A National Shrine is a Catholic church or other sacred place which has met certain requirements and is given this honor by the nation's Conference of Catholic Bishops to recognize the church's special historical, cultural and religious significance.

Process

To receive the honor of National Shrine involves a number of steps and certifications. It must first be a Diocesan (or Archdiocesan) Shrine, an honor conferred by the local bishop or archbishop. To become a Diocesan Shrine the subject church must be a place "to which numerous members of the faithful make pilgrimage for a special reason of piety" and exceed other churches in terms of worship, Christian formation and social services. When these requirements are met, the parish petitions the bishop to canonically elevate the church.

When devotion has grown, the Diocesan Shrine may petition the national Conference Catholic Bishops. Evaluation by the nation’s bishops will involve considerations including canon law, liturgy, and doctrine.

Declaration of an International Shrine is conferred by the Holy See

Holy See

The Holy See is the episcopal jurisdiction of the Catholic Church in Rome, in which its Bishop is commonly known as the Pope. It is the preeminent episcopal see of the Catholic Church, forming the central government of the Church. As such, diplomatically, and in other spheres the Holy See acts and...

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Number by country

• West Europe: Austria 1 National Shrine, Belgium 1 National Shrine, France 3 National Shrines, Gibraltar 1 National Shrine, Ireland 1 National Shrine, Italy 2 International Shrines, Malta 1 National Shrine, Portugal 1 International Shrine, Spain 3 National Shrines, United Kingdom 4 National Shrines

• East Europe: Albania 1 National Shrine, Belarus 1 National Shrine, Croatia 2 National Shrine, Czechia 1 National Shrine, Latvia 1 International Shrine, Poland 3 International Shrines, 3 National Shrines, Slovakia 1 National Shrine

• North America: Canada 9 National Shrines, Mexico 2 National Shrines, United States 64 National Shrines

• Central America: Costa Rica 1 National Shrine, Cuba 2 National Shrines, El Salvador 1 National Shrine, Guatemala 2 National Shrine, Nicaragua 1 National Shrine, Panama 1 National Shrine, Puerto Rico 1 National Shrine

• South America: Argentina 1 National Shrine, Brazil 1 National Shrine, Chile 1 National Shrine, Ecuador 5 National Shrines, Paraguay 1 National Shrine, Uruguay 3 National Shrines, Venezuela 3 National Shrines

• South and East Asia: China 2 National Shrines, India 1 International Shrine and 2 National Shrines, Philippines 18 National Shrines, South Korea 1 National Shrine, Sri Lanka 2 National Shrines, Taiwan 2 National Shrines, Vietnam 1 National Shrine

• Oceania: Australia 4 National Shrines

• Total: International Shrines 8, National Shrines 155