Mission Church from Park Drive

January 4, 2008

Basilica of Our Lady of Perpetual Help (AKA "The Mission Church"), as seen from Park Drive in West Fenway, Boston

The Basilica shown above is only one of 34 in the United States (there are 11 of them in Rome itself). It is located on Tremont Street, in the Mission Hill section of Roxbury, Boston. Built in 1876 of Roxbury Puddingstone (the twin towers flanking the original cupola, seen in the picture, were added in 1910), the church was elevated to the title of Basilica in 1954 by Pope Pius XII during the Feast of the Immaculate Conception.

This view through the barren trees was taken from Park Drive in the West Fenway neighborhood, in front of my apartment building. I have lived at this location for over 4 years, yet I have never noticed that the church was visible from my street, no doubt because it is obscured by the trees during the warmer months and that i rarely face this direction from this exact location. The church is located 0.8 miles away SSW from this location, by the way the crow flies. Standing next to the church at the Mission Hill Playground, which sits atop Mission Hill, offers one of the best views of Back Bay and Downtown Boston as far as Southie.