Catholic Shrines & Places of Interest in Washington, D.C.
Nestled between the states of Maryland and Virginia (both of which donated land for the District in 1790), the capitol of the U.S. draws millions of visitors each year.
In addition to the many museums and cultural attractions here, you will find the following places of special interest to Catholics. And many of these Catholic institutions are in a small area known as Brookland, which has earned the nickname “Little Rome”. In the early days of the country, when anti-Catholicism existed to a greater or lesser extent, it became a place of refuge for area Catholics. Of course that has changed now, but the institutions remain, and as you can tell from the map below, they are all within walking distance of one another.
Some of the major Catholic shrines & places of interest in Washington, D.C.
Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception: Largest Catholic church in the U.S., over 7o chapels dedicated to the Blessed Virgin Mary
Franciscan Sisters of the Atonement Washington Retreat House: retreats for individuals and groups
Saint Anselm’s Abbey: You are invited to “come and see” a real Benedictine Abbey, attend Mass, etc.
Saint John Paul II National Shrine: dedicated to the memory of Saint John Paul II
Saint Mary Mother of God Parish: Masses offered in Latin, plus the ordinary rite and also in Chinese
The Franciscan Monastery of the Holy Land: includes replicas of many of the sites that the Franciscans oversee in the Holy Land
The Rosary Shrine of Saint Jude: daily and weekend Masses as well as regular daily devotions to Saint Jude with the Dominican Friars
Ukrainian Catholic National Shrine of the Holy Family: daily Masses (Eastern rite), confessions and devotions
In addition to those sites listed above, you will also find:
The Catholic University of America, Providence Hospital, the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, the Missionary Oblates of Mary Immaculate, the Missionary Fathers of La Salette House of Studies, and the Servants of the Lord and the Virgin Matará and the Archdiocese for the military services USA.
Plus a few more retreat houses and convents!
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