless the start of our pilgrim journey behind the glorious cross of your Son in this time of grace. Bind up the wounds of hearts that are broken, loosen the chains that hold us slaves of sin and prisoners of hatred, and grant your people the joy of the Spirit so that they may walk with renewed hope toward their longed-for destiny.”
At the conclusion of the liturgy, Father Pothier thanked the bishop and all involved with the celebration. “It is an important event in the life of the diocese. It’s an important event in the life of this island parish,” he said. “I want to thank our town council and our members of the finance council who are here. All those who are our regular members of our parish each and every weekend, who contribute to the beauty of what we do here. I want to thank once again, as always, our choir — just love them — and all the beautiful music that they present to us and the fanfare that went along with this beautiful event.”
Talking with the Florida Catholic later in the parish hall, where food and beverages were plentiful, JoAnne Burkholder, who lives in Jupiter and is honored to serve St. Edward as an extraordinary minister of holy Communion, confirmed the special character of the parish.
“I think, for us parishioners, we were not surprised that it became a basilica because of the pageantry of that beautiful sanctuary with the spiritual leadership of Father Glen,” she said. “We now have a beautiful sanctuary, a brilliant, wonderful spiritual leader in Father Glen, accompanied by the magnificence of the music.
“It’s a wonderful feeling to be here,” Burkholder added. “Tonight, to be a part of this and to look at all this and the celebration of this.”
For more information on the Basilica of St. Edward, visit https://stedwardpb.com/ and connect on Facebook.
Click here to see more pictures of the Basilica of St. Edward on the Florida Catholic
Basilica of St. Edward history
The crest of the Basilica of St. Edward.
WILLIAM CONE | FC
As Palm Beach became a popular tourist destination in the 1920s, it became evident that a Catholic Church was needed to serve visitors and residents.
In 1926, Jesuit Father Felix Clarkson was given permission by the bishop of St. Augustine to purchase three lots for $80,000 at North County Road and Sunrise Avenue to establish a “mission” church, separate from St. Ann in West Palm Beach, but cared for by the Jesuits.
Acting as general contractor, and through the generosity of 291 donors, Father Clarkson raised about $300,000 of the $500,000 total cost, and broke ground Easter Sunday, April 4, 1926. The church was completed less than nine months after the start of construction. More than 1,500 attended midnight Mass in the new church that year. The church was consecrated Feb. 13, 1927, by Bishop Patrick Joseph Barry of St. Augustine.
In January 1941, Father James Cloonan became the first resident pastor, and in 1942 a residence was built to house the priests serving the parish. It included a guest suite for the diocesan bishop and space for parish offices. The building continues to serve as the rectory. In 1958, property on the east side of North County Road was acquired to build a parish center, which includes an auditorium with stage and projection room, social-meeting room, full kitchen, Women’s Guild room, space for faith formation classes and offices.
