Saint Mary Mother of God Catholic Church

I have known about this church since nineteen seventy two. Father lebreke was my high school, theology teacher at Mackin. For a brief period I taught women self defense at the school. I only have positive things to say about this church. The ministry and my encounters of the past more than fifty years.

I was visiting Washington this week for ITW2026 and found this church right next to my hotel. It was Ascension Sunday and I attended mass there and immediately fell in love with the ornate design of the building. The sermon by Fr. Alex Wyvil was impactful and spoke directly to my heart. With the profound impact of that sermon I was inspired to attend mass daily at 8am all through my 1 week stay. This is a great place for reflection and prayer. I wish all churches were like this in decor, location and style. This is definitely a highly recommended place for worship. As we approach Pentecost, I pray for everyone who is attending this church and visitors alike to be filled with the Holy Spirit.

I've been to St. Mary, Mother of God four times over the past several months. Once was for the 7:30 p.m. Mass on Sunday, and the three other times were for Holy Days of Obligation (Immaculate Conception, Christmas Eve, and the Solemnity of Mary). The parish is tucked into a side street in the Chinatown neighborhood and is about a 5-minute walk from the Gallery Place Metro station. Like many older churches in DC, it doesn't look like the parish has a parking lot, so if you drive, you would probably need to find a metered spot on the street or a public garage in the area. The parish is very old but beautiful on the inside. For the Feast of the Immaculate Conception and the Solemnity of Mary, the parish got permission to do the Mass ad orientem (where the priest faces the high altar), which was extra special! I wish the parish could do that all the time because to do the Mass versus populum (where the priest faces the congregation), they use a temporary altar that resembles a coffee table and honestly, looks out of place in the church. The Masses are still reverent and the preaching solid. The Mass on Christmas Eve was especially powerful! Both priests seem friendly, engaging, and down-to-earth. The music is good too -- chants sung in Latin and traditional hymns played on the organ. The Mass for the Solemnity of Mary did have refreshments afterwards, which I thought was sweet. However, I don't get the sense that the church has much of a parish life -- the website does not mention committees, outreach ministries, religious education -- or anything of that nature for people to join. That could be due to the demographics of the congregation, which appears to be mostly young professionals without children. I would go back to this parish as a 'recurring visitor' because of the convenience to Metro, reverent Masses, and solid preaching, but don't think I would join as a parishioner.

Pro: Excellent place of worship: great setting, beautiful, a very uplifting engaging friendly and encouraging priest, and a great singing. Con: Pews nearly empty, 4th of July holiday effect, I presume.

Choice Place for Faith & spirituality in Washington DC, when turbulence & hostility remains in the society. Catholic church with courteous staff, holy masses early morning and at noon, feast days in the evening. Ample space for parishioners with social distancing, small landscaped garden to sit or contemplate.