6 secret Catholic pilgrimage sites in Washington, D.C.
- Aimee Boudreaux MacIver
- 1 day ago
- 4 min read
Catholic pilgrimage sites in Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., is an essential American travel experience. Here, you’ll find an abundance of iconic monuments, treasure-laden museums, diverse cultures and cuisines, and precious relics of American identity. Washington, D.C., is also home to an abundant heritage of the American Catholic faith. From the soaring National Shrine to historic St Matthew Cathedral, Catholic beauty can be discovered all over the capital. Yet there are even more Catholic treasures to be discovered.
Make any place a pilgrimage
These six sites represent lesser-visited Catholic sites in Washington, D.C. You can make any trip a pilgrimage by adding such sites into your regular itinerary. This practice will not only deepen your memories of and insights, but will also open your heart to spiritual encounters and graces that you don't want to miss. Here are five Catholic sites for your next visit to our nation’s capital.
630 E Street SW
Born in 1774 (the same year that the Continental Congress first commenced), Elizabeth Bayley Seton became the first native-born American citizen to be canonized. She began her vocation as a wife and mother, but after being widowed young, Elizabeth went on to found a new teaching order and ultimately professed religious vows. Her relics are now held in the main altar at St Dominic Church. Along with Elizabeth, the altar also holds relics of St Dominic and St John Vianney. Another interior shrine dedicated to St Martin de Porres contains his relics. You can also tour and pray with 24 beautiful stained glass windows that tell the story of St Dominic's life.
2101 15th Street NW
Just a few years before the Civil War, a group of emancipated Black Catholics founded the community that would grow into St Augustine. By 1865, they needed a new church building. President Abraham Lincoln personally approved a fundraiser on the White House lawn to support the construction of a new church. In 1889, St Augustine hosted the first Black Catholic Congress where Venerable Augustus Tolton, the first Black American priest, celebrated Mass. Today, St Augustine is considered the “mother church” of Black American Catholicism. (This also happens to be the name of America’s first and oldest Black Catholic parish in New Orleans).
1908 North Capitol Street NW
Did you know Washington, D.C., is home to an American saint? Venerable Aloysius Schwartz was born and raised in the American capital. After college, he experienced a deep desire to serve as a missionary, so he traveled to Europe to study theology and backpack across monasteries. Aloysius eventually discerned priesthood, returned to the United States, and was ordained in 1957 at St Martin de Tours. Fr Schwartz petitioned to serve in Asian and Mexican missions abroad, which he did until his death of ALS in 1992. (Also: how fantastic is St Martin’s website welcome statement?)
313 2nd Street SE
In 1664, the land where the U.S. Capitol now stands belonged to a Catholic named Francis Pope. With a sense of puns that would make modern dads proud, Pope named his hilly property “Rome” and its creek “Tiber” so he could joke that “Pope was at home in Rome by the Tiber.” (Despite efforts by Pope’s eye-rolling neighbors to rename the stream, it still exists with that name today, albeit underground near the Rayburn House Office Building.) Pope surely would have loved that another part of his property became the campus of St Peter’s Church. Yep: that makes the 1820s church a very American St Peter’s on the Tiber.
3900 Harewood Rd NE
Just next door to the towering National Basilica, the St John Paul II Shrine aims to be a center of worship and cultural renewal for both the body and the soul (very on brand). Pilgrim features include liturgy and prayer opportunities, a soaring mosaic of the Divine Mercy image, exhibits on JPII’s teachings, and a first-class relic chapel. The shrine also displays interactive exhibits tracing the pope’s life from Wadowice to Rome and hosts regular workshops, retreats, and cultural events. Pro tip: a rooftop terrace offers one of the best unobstructed views of the Capitol dome.
It's not always a holy site that carries us into the sacred. Creation itself overflows with wonder, transcendence, and contemplation. Beauty always points to Beauty, to the One who loves us most. The National Gallery in Washington, D.C., houses a vast collection of sacred art from across the globe and Church history. Mostly in the West Wing Gallery, you can behold Raphael's The Alba Madonna and Salvador Dalí's The Sacrament of the Last Supper among countless Madonnas, saints, and sacred subjects.
Go differently
If you'd like to plan a great American pilgrimage, we can design a fully personalized itinerary and experience for your family or group. Let's plan!
Image sources: St Dominic; St Augustine; St Martin; St Peter's; St John Paul II Shrine
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