About Saint Ann · Washington, District of Columbia
Saint Ann Catholic Church is a parish of the Archdiocese of Washington located in the Tenleytown neighborhood of Northwest Washington, D.C., at 4001 Yuma Street NW on the southwest corner of Wisconsin Avenue and Yuma Street. Canonically established in 1869 (with roots as a Jesuit Sunday mission going back to 1866–1867), it is the oldest Catholic parish west of Rock Creek Park and north of Georgetown and today serves more than 800 Catholic families. The current church — the third on the site — is a striking mid-century Gothic edifice designed by Henry D. Dagit & Sons and dedicated in 1948 by Cardinal Patrick A. O'Boyle. The parish is pastored by Rev. Msgr. James D. Watkins and is known for its strong sacramental life, a vigorous OCIA program, youth and young-adult ministry, Eucharistic adoration, and active social outreach to the homeless through Friendship Place.
- Established
- 1869
- Patron
- Saint Ann (mother of the Blessed Virgin Mary)
- Rector
- Rev. Msgr. James D. Watkins
- Diocese
- Archdiocese of Washington
Why belong here
Saint Ann is the spiritual heart of Catholic life in Tenleytown: a 150-year-old parish that still feels like a tight-knit family of more than 800 households, pastored personally by Msgr. James Watkins. Worshippers find daily noon Mass Monday through Saturday, a full Sunday schedule with a livestreamed 11:00 a.m. Mass and a popular 7:00 p.m. Young Adult Mass, weekly Eucharistic adoration, a robust Order of Christian Initiation of Adults program, active youth ministry, a Parish School of Religion for grades K–12, and a Social Outreach Committee that walks to end homelessness with Friendship Place and serves neighbors in need throughout the year.
Mass times at Saint Ann
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Saturday: 4:00 PM – 4:45 PM
- Sunday: 6:30 PM – 7:00 PM
- Wednesday: 7:00 PM – 8:00 PM (during Lent only)
Adoration times
- Friday: 12:30 PM – 1:30 PM (follows the noon Mass, every week)
- First Friday: 7:00 PM – 8:00 PM (September through May)
- First Wednesday: 6:00 PM – 7:00 PM
About Saint Ann Parish
Saint Ann Catholic Church is a parish of the Archdiocese of Washington serving more than 800 Catholic families in the Tenleytown neighborhood of Northwest Washington, D.C. Canonically established in 1869 — with roots as a Jesuit Sunday mission from Georgetown College dating to 1867 — it is the oldest Catholic parish west of Rock Creek Park and north of Georgetown. The parish's life centers on daily noon Mass, a full Sunday schedule with a livestreamed 11:00 a.m. liturgy and a 7:00 p.m. Young Adult Mass, Eucharistic adoration, the sacraments, and an active Social Outreach Committee that walks to end homelessness and serves neighbors in need.
- Address: 4001 Yuma Street NW, Washington, DC 20016
- Phone: (202) 966-6288
- Email: [email protected]
- Website: stanndc.org
- Pastor: Rev. Msgr. James D. Watkins
- Diocese: Archdiocese of Washington
History of the Parish
The parish was founded through the efforts of Mrs. Ann Green and her neighbors, who asked the Jesuit fathers of Georgetown College to establish a Sunday mission closer than Holy Trinity in Georgetown. A small wooden chapel was built in 1867, the parish was canonically established in 1869, and the first rectory was added on Yuma Street in 1891. The original chapel was replaced in 1902–1903 by a larger stone church, which itself was demolished in 1946 to make way for the present Gothic edifice designed by Henry D. Dagit & Sons and dedicated in 1948. Saint Ann's marked its 150th anniversary on October 20, 2019 with a Mass celebrated by Archbishop Wilton Gregory.
- 1867 — Wooden chapel built on the site (about 100 seats)
- 1869 — Parish canonically established
- 1891 — First rectory built on land donated by George Green
- 1903 — Second church built in Neo-Classic stone style
- 1946 — Second church demolished; current church begun
- April 18, 1948 — Present Gothic church dedicated by Cardinal Patrick A. O'Boyle
- 1987 — Solemn re-dedication by Cardinal James Hickey after Vatican II reordering
- 2019 — 150th anniversary Mass with Archbishop Wilton Gregory
- July 26, 2026 — Blessing of the altar with a first-class relic of Saint Ann by Cardinal Donald Wuerl
Architecture & Sacred Art
The present church is a striking modern American Gothic building of limestone and brick in the shape of a cross, designed by Philadelphia architect Henry D. Dagit & Sons. Inside, light pours through stained-glass windows designed by the internationally renowned Marguerite Gaudin and fabricated at Willet Stained Glass Studios in Philadelphia. The sanctuary was reordered after the Second Vatican Council: the main altar was moved to the center of the sanctuary, the baptistry was relocated near the Yuma Street entrance, and the pulpit was repositioned; later additions include a new marble pulpit (2019) and baptistry balustrade (2021), both by Rugo Stone, LLC.
- Architect: Henry D. Dagit & Sons, Inc. (Philadelphia)
- Year built: 1947–1948
- Style: Modern American Gothic / 13th-century Gothic
- Materials: Limestone and brick, cross-shaped plan
- Stained-glass: Marguerite Gaudin / Willet Stained Glass Studios
- First-class relics embedded in the altar: Saint Timothy and martyrs; Saint Ann (added 2026)
Clergy & Staff
The parish is led by its pastor, Rev. Msgr. James D. Watkins, who has served since 2016 and presided over the 150th anniversary Mass in 2019. A small lay staff supports the day-to-day life of the parish: an Executive Manager to the Pastor, a Director of Communications and Youth Ministry, a Parish School of Religion Coordinator, and a Parish Secretary.
