Encountering something amazing every day can dilute its impact.

Such is the case for Saints Peter and Paul Church, especially for those who don’t regularly attend services there.

The announcement Saturday that the church has been elevated to a basilica should serve as reminder, even to non-Catholics, of how impressive this beautiful building is.

Construction began in 1904. It took 34 years to complete, built with nickels and pennies donated by millworkers even during the Depression. Its imposing towers, reaching higher than 160 feet, provide an imposing landmark for visitors to Lewiston. With two sanctuaries, one seating 1,800 and the other 1,500, Saints Peter and Paul is the largest church in Maine and the second-largest Catholic church in New England.

Saints Peter and Paul has been named a basilica by the Vatican because it features inspiring architecture, is historically significant and provides the community with high-quality programs.

Like commuters bustling past the Empire State Building in New York or across the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco, it’s easy to take the landmark church for granted, integrating it casually into directions for out-of-town guests.

Aglow at night, overlooking the Twin Cities, Saints Peter and Paul is as impressive to the secular as it is to the sectarian.