About Saint Stephen Martyr · Washington, District of Columbia
St. Stephen Martyr is a Roman Catholic parish in the Foggy Bottom / West End neighborhood of Washington, D.C., canonically established on August 4, 1867, making it the ninth Catholic parish in the city. Located at 2436 Pennsylvania Avenue NW — directly on one of the city's grandest axes — the parish describes itself as 'an oasis in the city: a diverse, welcoming Catholic community dedicated to beautiful worship, spiritual growth and caring.' It serves several hundred registered members alongside George Washington University students, IMF and World Bank employees, State Department staff, patients and chaplains from George Washington University Hospital, hotel guests, and the El Shaddai Philippine charismatic community. The parish is famously remembered as a favorite church of President John F. Kennedy, whose pew is marked by a memorial plaque.
- Established
- 1867
- Patron
- Saint Stephen, the first Christian martyr
- Rector
- Rev. Msgr. Paul M. Dudziak
- Diocese
- Archdiocese of Washington
Why belong here
St. Stephen Martyr is a small, urban parish that draws a remarkably diverse congregation — Foggy Bottom and West End residents, George Washington University students, IMF and World Bank staff, hospital patients and their families, and the El Shaddai Philippine charismatic community — all gathering for beautiful liturgy with a strong music program. Daily Mass, Reconciliation in a dedicated Reconciliation Room, and the parish's one-to-one Stephen's Ministry reflect a deep commitment to personal pastoral care, while outreach to the homeless through the Grate Ministry, and mission partnerships in Togo, Pakistan, Cambodia and Thailand give parishioners concrete ways to serve beyond the parish. For visitors to the nation's capital, it offers an authentic, welcoming Catholic community right on historic Pennsylvania Avenue.
Mass times at Saint Stephen Martyr
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Monday–Friday: 11:30 AM – 12:00 PM
- Saturday: 4:30 PM – 5:15 PM
Adoration times
- First Friday of the Month Devotions following the 12:10 PM Mass: 12:45 – 1:30 PM
- Holy Thursday: Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament after the 6:30 PM Mass of the Lord's Supper until 10:00 PM
Parish History
St. Stephen Martyr was canonically established on August 4, 1867 as the ninth Catholic parish in Washington, D.C., after Archbishop Martin John Spalding of Baltimore urged the creation of a new parish for the city's growing West End. The first pastor, Rev. John McNally, broke ground on the original Cluss-designed red-brick church and celebrated the first Mass in its basement on October 27, 1867, with the upper church consecrated on December 27, 1868. A parish school opened in 1872 but closed in 1879, after which the parish built one of the largest Sunday-school programs in the city. The original church served for nearly a century before being replaced by the present Modernist structure, dedicated June 11, 1961 by Archbishop Patrick O'Boyle. In 1997 the parish marked its 130th anniversary, and in 1993 a new parish center/rectory designed by Smith Blackburn Stauffer Architects was dedicated.
- 1865 – Archbishop Spalding proposes new parish; Dr. C. I. White buys Pennsylvania Ave. site
- 1866 – Cornerstone laid June 3 (Cluss design)
- 1867 – First Mass in basement Oct. 27; parish erected Aug. 4
- 1868 – Upper church consecrated Dec. 27
- 1959 – Last Masses in old church July 15; new church groundbreaking November 8
- 1961 – Present Modernist church consecrated June 11 by Archbishop O'Boyle
- 1993 – New parish center/rectory dedicated
- 1997 – 130th anniversary celebrated
The Building & Architecture
The 1961 church was designed so the building would not be lost among the surrounding large structures: a 70-foot white pre-cast concrete bell tower, topped with a 20-foot gold cross, anchors the corner of 25th Street and Pennsylvania Avenue. The main façade is an elliptical concrete arch framing a 35-foot richly colored jeweled glass window; beneath it, a small projecting marquee with a gold-mosaic soffit covers the main portal, and an heroic ceramic statue of St. Stephen, the first Christian martyr, completes the front. The interior carries forward the same spirit, with a sanctuary improved in 1997–2002 by a new stained-glass window and a relocated altar. The 1993 parish center/rectory, by Smith Blackburn Stauffer Architects, organizes offices, meeting rooms, a gallery with skylight, a parlor, choir practice room, and priest residences around a three-story open core.
- 70-foot white pre-cast concrete bell tower with 20-foot gold cross
- Elliptical concrete arch façade with 35-foot jeweled glass window
- Heroic ceramic statue of St. Stephen at the entrance
- Modernist style, dedicated June 11, 1961
Clergy & Pastoral Staff
The parish is led by its fourteenth pastor, Rev. Msgr. Paul M. Dudziak, who arrived from St. Rose of Lima in Gaithersburg, MD in October 2012. He is assisted by Parochial Vicar Rev. Klaus J. Sirianni, who also serves as Chaplain to George Washington University, and by Rev. Benjamin J. Petty, Chaplain of George Washington University Hospital, who likewise serves as a parish priest. The diaconal team includes Deacon John Liu and Deacon Ted Dmuchowski; Deacon Ted and his wife Sophie lead the parish's Stephen's Ministry.
- Rev. Msgr. Paul M. Dudziak — Pastor (since October 2012)
- Rev. Klaus J. Sirianni — Parochial Vicar; Chaplain, GWU
- Rev. Benjamin J. Petty — Chaplain, GWU Hospital
- Deacon John Liu
- Deacon Ted Dmuchowski (and wife Sophie lead Stephen's Ministry)
Faith Formation & RCIA
Adult faith formation is described by the parish as 'the central task of the catechetical enterprise,' and the parish offers multiple paths for Catholics and inquirers: an RCIA process for those preparing to become Catholic or to receive Confirmation, ongoing adult faith formation sessions, small faith-sharing groups meeting on Sunday mornings and during the week, and the distribution of devotional materials (over 21,000 tri-fold prayer cards have been shared by Msgr. Paul's initiative). The parish's evangelization emphasis is shaped by Pope Paul VI's call that the Church 'exists in order to evangelize.'
- Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults (RCIA)
- Adult Faith Formation & Evangelization sessions
- Small faith-sharing groups (Sundays and weekdays)
- Devotional prayer materials and tri-fold cards
Young Adults & University Ministry
St. Stephen Martyr hosts the George Washington University Catholic Student Center (Newman Center) and offers a dedicated Young Adult Ministry for those seeking faith formation, fraternity, and service. Recurring events include a monthly cooking class, and the parish hall is used by GW Catholics for monthly meals, including the popular Tuesday Night Dinners after the Tuesday daily Mass. Students lead Bible studies, the Student Music Ministry, and lectoring at Mass.
- Young Adult Ministry (with monthly cooking class)
- GW Catholic Student Center / Newman Center liturgies
- Tuesday Night Dinners (TNDs) for GW students
- Student-led Bible studies, Music Ministry, and Lector ministry
Music & Liturgy
The parish places a strong emphasis on beautiful music to enhance the Liturgy, drawing on the talent of George Washington University music students, graduates, and faculty. Msgr. Paul established a permanent 'Friends of the Music Ministry' program to sustain the parish's excellent liturgical music traditions.
- University-affiliated Music Ministry (students, graduates, faculty)
- 'Friends of the Music Ministry' sustaining program
- Chanted Angelus and Midday Prayer on weekdays
- Student Music Ministry and choir practice room in the parish center
Stephen's Ministry & Pastoral Care
Stephen's Ministry is an ecumenical one-to-one care-giving initiative that walks with people 'through a dark valley.' It is led at the parish by the deaconal couple, Deacon Ted Dmuchowski and his wife Sophie, continuing one of Msgr. Paul's core emphases in ministry. A dedicated modern Reconciliation Room, in memory of Mary Cleary and designed by parishioner Peter Moriarity, AIA, supports the celebration of the Sacrament of Reconciliation. The Catholic chaplain of George Washington University Hospital is also a parish priest at St. Stephen Martyr, providing pastoral care to patients and families.
- Stephen's Ministry (Deacon Ted & Sophie Dmuchowski)
- Reconciliation Room (in memory of Mary Cleary; designed by Peter Moriarity, AIA)
- Hospital chaplaincy through George Washington University Hospital
Outreach & Missions
St. Stephen Martyr operates an unusually broad outreach program for a parish of its size. The Grate Ministry distributes food and drink every Saturday and Sunday morning to persons living on grates, under bridges, and in parks throughout the neighborhood. Internationally, the parish supports Fr. Bill Ryan's parish and missions in Togo, West Africa (clean water, schooling, economic development, and medical care for subsistence farmers), St. Joseph's Parish in Lahore, Pakistan (a community facing religious persecution and vandalism), and Salesian Ministries serving orphans and exploited children in Cambodia and Thailand. There is also a 'Wounded Military in Recovery' outreach.
- Grate Ministry (weekend food/drink distribution to the homeless)
- Togo Mission (Fr. Bill Ryan, West Africa)
- St. Joseph's Parish, Lahore, Pakistan
- Salesian Ministries, Cambodia and Thailand
- Wounded Military in Recovery outreach
Sacraments
Reconciliation is offered Monday through Friday 11:30 AM–12:00 PM and Saturday 4:30–5:15 PM. RCIA prepares adults for full initiation and Confirmation, and the parish welcomes engaged couples with both marriage preparation and a renovated parish hall that can host elegant wedding receptions at reduced cost. Anointing of the Sick and ongoing pastoral care are available, particularly through the chaplaincy to George Washington University Hospital.
- Reconciliation (in the dedicated Reconciliation Room)
- RCIA — Becoming Catholic / Adult Confirmation
- Marriage preparation and parish-hall receptions
- Anointing of the Sick and hospital chaplaincy
Community, Kennedy Legacy & Visiting
St. Stephen Martyr's self-description — 'an oasis in the city' — fits both its physical setting on Pennsylvania Avenue and its unusual demographic mix. The parish welcomes several hundred registered members alongside tourists and guests from the 22 hotels within its boundaries, George Washington University students, IMF and World Bank staff, State Department employees, legal professionals, the El Shaddai Philippine charismatic community, and young adults and foreign visitors. The parish remembers President John F. Kennedy and First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy as frequent parishioners; a memorial plaque marks his pew, and the parish provided the simple church appointments when the President lay in state in the White House in November 1963. Today the parish's 11:00 AM Mass on the first Sunday of each month is offered as a Perpetual Mass for the repose of the souls of bequest benefactors — a key lifeline for a small parish (reported at roughly 283 members in 2023) that sustains its mission through the generosity of those who remember it in their wills.
- Foggy Bottom and West End neighborhood ministry
- Kennedy pew memorial and White House state-funeral connection
- El Shaddai Philippine charismatic community
- 22 nearby hotels host many visitors and tourists
- Perpetual Mass for Bequest Benefactors (first Sunday, 11:00 AM)
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Rev. John McNally1867–
First pastor; appointed August 4, 1867 from St. Matthew the Apostle. Oversaw construction of the original Cluss brick church and its consecration in 1868.
- Monsignor Dengesuntil 1968
Retired May 2, 1968, his 70th birthday. Oversaw the construction and 1961 consecration of the present Modernist church.
- Rev. Edward J. O'Brien1968–1970
Ninth pastor; resigned due to ill health in November 1970.
- Bishop John Selby Spence1970–1972
Tenth pastor; Auxiliary Bishop who had been at the Shrine of the Sacred Heart. Transferred to Carroll Manor nursing home in May 1972 due to illness.
- Rev. Michael J. Farrell1972–1976
Eleventh pastor; previously pastor of Holy Redeemer, College Park, MD.
- Rev. Thomas Sheehan1976–1997
Twelfth pastor; Irish priest previously at St. Mary of the Mills, Laurel, MD. Led the 1991–1993 capital campaign that built the new parish center/rectory.
- Monsignor Kenneth W. Roeltgen1997–2002
Thirteenth pastor; former rector of Mount St. Mary's Seminary. Raised $250,000 to beautify the church with a new sanctuary stained-glass window and a relocated altar. Died of cancer on April 7, 2002 at age 54.
- Monsignor Langsfelduntil October 2012
Transferred in October 2012 to become pastor of St. Rose of Lima, Gaithersburg, MD.
- Rev. Msgr. Paul M. DudziakOctober 2012–present
Arrived from St. Rose of Lima, Gaithersburg. Created a modern Reconciliation Room in memory of Mary Cleary and expanded RCIA, young adult, Stephen's Ministry and international mission outreach.