- Pastor: Rev. Msgr. James D. Watkins
- Executive Manager to the Pastor: Mrs. Rae Ann Bevington
- Director of Communications and Youth Ministry: Mrs. Natalie Plumb
- Parish School of Religion (PRS) Coordinator: Mrs. Monica Young
- Parish Secretary: Peter Catama
Faith Formation & Religious Education
Faith formation at Saint Ann includes a Parish School of Religion (PRS) for children in grades K–12 and an Order of Christian Initiation of Adults (OCIA) for adults seeking full communion with the Catholic Church or wishing to deepen their faith. OCIA classes meet in person on Monday evenings from late September through early April, taught by Msgr. Watkins together with other priests and seminarians from the St. John Society, and culminate with the reception of the Sacraments of Initiation at the Easter Vigil.
- Parish School of Religion (PRS) — grades K–12
- OCIA — Mondays at 6:30 PM, late September through Easter Vigil
- Curriculum: Bishop Robert Barron's Catholicism series and the Catechism of the Catholic Church
- Easter Vigil reception of sacraments — 2027: Saturday, March 27
Youth & Young Adult Ministry
The parish offers a Middle and High School Youth Program led by Director of Communications and Youth Ministry Natalie Plumb, and a vibrant Young Adult community anchored by the 7:00 PM Sunday Young Adult Mass. Young adults gather regularly for fellowship, Eucharistic adoration, retreats, and service activities.
- Middle & High School Youth Program
- Sunday 7:00 PM Young Adult Mass
- Young Adult Eucharistic Adoration nights
- Concert Series
- Third Friday Game Nights (all ages)
Outreach & Social Ministry
Saint Ann's Social Outreach Committee coordinates the parish's response to local needs, guided by the USCCB's Communities of Salt and Light. The parish raises thousands of dollars annually for Friendship Place's Walk to End Homelessness, runs a Summer Snack Drive for the homeless, hosts the Angel Tree gift drive in Advent (in partnership with Holy Family Hospital of Bethlehem), and supports a Lenten Rice Bowl dinner. The parish also welcomes participation in the All-You-Can-Eat Pierogi Dinner fundraiser and the annual Artisan Craft Market.
- Social Outreach Committee — meets periodically in the Money Counter Room
- Friendship Place Walk to End Homelessness
- Summer Snack Drive for the Homeless
- Angel Tree / Holy Family Hospital Bethlehem
- Lenten Rice Bowl
- Pierogi Dinner fundraiser
- Annual Artisan Craft Market (formerly Flea Market)
Care Ministries
Two specialized ministries offer prayer and support to parishioners and loved ones facing serious illness and mental-health challenges. A first-class relic of Saint Ann is kept in a hand-held monstrance near her statue in the sanctuary and is used to bless the sick, especially during the Novena of Saint Ann each July.
- St. Peregrine Cancer Ministry — prayer and fellowship for those affected by cancer
- St. Dymphna Ministry for Mental Health — support and accompaniment
- Relic blessing of the sick — using a first-class relic of Saint Ann
Parish School: St. Ann's Academy
For more than a century Saint Ann's Academy shared a campus and mission with the parish at 4404 Wisconsin Avenue NW, just across the lot from the church. Founded in the same era as the parish and housed in a 1947 building designed by Henry D. Dagit & Sons alongside the new church, the academy was a small, multicultural K–8 Catholic elementary and middle school serving families from the District, Maryland, and Virginia. Citing declining enrollment and a large budget gap, then-pastor Msgr. Godfrey Mosley announced in March 2014 that the school would close at the end of that academic year; the parish gym still occupies the campus at 4404 Wisconsin Avenue NW.
- Address: 4404 Wisconsin Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20016
- Built: 1947 by Henry D. Dagit & Sons
- Closed: End of the 2013–14 school year
- Reason for closure: declining enrollment and parish budget gap
- Today: The building continues to be used as the parish Gym (capacity ~410).
Connect with Saint Ann's
Parishioners and visitors can stay connected through the parish livestream of the 11:00 AM Sunday Mass, weekly bulletin, Flocknote emails, podcasts of Sunday homilies, the eGiving program (Parish Soft), and a 3D virtual tour of the church. A new Concert Series email list keeps music lovers in the loop for parish musical events.
- Livestream: stanndc.org/livestream (Sundays 11:00 AM)
- Podcast: 11 AM & 7 PM Sunday homilies and parish talks
- Flocknote email list (parish announcements)
- eGiving via Parish Soft
- 3D Virtual Tour of the church
- Weekly parish bulletin
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Rev. Msgr. Henry D. (Sam) Collins1939–1968
Pastor during the construction and 1948 dedication of the present church; present at the 1987 re-dedication by Cardinal Hickey.
- Rev. Msgr. William J. Awalt1969–2000
Pastor during the 1987 solemn re-dedication of the church and altar by Cardinal James Hickey.
- Rev. Msgr. Godfrey Mosley
Pastor in March 2014 when he wrote to parents announcing the closure of St. Ann's Academy at the end of that academic year due to declining enrollment and a large budget gap.
- Rev. Msgr. James D. Watkins2016–present
Current pastor; presided over the 150th anniversary Mass in 2019 and the 2026 blessing of the altar with a first-class relic of Saint Ann.