About The George Washington University Newman Catholic Student Center · Washington, District of Columbia
The George Washington University Newman Catholic Student Center (commonly called "GW Catholics" or the "Newman Center") is the Catholic campus ministry serving students at The George Washington University in the Foggy Bottom neighborhood of Washington, D.C. Housed in a townhouse at 2210 F Street NW, the center provides daily Mass, reconciliation, Eucharistic adoration, Bible studies, retreats, and parish-style community life for Catholic undergraduates and graduate students. It operates under the Archdiocese of Washington and is staffed by a chaplain (priest), a campus minister, and a team of FOCUS missionaries. The center's stated mission is to make "students into saints in the Nation's Capital."
- Rector
- Rev. Stefan Megyery (Newman Center Chaplain)
- Diocese
- Archdiocese of Washington
Why belong here
GW Catholics offers Catholic GW students a complete spiritual home in the middle of an urban campus: a chapel where they can pray, daily Mass and confessions, Eucharistic adoration, a dozen-plus Bible studies, retreats, and a home-cooked dinner community on Tuesday nights. The center welcomes students to come by to pray, study, eat, or simply hang out — and pairs worship with friendship, fraternity (Knights of Columbus), and service. With FOCUS missionaries now on staff, the center has expanded its reach to bring more students into an encounter with Christ.
Mass times at The George Washington University Newman Catholic Student Center
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Monday 5:30–6:00 PM (Newman Center)
- Sunday 5:30 PM (St. Stephen Martyr)
Adoration times
- Monday 5:00–6:00 PM (Newman Center)
- Tuesday 5:30–6:00 PM (Newman Center)
- Wednesday 5:30–6:00 PM (Newman Center)
- Thursday 5:30–6:00 PM (Newman Center)
- Friday 5:30–6:00 PM (Newman Center)
About GW Catholics
GW Catholics is the Newman Catholic Student Center serving The George Washington University. The center's mission is to help GW students grow in a personal relationship with Christ and a deeper love for His Church and one another. It identifies itself with the motto 'Students to Saints in the Nation's Capital' and welcomes students to come by the townhouse chapel to pray, study, eat, or just hang out.
Mass and Worship Schedule
Daily Mass is celebrated Monday through Friday at 6:10 PM in the Newman Center chapel, with two Sunday Masses — 5:30 PM and 9:00 PM — that together draw roughly 250 students. Select Sunday evenings feature a Spanish Mass at 7:00 PM (recent dates listed include 9/15, 10/27, and 11/17). Sunday 5:30 PM Mass and confessions are hosted at St. Stephen Martyr Catholic Church, 2436 Pennsylvania Ave NW. All schedule entries are 'applicable when the university is in session.'
- Weekday Mass: Mon–Fri 6:10 PM at the Newman Center
- Sunday Masses: 5:30 PM and 9:00 PM
- Spanish Mass: select Sundays at 7:00 PM
- Sunday 5:30 PM Mass held at St. Stephen Martyr Catholic Church
Chapel and Building
The GW Newman Center is housed in a narrow Foggy Bottom townhouse at 2210 F Street NW, a few steps from the GW campus. The upstairs chapel seats about 50 and looks much like a traditional Catholic church — pews with kneelers, books in the seat pockets, an altar, and glass windows. Downstairs, the basement houses a kitchen and student lounge, where students cook and share meals together. The center shares its Sunday evening worship space with nearby St. Stephen Martyr Catholic Church.
- Townhouse chapel seating ~50
- Basement kitchen and lounge for student meals and study
- Sunday services hosted at St. Stephen Martyr Church, 2436 Pennsylvania Ave NW
Staff and Chaplain
The center is served by a chaplain priest, a campus minister, and a team of FOCUS missionaries. According to The GW Hatchet's April 2024 profile, the chaplain is Rev. Stefan Megyery, and Rae (Rachel) Grabowski serves as Director of the Newman Center and Campus Minister. The Archdiocese of Washington oversees the apostolate.
- Rev. Stefan Megyery — Newman Center Chaplain
- Rachel Grabowski — Director / Campus Minister
- FOCUS Missionaries (team of four full-time)
Ministries and Student Life
Catholic life at the Newman Center extends well beyond Mass: a dozen-plus Bible studies meet weekly; OCIA classes welcome those entering the Church; the GWU Knights of Columbus council (and the Friends of Knights of Columbus student organization) run prayer services, pancake-breakfast fundraisers for Catholic charities, and coordinate campus Masses. There is a music ministry for students who sing, serve, lecture, or usher at Mass, as well as Hispanic Ministry offerings (including periodic Spanish Masses) and dedicated graduate-student ministries. The center hosts semesterly retreats and talks on Catholic social teaching from staff and outside speakers such as papal biographer George Weigel. Tuesday night Mass is followed by a free home-cooked dinner in the basement — the center's most popular weekly gathering.
- Bible studies (dozens of weekly groups)
- OCIA classes
- Knights of Columbus / Friends of Knights of Columbus
- Music ministry (singers, cantors, instrumentalists, servers, lectors, ushers)
- Hispanic Ministry / Spanish Masses
- Graduate student ministries
- FOCUS missionaries
- Semester retreats
- Catholic social teaching talks
Give and Get Involved
The center's annual #iGiveCatholic campaign invites donors to support the Newman Center's 'Students to Saints' mission. Recent priorities have included a 'Newman Wishlist' of items to cultivate hospitality (a keyboard, kitchen appliances, deck furniture, area rugs, and outdoor heaters for the student deck), as well as offsetting the cost of the four full-time FOCUS missionaries who joined the staff in 2024. Students can register with the community or sign up for the newsletter via the temporary website; volunteers are needed for Bible study leadership, Sunday liturgy (singing, serving, lecturing, ushering), and Knights of Columbus service projects.
- Newman Wishlist (piano/keyboard, kitchen aid, deck furniture, outdoor heaters, area rug)
- FOCUS missionary support
- Liturgical volunteer sign-ups (singers, servers, lectors, ushers)
- Bible study leadership
Visit and Contact
The GW Newman Center is open to students year-round during the academic session at 2210 F Street NW, Washington, DC 20037. Sunday 5:30 PM Mass and confessions are celebrated at St. Stephen Martyr Catholic Church, 2436 Pennsylvania Ave NW. The center can be reached by phone at (202) 497-7315 and by email at [email protected]. The primary website is gwcatholic.com (with the long-recognized gwcatholics.org identity referenced in many directories), and an official Facebook page is maintained at facebook.com/gwcatholics.
- Address: 2210 F Street NW, Washington, DC 20037
- Phone: +1 (202) 497-7315
- Email: [email protected]
- Website: gwcatholic.com
- Facebook: facebook.com/gwcatholics