DC Like a Local

Last week, DC Like a Local put out a piece about Christmas worship in Washington, covering most of the best known places to visit (National Cathedral, Shirne, etc.) and a reader asked for some more suggestions for visiting Protestants.  Wanting to respond to our readers, we went to work to investigate alternatives. We even put it out to our Facebook group, we incorporated several of those suggestions as well. Washington, DC has a lot of churches, and this is a somewhat arbitrary list of churches that we felt represented a good spread. And, by all means, if you feel your church puts together a great Christmas service, feel free to add a link in the comments.

New York Avenue Presbyterian Church, 1313 New York Avenue, NW, 202-393-3700.  If you are interested in Abraham Lincoln, this may be where you want to go.  Lincoln, who was never baptized into any Christian church, frequently worshipped here during his presidency because he liked the preaching of the pastor, Phineas Gurley.  Rev. Gurley attended Lincoln at the Petersen House across from Ford’s Theatre during his last hours.  There is a small exhibit of Lincoln items in a room adjacent to the main sanctuary, but it might not be open during the Christmas Eve services.  What you can see is the pew where Lincoln sat.  If you get there early enough, you might get to sit in it because it is not reserved for anyone.  This also was the church of the Rev. Peter Marshall, made famous in the film “A Man Called Peter.” Nearest Metro: Metro Center or McPherson Square

National City Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) , 5 Thomas Circle, NW, (202) 232-0323. This church is the national “cathedral” of the Disciples of Christ and was designed by John Russell Pope, who also designed the Jefferson Memorial and the West Building of the National Gallery of Art.  Both President Lyndon Johnson and James Garfield worshipped here and are memorialized in stained glass windows. Nearest Metro: McPherson Square

Luther Place Memorial Church, 1226 Vermont Avenue Northwest , NW (Thomas Circle), (202) 667-1377. A large statue of Martin Luther by E. Reitchel sits on Thomas Circle beside the church. Nearest Metro: McPherson Square

Calvary Baptist Church, 755 8th Street Northwest, (202) 347-8355.   This church was designed by famed 19^th century architect Adolf Cluss.  Cluss designed over 80 buildings in Washington, of which only a handful remain, including this one, Eastern Market, and the Arts and Industries Building (a part of the Smithsonian, the museum is adjacent to the Castle and presently being renovated).  His buildings are characterized by red brick construction. Nearest Metro: Gallery Place/Chinatown

Foundry United Methodist Church, 1500 16th Street, NW, 202.332.4010. President Rutherford Hayes attended Foundry nearly every Sunday during his term. President Franklin Roosevelt and Prime Minister Winston Churchill attended a special service at Foundry on December 25, 1941. Bill Clinton and his family attended regularly. Foundry is well known for its music programs as well. Nearest Metro: Dupont Circle

Metropolitan AME Church, 1518 M Street, NW, (202) 331-1426.  This church is the National Cathedral of African Methodism.  Metropolitan is the oldest AME church in Washington, DC, and the church sits on the oldest, continuously black-owned parcel of land in the city. A Christmas Eve service is listed on the website for 7:30pm. Nearest Metro: McPherson Square/Farragut North

Universalist National Memorial Church, 1810 16th St., NW, (16th & S Sts., NW), (202) 387-3411.  This church is part of the Unitarian movement.  Its Christmas Eve service is at 7:00pm and the website says that they will be doing the Lessons and Carols.  Christmas Day communion is at noon. Nearest Metro: Dupont Circle

St. Mark's Episcopal (3rd and A SE) and Christ Church Episcopal (620 G ST SE). We've already mentioned some Episcopal options in our last post, but if you looking for some more community oriented options, we recommend these two church on Capitol Hill. St. Mark's filled in as Washington's cathedral until the National Cathedral and Christ Church has worshiped in its current location since 1807. Despite both of their storied histories, they are very much tied in with the local neighborhoods, and hence a great way to worship as, well, a local. Nearest Metro: Capitol South (St. Mark's) and Eastern Market (Christ Church).

It's a bit further afield, but a reader suggested Mt. Olivet United Methodist Church in Arlington. They feature a live nativity with a real baby Jesus and farm animals, with time before and after for petting the animals. Nearest Metro: Ballston (but it's a good mile from here, you may want to consider a taxi if you are not driving).

Even for the churches that have the times listed here, we recommend checking their websites shortly before Christmas to see if they have updated them for the holiday or give them a call.  If we’ve missed your denomination, feel free to e-mail us at questions@dclikealocal.com or check this tool out at the Washington Post.

Merry Christmas to all wherever you worship (or don't)!

Hey, there is nothing wrong with being a cheapie!  FREE is DC Like a Local's favorite word in the English language!

DC Like a Local has already covered some churches and secular activities for Christmas Eve and Day.  However, some of you may be interested in FREE holiday music that is going on before Christmas--even if you don’t worship or belong to other religions (like this writer).  Hey, you can be Jewish—or heathen—and still enjoy the music of the season.  Occasionally it is even about Chanukah (my favorite spelling of that word). 

At the Kennedy Center, you can never go wrong with The Millenium Stage (unless you park in the Kennedy Center’s overpriced garage). Take the blue or orange line to Foggy Bottom Metro.  There is only one exit. When you exit, the red Kennedy Center FREE shuttle buses will either be waiting for you or appear in a few minutes.  The bus stop is slightly to the left of the exit from the Metro.  There is a sign at the bus stop (to the left of the vendor who sells his stuff directly opposite the Metro stop).  Parking is available but costs $18.

