Interview: Dr. Geraldine Rohling, Archivist, Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conce

Geraldine M. Rohling, Ph.D., M.A.Ed., is the archivist and curator of the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception. Dr. Rohling will be curating the exhibit “The Chapel of Šiluva: 50 Years Later” on the occasion of the golden jubilee of the Lithuanian Chapel of Our Lady of Šiluva. (Dr. Jurate Maciunas Landwehr and Msgr. Rolandas Makrickas are co-curators.) Dr. Rohling agreed to answer a few questions posed to her by Victor Nakas about the Šiluva chapel and the upcoming exhibit that will open on June 30 at the Basilica and run through October 17, 2016.

According to the Basilica’s website there are 70 chapels and oratories located in the National Shrine dedicated to the Blessed Virgin Mary. In order of founding, where does the Chapel of Šiluva rank?

The total number of chapels and oratories has increased during the last five years; the number now stands at over 80 – and we continue to grow.

The Crypt Church—the heart and soul of the Shrine-- was the first part to be completed. This includes the 15 apsidal chapels. The first Mass in the Crypt Church was celebrated on Easter Sunday, 20 April 1924, although it was another two years before the Crypt was finished and another year before the installation of the main altar, dedicated to Our Lady of the Catacombs--as is the Crypt Church--but often referred to as the Mary Memorial Altar.

The first chapel constructed outside of the Crypt Church was that of Our Lady of Lourdes (1931). A little bit of trivia, for a short period of time, it was the “practice altar” for those studying for ordination.

The first chapels constructed in the Great Upper Church were the five Glorious Mysteries of the north apse (1960). These were the gift of the Catholic Daughters of America.

The Lithuanian Chapel, dedicated in 1966, belonged to the post WWII-Cold War period, when most chapels were donated by immigrants of Eastern Europe. This can be seen by the Chapel of Czestochowa (Polish), dedicated in 1964 and directly across from Šiluva, and the Mother of Sorrows (Slovakia) Chapel, its immediate neighbor, dedicated in 1965.

The most recent chapel additions are Our Lady of Lebanon (2011) and Our Lady of Hungary (2015), located on the Crypt Church level. This chapel is one of only two, Our Lady of Mariazell (Austria) being the first, that was donated by the episcopacy outside of the United States.

How often do you organize exhibits at the Basilica?

Exhibits at the National Shrine focus on the works of art and history of the Church in general and this church in particular. In the last five years alone, the Shrine has offered three to four exhibits a year—which is actually a lot.

One annual exhibit is that of Holy Childhood Christmas Card Competition. Students from Kindergarten through 8th grade, from across the United States, submit original artwork to the Holy Childhood Association. They select the winning entries, which are then displayed at the National Shrine throughout the Advent-Christmas Season.

In addition, there is the permanent papal display that includes the chairs used by Popes John Paul II at World Youth Day in 1993 (Denver), Benedict XVI in 2008 at the National Shrine, and Francis in 2015. In addition to the chairs, the exhibit displays the pulpit used by Pope Francis, the Golden or Papal Rose given to the Shrine by Pope Benedict XVI, zuchetti worn by various pontiffs, and first class relics of Saints John XXIII and John Paul II. Also on display is a copy of the pastoral staff of Pope Paul VI, used by all of his successors to date.

Do you have a favorite among the ones that you have curated?

This is an interesting question as I find that my favorite is the one that I am currently curating. I think the reason is that it is the one that consumes my all of thought and energy. In addition, each exhibit offers something new or unknown,—a “find,” so to say. I make certain of this for each exhibit; it keeps things interesting, fresh, and unique to the Basilica of the National Shrine. The exhibits are also important catechetical tools. All this being said, one “favorite” item that has been exhibited here was the bullet-riddled Russian icon of Our Lady of Kazan (2007). It was a survivor—one might even say “relic”—of the Bolshevik Revolution. As stated at the exhibit, when the foundation stone of the National Shrine was laid in 1920, among the world events mentioned in the sermon that day was the turmoil in Russia. It is a testament to the power of prayer and faith that we were able to stand together in the National Shrine, do many decades later, and celebrate our shared devotion to the Mother of God.

Which among them was the most popular? Each exhibit has its own ethos and because of that there really is no comparison. Each exhibit stands on its own merit and each has enjoyed its share of “popularity.”

Is it common for you to organize exhibits for the Basilica’s individual chapels on the occasion of important jubilees?

Well, it is not uncommon. Mostly it depends upon what exhibits are already planned, the events occurring in the Church and world, and, of course, the history of the National Shrine.

Can you share your vision for the upcoming exhibit “The Chapel of Šiluva 50 Years Later”? What can visitors expect to see?

My understanding is that the exhibit will include traditional folk costumes and dress, wayside crosses, artwork, and items of a devotional nature.

You have worked as the Basilica’s archivist and curator since 1999. No doubt you have intimate knowledge of each of the Basilica’s chapels. Is there anything about the Šiluva chapel that stands out for you from the others?

Each chapel has a unique ethos—which is a hallmark of the National Shrine in general. When one crosses the threshold into a chapel, the visitor enters a new and different spirituality and ethnicity. When entering the Chapel of Šiluva, the Hill of Crosses featured on the altar frontal and the Madonna, which dominates the reredos, immediately catches one’s attention.

Even though these are the dominating images, the mosaics are the most impressive and culturally reflective part of the chapel. Fabric art—weaving, needlework, “sewing”—is a very distinctive element of Lithuanian folk art. Looking at the dome of the Lithuanian Chapel, designs used in Lithuanian folk costumes and dress ornament the pendentives and the outer ring of the dome. The Madonna in the chapel is also attired in Lithuanian folk dress. The two side mosaic panels (artist, Vytautas K. Jonyas 1907-1997) are interesting not only because of the scenes depicted but also because even in stone, they manage to maintain the textile element that “weaves” in and out of the chapel. The mosaic panels have a “patchwork” backdrop. The stone used in the mosaic are such that touching the mosaic one has a sense of “home spun,” a scene which is also depicted in the mosaic. The four Madonnas in the dome--Our Lady of Trakai, Our Lady of Vilna (Ostra Brama), Our Lady of Pazaislis, and Our Mother of Sorrows—are glass mosaic luxuriant and reflective with gold and silver tesserae. They not only are a feast for the eye but they also do what mosaics were originally intended to do, reflect light. They help to brighten the chapel in both symbolic and practical ways.

An interesting bit of trivia: The heraldic symbol of the knight mounted upon a white house is also found in the heraldry of the Gallitzin family—Russian nobility. Father Demetrius Gallitzin, the “Apostle of the Alleghenies” renounced his titles and wealth and became the first person in the Thirteen Colonies to receive all the orders for priesthood. He was a pioneer priest. Recalling the history of Lithuania and its relationship with Russia, I was not surprised to learn of the “cross reference” so to say, between Lithuania and Russian nobility.

The Lithuanian Chapel is packed with so much symbolism amid all of its artwork; there is such a rich and compelling story being told that anyone spending any time in the chapel is compelled to learn more about Lithuania, its history, and its Marian devotion.

Photo is courtesy of Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception.