Big fan of this church. I started coordinating volunteer outreach and self help groups for this…read morechurch about 8 years ago. The staff is great and fair. It's an inclusive community. A very cool space. It's small and compact as a church. A small footprint but it's street side and so close to inner harbor and federal hill. Pastor Roger Powers is cool. I've had an excellent working relationship with him.

A vibrant Jesuit faith community that celebrates Mass in the far west rolling hills of Baltimore…read moreCounty within the natural beauty of the Patapsco River Valley. Warm greetings within a more modern church, is followed by music talent via cantors, choirs, organist, guitar and/or keyboards - it's quite a ministry. Lots of opportunities to engage-KoC Mulch Madness, Lazarus caucus, pancake breakfasts, August church fair with fun games, fabulous chicken and a huge white elephant bazaar. Plenty of reflective and educational opportunities for people of all ages as well. One tip though, if you are traveling from points West/Howard County, the railroad crossing has the occasional long train, so build in a few minutes for the random train.

I've been attending Capitol Hill Presbyterian Church (CHPC) for a little under 10 years so when my…read moreboyfriend and I decided to get married going to Andy Walton (the Minster) was a natural choice. My finance is a little uncomfortable in church for reasons that are too long to explain in a Yelp review. I think. Andy did a great job of easing him into the experience of pre-marital counseling (which the church requires if you choose to have Andy officiate your wedding). The counseling sessions were scheduled electronically and taking our schedules into consideration. Since our ceremony was small we got to choose a "quick ceremony". Andy Walton was also willing to traveling from DC to Leesburg, VA on the Saturday before Easter to officiate our ceremony (which I truly appreciated). You can rent/use the church space without having Andy Walton officiate. The wedding ceremony rules and costs are laid out pretty succinctly on the church's website. In a nutshell, if you're looking for a church in a well-known neighborhood of DC and/or officiatant for your ceremony consider using CHPC and/or asking Andy Walton.

I went here just once, while in DC one weekend, and it's a gem. It's a fair-sized church with good…read morepreaching and a very friendly congregation. If you're Presbyterian like I am, you'll feel right at home. (Very convenient to Capitol Hill, Union Station, etc., so if you have a meeting or a train to catch afterwards, this will work for you.)

During the pandemic, I would routinely walk here from Summit: 9 hours one way - a good part up…read morehill. 9 miles back. Typically 8 hours round trip. I walked 800 miles and lost 75 miles over lockdown. This was a holy place higher than religion. It represented the blessing that was Joe Biden's arrival after the horror of the last reign. Walking. Most great religions and philosophies were invented that way.

