A dramatic limestone Art Deco tower called the Charity Crucifixion Tower, completed in 1931, features integrated figural sculptures by Rene Paul Chambellan, including a large figure of Christ on the cross, 28 ft (8.5 m) high on the Woodward Avenue façade.
It was built as a response to the Ku Klux Klan as a "cross they could not burn".
 The sides and rear feature windows inside the crucifix which can be lit from within.
 At the upper corners of the tower are symbols of the Four Evangelists.
 Carved below the feet of the figure of Christ are the Seven Last Words from the Cross.
 Just below them is a doorway with "Charity" and "Christ Crucified" carved above it.
 On the sides of the doorframe are depictions of items associated with the Passion.
 The doorway leads to a small balcony which can serve as a pulpit.
 On the front are carved depictions the Archangels Jophiel, Raphael, Michael, Gabriel and Uriel.
 The pulpit is flanked by depictions of John the Apostle and the Virgin Mary to the left and a Roman Centurion holding a spear and Mary Magdalene on the right.
 Across the terrace facing the crucifix a depiction of Saint Thérèse of Lisieux is carved into the surrounding wall.
This sculpture is also by Chambellan.

Behind the tower are doors leading to a large chapel that connect the tower with the main sanctuary.
The altar of the chapel is within the base of the tower.
The octagonal nave seats three thousand on two levels, with the altar in the center.
The main building is granite and limestone, with exterior and elaborate interior sculptural work by Corrado Parducci, including a lectern and Stations of the Cross, and hand-painted murals by Beatrice Wilczynski.
The octagon-shaped granite baptismal font was designed by liturgical artists Robert Rambusch and Mario Agustin Locsin y Montenegro.

In 1998, the United States Bishops' Conference declared the site a National Shrine, one of only five in the country according to the church's web site.
A dramatic limestone Art Deco tower called the Charity Crucifixion Tower, completed in 1931, features integrated figural sculptures by Rene Paul Chambellan, including a large figure of Christ on the cross, 28 ft (8.5 m) high on the Woodward Avenue façade. It was built as a response to the Ku Klux Klan as a "cross they could not burn".  The sides and rear feature windows inside the crucifix which can be lit from within.  At the upper corners of the tower are symbols of the Four Evangelists.  Carved below the feet of the figure of Christ are the Seven Last Words from the Cross.  Just below them is a doorway with "Charity" and "Christ Crucified" carved above it.  On the sides of the doorframe are depictions of items associated with the Passion.  The doorway leads to a small balcony which can serve as a pulpit.  On the front are carved depictions the Archangels Jophiel, Raphael, Michael, Gabriel and Uriel.  The pulpit is flanked by depictions of John the Apostle and the Virgin Mary to the left and a Roman Centurion holding a spear and Mary Magdalene on the right.  Across the terrace facing the crucifix a depiction of Saint Thérèse of Lisieux is carved into the surrounding wall. This sculpture is also by Chambellan.
Behind the tower are doors leading to a large chapel that connect the tower with the main sanctuary. The altar of the chapel is within the base of the tower. The octagonal nave seats three thousand on two levels, with the altar in the center. The main building is granite and limestone, with exterior and elaborate interior sculptural work by Corrado Parducci, including a lectern and Stations of the Cross, and hand-painted murals by Beatrice Wilczynski. The octagon-shaped granite baptismal font was designed by liturgical artists Robert Rambusch and Mario Agustin Locsin y Montenegro.
In 1998, the United States Bishops' Conference declared the site a National Shrine, one of only five in the country according to the church's web site.
National Shrine of the Little Flower Basilica