Dahlgren Chapel of the Sacred Heart

Where: Dahlgren Chapel of the Sacred Heart, Georgetown University, 3700 O St NW, Washington

, DC 20057

When: Sunday, February 20th, 2011.

Web: Georgetown University's Catholic campus ministry page is located here.

We attended 12:30pm mass at the main Georgetown University chapel.  This was one of seven Sunday masses at the chapel.  The congregation was about one hundred strong; in our opinion, a mix of faculty, students, and visitors like us.

A lone priest celebrated Mass with the assistance of four eucharistic ministers, two readers, and a five-strong choir.  The Mass followed the standard rite.  The priest gave brief introductions to the first and second readings (the first time we've come across this practice).  His homily focused on Jesus' command to reject violence and revenge - especially the difficulty of doing this in our lives.  He noted that even if the world obeyed the law that Jesus' command succeeded - an eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth - the world would be a better place than it is now.

St Gabriel

Where: St Gabriel's Church, 26 Grant Circle NW, Washington, DC 20011.

When: Sunday, February 13th, 2011.

Web: The ADW listing for St Gabriel's is here; the parish's own website is here.

We attended 11am Mass at this lovely church in the Petworth neighborhood in Northwest DC.  We arrived at the church a little early, just in time to hear a group recite the Rosary and the Litany of Mary.  This is the first church we've seen do that before a Sunday Mass.  Obviously some parishoners were in the church early for this; about 125 people were in attendance for Mass.  The congregation was mostly black (and older), but with quite a few Hispanics and a couple of white people as well. 

A lone priest celebrated Mass with a deacon, five altar servers, two readers, two eucharistic ministers, three cantors, and a four-person band.  The Mass followed the standard Rite.  The priest gave a homily on the central importance of the ten commandments.  The priest summarized portions of his homily in Spanish.

St Vincent's chapel, Catholic University of America

Where: St Vincen't chapel, Catholic University of America, 620 Michigan Ave NE, Washington, DC 20064 (the chapel is located near the CUA-side enterance to Brookland Metro station, just off John McCormack road)

When: February 6th, 2011.

Web: The CUA campus ministry site is located here.

After a vacation break, and cause to attend the Basilica a couple of times during January, today we returned to our pilgrimage around DC churches and chapels.  Today we attended the 11am Mass at St Vincent's chapel, one of three such chapels on the Catholic University of America campus that offer Mass. 

A single priest - we think from a monastic order - celebrated Mass with the assistance of two altar servers, two cantors, a pianist, two readers, and five eucharistic ministers.  The Mass followed the traditional rite.  The priest focused his homily on today's Gospel reading, in which Jesus commanded us to make our faith known to the world.  The priest reiterated Jesus' message, asking us to share our faith with others by living overtly Christian lives.

The congregation was, as one might expect, overwhelmingly young students.  Almost all of the hundred or so in attendance were white.  There appeared to be slightly more females than males.  It was encouraging for us to see so many young people attend Mass on a beautiful spring morning.

Chapel of the Incarnation, Washington Hospital Center

Where: Chapel of the Incarnation, Washington Hospital Center, 110 Irving St NW, Washington DC, 20010.

When: Sunday, January 2nd, 2011.

Web: The website for the WHC chaplaincy service is located here.

We attended the daily 12:00pm Mass at the chapel in the Washington Hospital Center.  This little chapel seats about twenty; the congregation of mainly hospital staff was about that number.  The hospital chaplain celebrated the Mass with the assitance of a pastoral sister, who prepared the chapel, led the Angelus before Mass, led the singing of hymns (with a harmonica), and served as eucharistic minister.  She asked a member of the congregation to read both readings and the responsorial psalm.  

The Mass followed the standard rite.  Both the host and wine were offered for Holy Communion.
As today is the feast of the Epiphany, the priest focused his homily on firstly explaining the manifestation of Jesus to the magi (it announced Jesus to the gentiles and it ended man's dependance on the stars for guidance) and secondly reminding us that we were to be 'stars' guiding each other through life.

St. Josemaría Escrivá Chapel at Catholic Information Center

Where: St. Josemaría Escrivá Chapel at Catholic Information Center, 1501 K St NW, Washington DC, 20005.

When: December 31st, 2010.

Web: The CIC website is located here.

We attended the regular 12:05pm weekday Mass at the CIC.  The CIC is located in the heart of downtown Washington; it has a bookstore and chapel, and serves as a base for various Catholic groups and meetings. 