I've passed this place countless times in the years I've resided in the area without having any…read moreinclination to enter its grounds and explore. It was a shrine (although I know technically what a "shrine" is...as a teen, I had 1 set up in my bedroom to actress Nastassja Kinski...I never quite knew the difference between a "church" and a "shrine" and had no real desire to find out), and it sat up on a hill, surrounded by trees. My relationship to "religion" and "spirituality" has been complicated. Compelled to attend Protestant church as a kid, I had developed enormous hostility to religion. At 17, motivated by an inherent sense of fairness, I recognized that I didn't necessarily know what I was hostile about, and sat down to read the Bible. It wasn't an easy process, but I found the New Testament dealing with Jesus enlightening. At the risk of sounding blasphemous, I found Him to be a sort of proto-Marxist (even though my 17-year-old conceptions of Marxism were pretty inchoate and uninformed), not the button-down conservative with blond hair I had been raised to believe He was. He healed the sick, He championed the poor and destitute, He excoriated the moneychangers and drove them from the temple. What was not to like? Reading the Bible didn't necessarily make a believer of me, but it made me less hostile. In the years since then, I've tried to explore all aspects of spirituality. I've read books dealing with Islam, Judaism, Hinduism (I like their tradition of tolerance, their belief that all religions have the same goal, and can be equally good), Buddhism, etc. (For writings pertaining to the historical Jesus, I recommend the work of Prof. Bart Ehrman). Catholicism always intrigued me. As an adopted kid raised as a Protestant in a largely Catholic-Jewish neighborhood, it seemed a more colorful, less rigid "club" that I wasn't able to join. Later, when I was re-united with my Catholic birth mother, I attended services with her and liked a lot of what I witnessed (it should be noted that my 2 half-brothers, raised Catholic, are staunch atheists now). At some point, I learned that the Catholic Bible has more chapters, or books, in it than the Protestant version I had read so long ago (I guess Luther or King Henry VIII or Calvin decided to remove the chapters they felt weren't necessary). I decided I was going to have to re-read the Bible, but the Catholic version this time. I guess it was timely that in riding around with my old friend, who was raised Catholic, we pulled into the shrine. When I looked inquiringly at him, he said, "I used to come here when my mom was dying. It gave me some peace to come here." There was plentiful parking, the grounds were beautiful, and we entered the main building, which contains a church (or chapel) and a gift shop. A Mass was being conducted, and we didn't stay long (evidently, they also have Masses in Spanish). There's another chapel being built in another part of the grounds. There's a monument outside on the sprawling lawn to those who died in 9/11, with an impressive structure of bells that sound off periodically (I had the misfortune to be standing under 1 when it went off...loudly...and for a few minutes I feared that the bells would accomplish the total deafness that all those Ramones and Black Sabbath concerts hadn't). The gift shop had much for sale, and I ended up buying the Catholic Bible for about $45 (I couldn't help but reflect on those free Bibles the Gideons used to put in hotel rooms way back when). It's a wonderfully crafted edition, with historical explanations, graphs, colorful illustrations, etc., and I have started reading it. I must confess (Sorry, Father, that's "confess" with a small "c") that the Old Testament is a tough slog, but I intend to see it through. They sell other religious books, CDs, DVDs, jewelry (crosses, etc.), and other items pertaining to Catholicsm. They had a statuette of St. Michael with his foot on the Devil's head that I was tempted to buy, but I figured $45 for one day was enough. The proprietor of the gift shop was pleasant and friendly. Am I ready to convert? No. As I face the reality of oncoming death, I envy those with some firm spiritual faith to grasp on to. Protestantism isn't for me; it reminds me too much of Howard Johnson's 28 flavors of ice cream-- take your pick. But I don't know that I can, as a sentient adult, say, "Yes, I'm no longer Pro-Choice, I support celibacy in the priesthood and the 2nd class status of women, and I agree that some of these harmless vices that are common to humanity are grave sins that I need to repent of in order to find forgiveness and redemption." And I don't think Christianity is the only way to find God, if He or She actually exists. Still, the shrine is a lovely, tranquil place for the faithful to engage in reflection, meditation, and expressions of their faith. Or for those who, as I am, are willing enough to at least investigate the possibility of having such a faith.

The surroundings, cleanliness and atmosphere were excellent. The museum and the outside path were…read morealso top-notch. It was a holy place!

Beautiful place. Brought me to tears. Lots of parking. Family friendly. Nice gift shop. Absolutely…read morebeautiful Mass ad orientam

A visit to the Northeast quadrant of DC isn't complete without seeing the Basilica. It's the…read morefoundational reason why this part of the nation's capital is often called Little Rome. Adjacent to Catholic University of America, Trinity University and numerous other Catholic institutions, the Basilica's massive blue and gold dome soars high into the sky and can been seen for miles, with an equally grand bell tower at its side. The bells are very much in use today, and sound on the hour and quarter hours. It's the largest Roman Catholic Church in North America and one of the 10 largest churches in the world. That pretty much sums its up. Clearly, this is a very big place. There are many parts to the Basilica, and is impeccably maintained. A great neighbor, I might add (I live in the Northeast). Check the website for info about activities, tours, parking, cafeteria, etc., too numerous to go over here.

The Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception is the largest Catholic Church in…read moreNorth America and most visited place of pilgrimage. The Basilica is home to more than 80 chapels and oratories honoring the Mother of God, reflecting the ethnic heritage and diversity of the Catholic Church in the United States. The Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception in Washington D.C., is America's Catholic Church, a National Shrine dedicated to the Blessed Mother, patroness of our nation. It is a prayerful house of worship, pilgrimage, evangelization, and reconciliation. Mary's Shrine invites people from across the country and beyond to share in Christ's ever-living Presence through the companionship and love of His Mother. I recently attended a week-long conference on the campus of the Catholic University of America - and this magnificent grandeur of America's Largest Catholic Church & one of the 10 largest in the world - boasts itselt as "a monument of love and gratitude, a great hymn in stone. . .as perfect as the art of man can make it and holy as the intentions of its builders could wish it to be." (Bishop Thomas Shahan) Indeed, what a spectacular experience first-hand spiritual nourishment by attending masses in both the Upper Church and Crypt church (I had gone to the Sunday 4:30 p.m. & Friday Daily Mass at 12:10 p.m.), in addition to the highlight concert of the convention week that gave us a glimpse of the many expressions of music: from the 56 bells of the Knights Tower Carrillon, to the narly 10,000 pipes of the great organs - as well as the voices of the Choir of the Basilica joined by us attendees and the faithful of both locals & tourists in the DMV region! I was able to walk around the Basilica's perimeter, as well as adorn the grounds and peruse through the many side chapels depicting Mother Mary in all cultures and heritages that represent the great devotion to the Blessed Mother around the world! In addition, the Basilica is well-kept and well-preserved, as well as secured - thanks to the many docents and security personnel that keeps visitors safe! Did I mention free parking?! I definitely would want to keep coming back here as my travels allow me!

