The Basilica of Saint Mary of the Immaculate Conception

Attended mass on a Sunday in September. Everyone we met was very kind and the service was AMAZING! The basilica is beautiful and the singing voices were the voices of angels.

This place is gorgeous inside and out, though the street construction (as of May 2025) presented a challenge. The church is geared towards African Americans, so expect to see wonderful icons and statues with that motif. Remember: the point of Jesus is that He looks like us... that He came as one of us.

This Basilica is very pretty and it is very clean. The floors are so shiny! Very interesting history here!

The music is the best I have heard the priest was good too understand the best church I’ve been too

The beautiful building is only eclipses by the beautiful congregation. The people and pastor are warm and welcoming. It's one of two Black Catholic Basilica in the USA. Father Jim speaks with authority about today's issues and Catholic Social Teachings.

Visited here for Easter from NJ and loved this church! The people are warm and welcoming. The choir was lively and sounded amazing. Lots of soul and love. The priest’s homily was also comforting. It was a great celebration and will return when we are in the area.

This review is in reference to the winter shelter, where they turn away the homeless and hungry, not because there isn't enough room but because there isn't enough mats. Just a reminder, that's not what Jesus would've done. The whole thing lacks empathy and compassion.

Beautiful inside. What is the city DOING??? Confession: Saturday 4:15 PM

This was my parish when I first moved to Virginia from NYC in 2011. The singing is very lively and I always enjoy Father Jim's homilies. Also, the church was renovated beautifully.

The combination of welcoming and friendly people, a great music anchor and a dynamic, outstanding Catholic priest pastor ànd the strong African American culture make this the best church we ve ever attended. In the 4 places we,ve lived in the last 26 years.

The Basilica of St. Marys has been my church since 2001. From Father John Dorgan, to Father Earnest Bulinda, and now Father James Curran, I have enjoyed each of them as Priest. The Basilica is the only minor Basilica in Virginia, and the only minor Basilica in the country that is predominately African American. That fact is very important to understand, because the experience you receive from the mass here, is much different than the other parishes in the diocese of Richmond. What makes St. Marys different is the choir. We have a gospel choir that was started over 30 years ago by the late Father Thomas Quinlin during his time at our parish here. Many people enjoy it, some people think it takes away from the mass, its up for you to decide that. We also no longer have kneelers in the sanctuary. The removal of that, and the center aisle occurred more than 30 years ago during the parishes remodel, its something that I miss having here. But there are kneelers located in St. Josephs Chapel and in the balcony of the church. St Marys is unlike any other church in Hampton Roads. If you want to avoid large crowds, go during the 5pm mass on Saturday or the noon mass on Sundays, the 9am mass on Sunday typically has 300+ people.

I love this church. Its my home church and i love everything about it. The people are wonderful and my children love it. I dont get to go offen but I enjoy it when I do.

I attend daily Mass at the Basilica as often as I can, which has been a lot less lately because of random, unannounced cancellations that discouraged me from relying on the Basilica for my daily Mass. Fr. Jim is a gifted homilist and tends to be "by the book" when it comes to the liturgy. Of course, daily Mass doesn't feature the choir that seems to be a "love it or hate it" thing based on the other reviews, so I can't speak too much to that. I will say, though, that I'd much rather hear a joyful Gospel-style choir than the watered-down Dan Schutte/David Haas/Marty Haugen junk that tends to pervade a lot of parishes. Beautifully appointed, the interior is a testament to the majesty of our God. The pews seem out of place and too modern, though. All-around a great stop for daily Mass (12:10 on most weekdays), especially if one works in downtown Norfolk.

If you are looking for a traditional Roman Catholic mass, look elsewhere. It was more like a Christian concert. Fifteen minutes of music passed before mass began, they bypassed the penitential rites, and it concluded with another series of songs. A little less music and a little more praying was needed.