About Saint Aloysius · Washington, District of Columbia
Saint Aloysius Catholic Church — universally known as 'St. Al's' — is a Jesuit-administered historic church at 19 Eye Street NW (at North Capitol Street) in downtown Washington, D.C., physically connected to Gonzaga College High School. Built in 1857–1859 in a rare Renaissance Revival style and listed on the National Register of Historic Places, it served as an independent Catholic parish until 2012, when the Jesuits announced they could no longer staff it and merged it with nearby Holy Redeemer Parish. Today the building functions as a chapel of ease for daily Mass, weddings and funerals, the chapel for Gonzaga College High School, and the home of the Father McKenna Center, a day shelter for homeless men founded in 1983 in honor of the parish's legendary 'priest to the poor,' Fr. Horace McKenna, SJ.
- Established
- 1857 (constructed); dedicated October 16, 1859
- Patron
- Saint Aloysius Gonzaga, S.J. (Italian Jesuit saint, d. 1591)
- Diocese
- Archdiocese of Washington (historically staffed by the Maryland Province of the Society of Jesus)
Why belong here
Although St. Aloysius is no longer an independent parish, the building continues to welcome worshippers for daily Mass at 12:05 PM Monday through Friday in its intimate lower church, and on weekends the merged Holy Redeemer community gathers at 206 New York Avenue NW. Visitors drawn to St. Al's get a chance to pray in a National Register landmark designed by a Jesuit scientist and decorated by Constantino Brumidi — and to be part of a community whose identity is inseparable from Jesuit service to the poor, embodied in the Father McKenna Center that operates in the church's basement and feeds and shelters homeless men.
Mass times at Saint Aloysius
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Confessions are available at the merged Holy Redeemer Parish: Monday–Friday 6:45 PM–7:00 PM (call (202) 347-7510 for the current schedule).
Adoration times
- First Friday Adoration at Holy Redeemer, 5:00 PM–6:00 PM (per parish listings).
History of St. Aloysius Parish
Saint Aloysius Catholic Church was built between 1857 and 1859 by the Jesuits to serve the Irish-Catholic families of the Swampoodle neighborhood, and was dedicated on October 16, 1859 in the presence of President James Buchanan. Its founding pastor was Fr. Bernadine Wiget, S.J., who just three years later directed parishioners in building a 250-bed Civil War hospital in only eight days. The parish weathered the post-WWII loss of its neighborhood to urban renewal under the leadership of Fr. Horace McKenna, S.J., before being merged into Holy Redeemer Parish in 2012 when the Maryland Province Jesuits could no longer staff it.
- Built 1857–1859 by the Society of Jesus
- Dedicated October 16, 1859 with President James Buchanan attending
- Architect: Fr. Benedict Sestini, S.J. (Georgetown mathematician/astronomer)
- 1862: parishioners build 250-bed Civil War hospital in eight days
- 1953: Fr. Horace McKenna, S.J., arrives and reshapes parish outreach
- 2012: parish merged into Holy Redeemer; building kept as chapel of ease
Architecture & Historic Designation
The church is one of the most unusual Catholic buildings of its era in America — a restrained Renaissance Revival design at a time when nearly every new Catholic church was being built in Gothic Revival. The architect, Fr. Benedict Sestini, was a Jesuit scientist, and his interior is ornamented by paintings from Constantino Brumidi, the artist of the U.S. Capitol rotunda frescoes and a friend of Sestini.
- Style: Renaissance Revival (unusual for 1850s American Catholic architecture)
- Main-altar painting by Constantino Brumidi (also painted the U.S. Capitol rotunda)
- Depicts Fr. Sestini and Fr. Wiget; model for St. Aloysius's mother was Adele Cutts Douglas (wife of Sen. Stephen A. Douglas)
- D.C. Inventory of Historic Sites: March 7, 1968
- National Register of Historic Places: added July 26, 1973 (NRHP #73002116)
- Made handicapped-accessible in a later renovation
Patron: Saint Aloysius Gonzaga
The parish takes its name from St. Aloysius Gonzaga (1568–1591), the young Italian Jesuit who gave his life caring for plague victims in Rome. He is one of the patron saints of youth and students — a fitting patron for a parish attached to Gonzaga College High School. His feast day is June 21.
