Basilica of Our Lady Immaculate, Guelph

The Basilica of Our Lady Immaculate is a neogothic Roman Catholic church in the heart of Guelph, Ontario, within the Diocese of Hamilton. Consecrated in 1888, it was built from local limestone in the Gothic Revival style, its slender twin towers a landmark of the city's skyline. In 1954 it was granted the papal title of Basilica minor, one of only a handful of churches in Canada to hold that distinction. Its designation as a National Historic Site recognizes its role as a testament to the Irish Catholic immigrant communities that shaped Guelph throughout the nineteenth century. The interior features pointed-arch stained glass windows and a soaring vaulted ceiling that create an unexpectedly grand sacred space for a parish church.