Optional Memorial of Dedication of the Basilicas of Saints Peter and Paul, Apostles

This optional feast celebrates the dedications of two of the four major basilicas of Rome. Originally built in 323 by the emperor Constantine, Saint Peter’s Basilica was constructed over the tomb of the Apostle Peter, the Church’s first Pope. After standing for more than a thousand years, Pope Julius II ordered the building to be torn down due to structural concerns. Two hundred years later the new church was complete. Dedicated on November 18, 1626, this basilica is considered the most famous church in Christendom. Located outside of the original walls of Rome, Saint Paul´s Basilica also was originally built by the emperor Constantine and was built over Saint Paul's grave. It was destroyed by fire in 1823, and donations from around the world made the reconstruction possible. Pope Pius IX consecrated the Saint Paul's Basilica in 1854.