Lovely and simple church tucked into a residential corner of Capitol South. It's got a fair amount…read moreof space, a variety of ages for people in attendance, and seems to have an active community (on the evening I went they were selling coffee and other items after mass to support their sister church in Haiti). I attended LMU in Los Angeles and for some reason, this church reminded me of that. Moderate in design but a wonderful community.

I had the honor to photograph an absolutely beautiful wedding at St. Peters! They had a wonderful…read moreceremony and we were given the opportunity to have some photography time afterwards. It was clean, classic and elegant. - © Carol Solorzano - Wedding Photographer - www.dcorzo.com

I used to attend this church regularly and serve on several ministry groups. I don't ever expect to…read morefully align with any church home 100%, but when a politician walked onto the "stage" ( bc that's what it was at that point) and campaigned, I left. Separate church and State. It's a mistake to mix the two. Also, the quality of the church went downhill through the torrent of pastors and settled on one who doesn't fit the area or my needs. By my standards, he's a stale, pale, male, and his preaching was exclusionary. His answer would be (I've heard it) to "don't ask him, ask God; read your Bible." I have. I'm glad not to have the leadership of souls in my hands, it's true. However, when I arrived at this church, I was so impressed with the teaching and the ability to remain silent where the Bible remains silent on topics. I specifically remember Lon saying, "Where the Bible is silent, we can have opinions, but we must remain silent as leaders and counsel prayer." It's clear that Lon has opinions. He's made them clear and public now, but not when I attended MBC. When that ended, so did my attendance at this church.

Awesome church and pastoral staff! I love their messages they feed my spirit. They have great…read morefacilities too!

I came here for my first time at the end of July. I visited for an evening event that involved a…read moretour to see the bells up high and the views and learn about the Cathedral. Honestly if it was not for this event I would have not visited the Cathedral in the manner and missed out on anything in the future. The event was not crowded at all. It was the perfect amount of people. The communication leading up to the event was perfect! The event itself was amazing, so I would do it again. We were provided with so much information about the Cathedral and given time to explore in our own. Stunning! There is so much history here and stories. The property itself has so much to offer both inside and outside. The landscaping is perfect for a quiet moment to just sit, the gardens provide a wonderful environment to reflect. Parking is available but you can take the bus to get here or ride share. All of the staff I encountered during my visit were extremely helpful, kind, knowledgeable, courteous and eager to help. Follow their social media and join their email list to stay up to date on events. I just signed up for a Yoga event.

My favorite place to attend church in the USA. I am a lifetime Episcopalian & a retired Army…read moreChaplain. I feel honored by their special altar for military chaplains. Beyond the LEGO sculptures, cool gargoyles & gorgeous Indiana limestone, I feel truly at home here spiritually. God bless our country & the National Cathedral & their ministry.

Wow I had a very different experience from a lot of people here. I found the building to be lovely…read more The sermon was biblical, leaned neither left nor right, was simply reiterating the gospel, and was easy to follow. In fact, it was darn near uplifting. After mass, I went to the coffee hour and was easily welcomed by at least four people. One of the four, I'll admit, was not based here but was visiting from another nearby parish. The other three were local. I see no reason to take away any stars. This place was comfy.

Is it wrong that I don't give every church 5 stars? Will the patron saint of yelping strike this…read morereview down? My... I hope not. I go to St Thomas More for their Sunday evening mass on days where I just can't wake up and go to my normal, and favorite parish, St Joseph's on Capitol Hill. It's called a cathedral but I can't ever figure out why. To me, it looks like a normal Catholic parish. Same style alter. Same vestibules. Same everything. In fact, this is a pretty modern looking church. The church community here is amazing. In the bulletin, there are always listings for church functions and events which I have not participated in yet but they look appealing. I won't comment on their priests and their sermons as my opinion is subjective to my own personal beliefs but think they're all excellent speakers and have been there to shake my hand while departing. I will say the sermons here are a lot longer than I'm used to. Plenty of parking in the church's private lot. Great hours, too.