About Our Lady Queen of the Americas · Washington, District of Columbia
Our Lady Queen of the Americas is a Roman Catholic parish of the Archdiocese of Washington located at 2200 California Street NW in Washington, D.C. Canonically established in 1985 (with the property transferred to the parish in 1989), it grew out of the 1967 'Capilla Latina' Hispanic mission and continues to serve the Hispanic and Portuguese-speaking communities of the nation's capital. The parish celebrates Mass primarily in Spanish, offers bilingual daily Masses, runs Eucharistic Adoration several days a week, and houses outreach programs including religious education and youth ministry.
- Established
- 1985
- Patron
- Our Lady, Queen of the Americas (Blessed Virgin Mary under the title 'Reina de las Américas')
- Rector
- Rev. James M. Morrison
- Diocese
- Archdiocese of Washington
Why belong here
Our Lady Queen of the Americas is a welcoming, bilingual parish where Spanish-speaking and Portuguese-speaking Catholics of the D.C. area come together to pray, form their children in the faith, and serve new immigrants. With daily bilingual Masses, multiple Sunday Masses in Spanish, ongoing Eucharistic Adoration, religious education for children, youth ministry, and a legacy of community outreach (the parish helped give rise to the Washington English Center), it is both a spiritual home and a community hub for Hispanic Catholics in the nation's capital.
Mass times at Our Lady Queen of the Americas
Weekly Mass schedule
Adoration times
- Monday 7:00 AM – 8:00 AM
- Wednesday 7:00 AM – 8:00 AM
- Wednesday 7:00 PM – 8:00 PM
- Friday 7:00 AM – 8:00 AM
- First Friday 6:00 PM – 7:00 PM
Parish History
Our Lady, Queen of the Americas grew out of the 1967 'Capilla Latina,' a Hispanic mission created by the Archdiocese of Washington to minister to the spiritual and social needs of the growing Latino population of the Washington area. Masses were offered in Spanish and Portuguese at the former Cathedral Latin School, and basic English and literacy classes were held alongside them. In 1985/86 the mission was canonically elevated to parish status under the patronage of Our Lady, Queen of the Americas, and in 1989 the Archdiocese transferred full use of the 2200 California Street NW property (after the closure of Mackin Catholic High School) to the new parish.
- 1967 — Archdiocese of Washington establishes 'Capilla Latina' mission
- 1985/86 — Mission canonically established as Parish of Our Lady, Queen of the Americas
- 1986 — Fr. José Somoza, O.F.M., appointed first pastor
- 1989 — Property at 2200 California Street NW transferred to the parish
Parish Staff & Clergy
The parish is led by Pastor Rev. James M. Morrison, supported by a deacon, a parish secretary, and coordinators for religious education and youth ministry. Staff are bilingual and serve the largely Hispanic and Portuguese-speaking parish community.
- Pastor: Rev. James M. Morrison
- Deacon: Diacono Jorge Vargas
- Secretary: Damaris Rivas
- Coordinator of Religious Education: Lilian Cifuentes
- Coordinator of Evangelization and Youth Ministry: Kevin Arevalo
Faith Formation & Youth Ministry
Religious education for children (Catecismo) and a dedicated youth ministry program are core to parish life. Coordinated by Lilian Cifuentes (Religious Education) and Kevin Arevalo (Evangelization & Youth Ministry), these programs accompany Hispanic families in passing on the Catholic faith and gathering the parish's young people together.
- Religious Education / Catecismo for children
- Youth Ministry program
- Evangelization initiatives for parish families
Community Outreach — Washington English Center
In 1993, at the request of the parish, a small group of volunteers began teaching English, basic skills, and U.S. Citizenship preparation to about 200 Central American parishioners, using a single computer and a bulletin board for job postings. That grassroots effort grew into the Washington English Center, now a major adult-immigrant education program serving students from over 100 countries with 350 volunteer teachers each term, two computer labs, employment services, and community-building activities.
- Adult ESL and literacy classes
- GED preparation
- U.S. Citizenship classes
- Employment services and job counseling
- Two computer labs for language, literacy, and job-search instruction
Parish Identity & Languages
Our Lady, Queen of the Americas is an ethnic parish of the Archdiocese of Washington serving primarily the Hispanic community of the D.C. area, with ongoing attention to the Portuguese-speaking community as well. Liturgies reflect this identity: Sunday Mass is celebrated in Spanish, daily Mass is bilingual, and devotional traditions from across Latin America — such as Las Posadas during Advent — are observed.
- Mass in Spanish (Sunday)
- Bilingual daily Mass (Monday–Friday)
- Devotional traditions including Las Posadas
- Continuing welcome to Portuguese-speaking Catholics
Visit & Contact
The parish church and offices are located at 2200 California Street NW, Washington, DC 20008, on the edge of northwest D.C. The building is wheelchair accessible. Visitors and parishioners can reach the parish office by phone during the week and stay up to date through the official Facebook page.
- Address: 2200 California Street NW, Washington, DC 20008
- Phone: (202) 332-8838
- Fax: (202) 332-2967
- Wheelchair accessible
- Facebook: facebook.com/olqadc/
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Fr. José Somoza, O.F.M.1986–
Cuban-born Franciscan appointed as the parish's first pastor when the Capilla Latina was elevated to a parish in 1986.