The core of the CIC is its 84-seat chapel, named in honor of St. Josemaría Escrivá, the founder of Opes Dei, the group that currently operates the CIC.  Given that it was a holiday today, only a dozen or so people were in the congregation.  A single priest celebrated Mass with one assistant who served as lector and alter server.  The Mass followed the standard rite, though had only one reading before the Gospel.  Only the host was offered for Holy Communion.  The priest gave a homily on the appropriateness of reviewing God's blessings in 2010 at the end of the year.  We sang hymns at the opening and closing of the Mass.  Mass was preceded by a recitation of the Angelus and followed by a recitation of the prayer to St. Michael the Archangel.

Chapel at Veterans' Medical Center

Where: Chapel at Veterans' Medical Center, 50 Irving St NW, Washington, DC 20422.

When: Sunday, December 26th, 2010.

Web: The chaplain's page of the VA Medical Center's website is here.

We attended the daily 11:30am Mass at the Veterans' Medical Center; one of the many hospitals in DC to offer scheuled masses to patients, staff, visitors, and the general public.  The Medical Center has a lovely chapel on the 3rd floor, shared by all faiths and denominations. 

The hospital's resident chaplain celebrated Mass.  The congregation was four people; two patients and us (a fifth person, possibly a staff member on a short break, attended for a while too).  We heard from one of the patients that a rumor had spread that today's Mass was cancelled due to the chaplain being sick - we deduced from this that the congregation is usually larger.

The priest led us in singing an opening hymn.  The service followed the standard rite.  He gave a homily on the feast of the Holy Family; he told of his own period of homelessness (as a recently-arrived Filipino priest in the US) and how his grandparents strengthened his faith and, ultimately, led him to discern his vocation when he was just ten.  He also reminded us that Christmas is a sixteen-day celebration that starts with Christmas Day.

The host was offered for communion.  At the end of Mass, just before dismissal, the priest led us in a series of prayers including four Hail Marys.  The ready participation of the two patients in these prayers led us to believe that this is standard practice here.

St Stephen Martyr

Where: St Stephen Martyr, 2436 Pennsylvania Ave NW, Washington, DC 20037

When: Sunday, December 19th, 2010.

Web: The parish website is located here; the ADW listing is here.

We attended 5:30pm Mass at this church in the Foggy Bottom neighborhood of DC (note: not the 5:30pm Vigil Mass - St Stephen's has a late Mass on Sunday, most likely to accommodate the GWU students).

A single priest celebrated the Mass, with the assitance of two lectors and an altar server.  There was neither a cantor nor a music group.  The Mass followed the standard rite.  The priest focused his homily on the dream-like interactions God had with Joseph, Isaiah, and Ahaz, noting the different responses of each. 

The large congregation was quite mixed, both racially and in age.

St Dominic

Where: St Dominic's Church, 630 E St SW, Washington DC 20024 

When: Sunday, December 5th, 2010

Web: The parish's website is here; the ADW listing is here.

We attended 10:45am Mass at this rather large church in Southwest DC, located just off the 395 expressway amidst Federal office buildings.  The congregation of about eighty seemed sparse in the vast venue.

The Mass followed the conventional rite.  A single priest celebrated Mass, with the assitance of two deacons, a worship coordinator/cantor, an eight-strong choir/music group, two lectors, two eucharistic ministers, and an altar server.

Epiphany

Where: 2712 Dumbarton St NW, Washington, DC 20007

When: Saturday, November 20th, 2010.

Web: The parish website is located here; the ADW listing is located here.

We attended the Vigil Mass at this small church just off the busy streets of Georgetown.  A single priest celebrated Mass, with the assistance of a cantor (who served as pianist and organist), three altar servers, and a lector.  The congregation was about fifty - mainly white and older, but with a few younger couples in attendance too. 

The Mass followed the standard rite.  As this Sunday was the feast of Christ the King, the priest focused his homily on the origins of the feast and, more importantly, what it means.  He explained that while earthly kings have temporal power on earth, Christ's power is supernatural and superior to all.  Those who realise this will align their lives to His.

St Francis de Sales

Where: St Francis de Sales, 2015 Rhode Island Ave NE, Washington, DC 20018.

When: Sunday, November 14, 2010.

Web: The parish's website is located here; the ADW listing is here.

We attended 9am Mass on Sunday, November 14th at this small and architectually distinctive chuch (it is the basement of a never-completed larger church) in the Langdon Park neighbor hood of northeast DC.

A single priest celebrated Mass with the assistance of a deacon, a lector, and two altar servers.  There was no choir or music group.  The Mass followed the standard rite.  The congregation was almost totally black and older, though there were some younger people and children in attendance as well. 

The priest gave a homily on the coming of Advent.  After his homily, he invited a visiting sister from the Sisters of Matara, an order of nuns active in thirty countries, to speak of her order's work.