- Born 1568 into an Italian noble family; entered the Jesuits against family wishes
- Died in 1591 at age 23 while nursing plague victims in Rome
- Patron saint of youth, students, and Christian youth ministry
- Feast day: June 21
Father Horace McKenna, S.J., and the Mission to the Poor
Fr. Horace B. McKenna, S.J. (born January 2, 1899 in New York) was assigned to St. Aloysius in 1953 and returned for good in 1964, remaining until his death in 1982. Ordained in 1929 after studying at Fordham Prep and St. Andrew-on-Hudson, he was assigned early on to poor and segregated parishes in Southern Maryland, where he began a lifelong ministry of racial reconciliation. At St. Aloysius he became Washington's 'priest to the poor,' co-founding SOME (So Others Might Eat) and Martha's Table and spearheading the Sursum Corda low-income housing cooperative. When he died, parishioners from across the city filled the church; the preacher said, 'we are bound together in our love and affection for Father Horace.'
- Associate pastor 1953–1958; pastor/associate 1964–1982
- Co-founder, SOME (So Others Might Eat) and Martha's Table
- Originated Sursum Corda ('Lift up your hearts') low-income housing on North Capitol Street
- Mentored Gabe Smith, Gonzaga's first African American graduate (1954)
- Died 1982; honored by naming the Father McKenna Center for him
Father McKenna Center (Basement Ministry)
Founded by the parish in 1983, the Father McKenna Center operates in the basement of the church as a year-round drop-in center and winter overnight shelter for up to ten homeless men. Parishioners volunteer for the night shelter and provide a Wednesday-night meal that serves roughly 200 people each week. Gonzaga College High School students serve lunch and accompany guests as part of their Jesuit formation.
- Drop-in center and 10-bed winter shelter for homeless men
- Wednesday-night community meal (~200 people served weekly)
- Programs aimed at sobriety, employment, and stable housing
- Gonzaga students serve meals and accompany guests
- Staffed and supported by members of Fr. McKenna's own family
Gonzaga College High School
St. Aloysius Church is physically connected to Gonzaga College High School, the oldest all-boys school in Washington, D.C., founded by the Jesuits in the 1820s. The school and parish share the same campus at the corner of North Capitol and Eye Streets, and the church serves as Gonzaga's chapel. Students attend all-school Masses there and serve in the McKenna Center as part of their 'Men for Others' formation.
- Oldest all-boys school in Washington, D.C.
- Shared Jesuit campus at North Capitol and Eye Streets
- Students serve meals at the McKenna Center
- 1954: first African American graduate, Gabe Smith, mentored by Fr. McKenna
Devotions
The merged community continues a number of traditional Marian and Eucharistic devotions, all celebrated at Holy Redeemer but in continuity with the prayer life of the historic St. Aloysius parish.
- Sunday Rosary at Holy Redeemer: 8:10 AM–8:40 AM
- Miraculous Medal Novena: Mondays 6:30 PM–7:00 PM
- First Saturday Rosary: 9:00 AM–9:30 AM
- First Friday Adoration: 5:00 PM–6:00 PM
2012 Merger and the 2017 Tornado
In 2012 the Maryland Province Jesuits announced they could no longer staff the 300-household parish, and St. Aloysius was merged with nearby Holy Redeemer Parish — itself founded in 1922 by former St. Aloysius parishioners. The building is retained by the Jesuits as a chapel of ease, Gonzaga school chapel, and home of the Father McKenna Center. On April 6, 2017, a tornado tore off part of the roof and damaged the interior; no one at Gonzaga was hurt, and repairs followed.
- 2012: parish merged into Holy Redeemer; building retained by Jesuits
- April 6, 2017: tornado damages roof and interior; no injuries reported
- Building continues as chapel of ease, Gonzaga chapel, and home of the McKenna Center
Visiting St. Aloysius
St. Aloysius sits at the corner of North Capitol and Eye Streets NW — three blocks from Union Station and the NoMa neighborhood, in the heart of downtown Washington. Visitors are welcome for weekday Mass, to pray in the lower church, or to learn about the parish's Jesuit heritage of service to the poor through the McKenna Center.
- Address: 19 Eye Street NW, Washington, D.C. 20001
- Three blocks from Union Station (Metro Red Line, Amtrak, MARC, VRE)
- Handicap accessible
- Contact for sacramental arrangements: Holy Redeemer rectory (202) 347-7510
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Rev. Bernadine Wiget, S.J.through 1859 dedication and at least 1862
Founding-era pastor; oversaw construction, hosted President Buchanan at dedication, and in 1862 directed parishioners in building a 250-bed Civil War hospital in eight days.
- Rev. Horace B. McKenna, S.J.Associate pastor 1953–1958; returned 1964–1982
Washington's 'priest to the poor'; co-founded SOME (So Others Might Eat) and Martha's Table; spearheaded Sursum Corda housing cooperative. Died 1982; the McKenna Center was named for him.
- Rev. David A. Bava
Listed as a pastor in parish history infobox; oversaw the parish through its 2012 closure and merger with Holy Redeemer.