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.

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.

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

When I relocated to Virginia, one of my top priorities was finding a church that would not only fulfill me spiritually but also provide a vibrant atmosphere for praising and worshipping my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. I'm incredibly happy to say that this church has exceeded my expectations. From the moment I arrived, everyone has been incredibly welcoming. It's truly a blessing to have found a community that so strongly reinforces my beliefs, my morals, and my faith.

Went to daily mass here today and now I am joining. Father Jim is inspiring and the people attending were so warm. I loved this church and the people there.

We had our wedding here and the staff (Oretha Pretlow), choir (coordinated by Sammie Logan), and Fr Jim were so gracious and wonderful. Our guests could not stop raving about how much they loved the welcoming environment of the church and how gracious everyone was - not to mention how stunning the church itself is. We are eternally grateful that we had our wedding here and will have this memory forever. My family is South Asian Catholic and being so welcomed in a church that embraces our culture so whole heartedly was amazing. Thank you!

Come for your Sunday obligation and stay for the concert and amazing words of wisdom. I cannot over sell how amazing the music and singing were. They truly bring the holy spirit to life inside you and make you want to let it out. The homily was so incredible and we'll delivered. I will make it a point to deliver more compliments to my neighbor and spread more joy.

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.