The Shrine of the Immaculate Conception is a Roman Catholic church in downtown Atlanta, Georgia, United States.

The church traces its history back to the 1840s, when missionary priests from Augusta and Macon would hold services in the houses of Irish Catholic immigrants who lived in the city.

During the American Civil War, the church's pastor, Thomas O'Reilly, convinced officials in the Union Army to spare the building and several nearby structures from destruction during their occupation of Atlanta.

However, the church was severely damaged during the war and as the congregation grew during the Reconstruction era, it became evident that a larger building was needed.

In 1869, work commenced on a new brick structure, designed by Atlanta architect William H. Parkins in the Gothic Revival style, which was completed and dedicated in 1873.

[3] Over the next several years, the city grew in size and importance, becoming a major railroad junction for the southeastern United States.

[8] Through the 1840s, the Irish Catholic population of Atlanta continued to increase, driven primarily by immigration from Ireland due to the Great Famine.

[3] On February 23 of that year,[8] a land lot located one block from Atlanta City Hall was purchased by the parish for $300 and construction commenced on a new building.

[7][note 1] The building was made of wood with a white painted exterior, and its front had a small porch with stairs on either side.

[10] Hanging behind the altar was a painting,[10] a copy of The Immaculate Conception of El Escorial by Bartolomé Esteban Murillo.

[4] On May 2, 1852, Bishop Francis Xavier Gartland of Savannah made his first visit to the church, where he administered the sacrament of confirmation on several individuals.

[14] In 1861, Thomas O'Reilly, a 30-year-old member of the clergy from County Cavan, Ireland, was named the pastor of Immaculate Conception.

[16] O'Reilly during this time ministered to wounded soldiers from both the Confederate and the Union armies, and on March 16, 1864, he was given a commission as an official military chaplain for the Confederacy.

[29] In 1868, Redemptorists visited Georgia and, during a week-long stay in Atlanta, heard 5,500 confessions and saw 23 converts join the church.

[26] That same year, the capital of Georgia was relocated to Atlanta, and construction on the new capitol building commenced one block away from Immaculate Conception.

[26] Local architect William H. Parkins was selected to design this new building,[30][31][32] and it was one of the first major projects he would work on during his career in Atlanta.

[16] Parkins, who was the first architect to practice in Atlanta,[33] would go on to have a lengthy career and would design several other churches in the city,[31] of which today only Immaculate Conception still stands.

[26] At the accompanying dedication, Bishop Augustin Verot of Savannah presided,[35] while noted Catholic pastor and poet Abram Joseph Ryan delivered a sermon.

[30] That same year, with the growth of the Catholic population in Atlanta, a second parish for the city was established out of territory spun off from Immaculate Conception.

[26] The late 1800s and early 1900s also saw several notable pastors serving at Immaculate Conception, including Benjamin Joseph Keiley and Emmet M. Walsh, who would both later become bishops.

[3] During this time, despite a significant growth in the area's population, downtown became less residential and more centered on government and business activities, and by World War II, the parish only had about 100 families in their membership.

[52] The renovations were completed by 1954, in time for the one hundredth anniversary of the promulgation of Ineffabilis Deus, which codified the Catholic doctrine of the Immaculate Conception.

[52] The Franciscans have a long history of acting as caretakers for Marian shrines,[52] and at the time they had begun to focus on churches located in downtown areas.

[55] On August 6, 1982,[53] the church experienced a massive fire caused by faulty wiring that resulted in almost the entire structure being destroyed.

[60] He restructured the church's administration and made changes to attract tourists,[60] such as opening the crypt area to the public for guided tours.

[53] Adamski also worked more closely with Central Presbyterian and opened a nightly emergency homeless shelter,[60] and in 1992 they had 35 people living there.

[53][56] The ceiling contains a cloverleaf-design painting that depicts the 12 apostles and was designed by Georgian artist Henry Barnes during the building's 1980s restoration.