Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception

Where: 400 Michigan Ave NE, DC, 20017

When: Various times 2008 - 2010

Web: The Shrine's website is here.

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We attend Mass occasionally at this wonderful church in Northeast DC. The Basilica is not a parish church - it is considered a shrine for the entire country. The Basilica attracts many pilgrims from across the United States and beyond, as well as locals seeking a periodic alternative to their own parish churches.

There are two main churches - the grand 'upper church' and the smaller 'crypt church' - as well as numerous chapels (mainly around the outer edges of the upper church). Most daily Masses are held in the crypt church - most weekend Masses are held in the upper church.

Upper church Masses are ornate affairs. The celebrant priests, deacons, and numerous servers process through the church, usually accompanied by a cantor and the tremendously large and powerful pipe organ. The crypt church Masses tend to be smaller in scale but no less reverential. The underground setting gives the crypt church a unique feeling.

St Martin of Tours

Where: 1900 North Capitol St NW, DC, 20002
When: Various times 2009 - 2010
Web: Information on St Martin's is located here on the ADW website; and here on the parish's own website.
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We attended several Masses here in 2009 and 2010. St Martin's is located in inner-city Washington and serves a predominantly black congregation. While many of these are locals, some are from Maryland (perhaps former residents with an enduring attachment to the church). The parish is served by a single priest and a deacon, both of whom are much loved and very popular.

Masses here have lots of singing (to a traditional pipe organ), clapping, and occasional shouts during the service. Masses followed the traditional rite for the most part, though the sign of peace took about 15 minutes. Most of the congregation - and the priest and deacon - traversed the church greeting everyone (hugs, handshakes, and slaps on the back) and at times catching up on news. This practice is not for everyone but appears popular with this congregation.

So many churches...

Washington DC has at least 39 Roman Catholic churches; we've decided to attend Mass at each of them over the coming 12 months. We'll also include other Roman Catholic venues, such as monasteries and convents (11 so far), and Christian churches that are in full communion with the Roman Catholic Church (just 2 that we've found so far).

Why do it, you might ask. Aren't Roman Catholics supposed to worship in their own parish? Don't we frowm upon "church shopping" - that awful practice that some of our Protestant and non-denominational friends engage in?

Well, surprisingly, the Roman Catholic church doesn't have any hard and fast rules about it. The Church is a global one, meaning that every Catholic professes the same set of beliefs and every individual church celebrates the same sacrements. So, Mass in Washington DC is the same as Mass in Wilmington, Waukegan, or Warsaw. It is the same in English, Spanish, Korean, or Tagalog (all of which you can attend in DC, by the way!) So, we're not losing out on that score. We are losing out a bit on the community element - not just celebrating Mass with the same bunch of people eacy week, but getting to know them better, forming friendships, and engaging in service together. We are prepared to make that sacrifice.

Well, why make that sacrifice? Well, Washington DC is a diverse city. It contains people from dozens of countries, ethnicities, experiences, and outlooks. We wonder to what extent the RC Church relfects that diversity. Also, despite having set practices for Mass litugries, priests are given some leeway in how they implement them. We're curious to see the diversity within liturgies as well. Finally, we're using this exercise as a way to see parts of the city that otherwise we might never see. That's about it.

Here is a link to our Google Map of Roman Catholic churches and other venues that offer Mass. We will update this as we go.