The "Crown Jewel of Newark" turns 100 The 100th Anniversary of the laying of the cornerstone of the Cathedral Basilica of the Sacred Heart will be commemorated with a blessing the restored cornerstone and a Mass at 8 p.m. Friday, June 11, 1999. The cornerstone was set in June of 1899. It is granite and seven feet long, three feet wide, and two feet thick with the inscription "A 1899 D" on each end. It contains two stones from Israel inscribed with the words "Jerusalem" and "Bethlehem." The ceremonial laying of the cornerstone attracted 10,000 Catholics to the Cathedral Plaza and more than 50,000 others who stood on a hill in adjoining Branch Brook Park The Newark Evening News reported that it was the largest public gathering in Newark up to that time. According to historical accounts, construction of the Cathedral had encountered problems even before the cornerstone was laid. The original downtown site was changed to its current site, the original blueprints with a more Victorian influence were scrapped and the foundation had to be re-dug before the cornerstone was ever set. From that time until the final dedication of the Cathedral in 1954, construction would again be delayed. First, due to questions about the structural integrity of the designs, which led to the dismissal of the original architect and later because of a shortage of funding and materiels due in part to the demands of World Wars I and II. Since the dedication of the Cathedral in 1954 it has been the liturgical and spiritual heart of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Newark. It has been host to Pope John Paul II, Mother Teresa, President Bill Clinton and First Lady Hillary Rodham Clinton, several New Jersey Governors and dignitaries from around the world. The Cathedral, often referred to as one of the finest examples of French Gothic architecture in the Western Hemisphere, attracts as many as 11,000 visitors each year. The number is expected to increase during the Jubilee Year 2000 when it will be a major pilgrimage destination for area Catholics. The Cathedral was elevated to the rank of minor basilica by Pope John Paul II when he visited New Jersey in 1995. It is one of only a handful of basilicas in the United States, a distinction given to churches of extraordinary beauty or historical significance.
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