The US Botanic Gardens has holiday music on selected Tuesday evenings between 6:00pm-8:00pm.

The Willard Hotel at 15^th and Constitution Ave., NW, is offering  Christmas music every night through December 23^rd, 5:30pm-7:30pm (scroll down to the bottom of the page).

The National Gallery of Art offers Christmas caroling, holiday themed lectures and concerts in the West Building Garden Court (Sundays at 6:30pm) throughout the holiday season. 

Christ Church, 620 G St., SE on Capitol Hill is the venue for the US Marine Band Brass Quintet on Dec. 20^th at 2:00pm. 

Yeah some of these events are over already.  Next year we will cover the free holiday music scene earlier.  It’s a promise!

OK, you are in Washington, DC, and want to go to a Christmas Eve or Christmas Day service.  Sure, there are plenty of churches listed in the telephone book.  You can look there, but DC Like a Local, never a group of people to be shy about sounding off, has some suggestions for you. 

1. The Washington National Cathedral (Episcopal): It’s the large mainly English gothic inspired cathedral located at the intersection of Massachusetts and Wisconsin Ave., NW.  You can catch any even numbered 30 series bus going from the monument area along Pennsylvania Avenue, NW, in the direction of Georgetown, but Christmas Eve and Christmas Day buses will be very infrequent.  Have your hotel hail a cab.  There is a parking garage, but, unless you want to arrive hours before, you will not find any parking nearby.

For Christmas Eve 6:00pm and 10:00pm

Festival Holy Eucharist on Christmas Eve. Cathedral Dean Samuel T. Lloyd III and the Rt. Rev. John Bryson Chane preach and preside.

Passes are required for this service, and the advance allocation has been distributed. A limited number of passes will be available one hour before each service at Church House on the Cathedral’s west lawn.

For Christmas Day 9:00am

Televised nationally, Bishop John Bryson Chane preaches the Christmas sermon and Cathedral Dean Samuel T. Lloyd III presides at the Eucharist. The Rev. Canon Carol L. Wade shares the Christmas story with children in a children’s sermon.  The Cathedral website does not say whether tickets are required for this or not.  You’d better call ahead and find out.  Telephone number is (202) 537-6200.

Other Christmas services at the Cathedral include a Service of Carols by Candlelight on December 19^th at 6:00pm and December 20^th at 4:00pm.

2. St. Matthew’s Cathedral (Roman Catholic): 1725 Rhode Island Avenue, NW (off of Connecticut Ave., NW.); phone: (202) 347-3215

This is the Roman Catholic Cathedral in Washington, DC, famous as the one in which John F. Kennedy’s funeral mass was held on November 25, 1963. The spot where his casket was placed is marked on the floor.  It was on the steps of this Cathedral that John F. Kennedy Jr. saluted his father’s casket—a photo shown all over the world.  It is a rather unprepossessing church from the outside but more ornate inside. 

The Cathedral is sandwiched between buildings in DC’s business district and you really cannot see it until you just about are there.  If you are staying in the Farragut Square area, you can just walk over to this one.  Otherwise take the Metro red line to Farragut North, hang a right out of the Northeast Connecticut Ave & L Street exit. This is the exit closest to the very front of the train if you are headed in the direction of Shady Grove (or at the back of the train if you are headed in the direction of Glenmont), and just walk up Connecticut Ave., NW, and hang another right on Rhode Island, Ave., NW.  Once you make the right on Rhode Island, you will see the large red brick cathedral on the left.

St. Matthew’s is doing its Festival of Lessons and Carols on Sunday, December 13, at 7:30pm with Christmas caroling to follow.

On December 24^th midnight mass begins with a prelude at 11:00pm followed by the mass at midnight.  The Archbishop of Washington, the Most Rev. Donald W. Wuerl will preside.

On Christmas Day the Cathedral will open at 8:00am.  There are masses at 8:30am, 10:00am and 11:30am in English and one at 1:00pm in Spanish.  There are a variety of priests listed as the celebrants, but the Archbishop will not be one of them because he will be at the Shrine of the Immaculate Conception (details below). 

3. Basilica of the Shrine of the Immaculate Conception (Roman Catholic): This church, and not St. Mathew’s Cathedral, is the largest Roman Catholic church in Washington, DC.  In fact, it is the largest Roman Catholic Church in North America and one of the 10 largest churches in the world. The Shrine is located at 400 Michigan Ave., NE.  You can reach the Shrine by taking Metro to the Brookland/Catholic University Station on the Red Line; the Basilica is about a 10 minute walk from the station down Michigan Avenue, NE.  The church is often visited by tourists as a destination in itself and is renowned for its mosaics and Greek style architecture. Telephone number is 202-526-8300.

On December 24^th there is a children’s mass with pageant at 5:00pm with the Choir of the Stone Ridge School of the Sacred Heart.  At 10:00pm there are Choral Meditations on the Nativity and at 10:30pm the evening service—which will be broadcast by the Eternal World Television Network.

On December 25^th there are masses in English at 7:30am, 9:00am, 10:30am, 12:00noon and 4:30pm.  There is a mass in Spanish at 2:30pm.  The Archbishop of Washington, Most Reverend Donald Wuerl is the celebrant & homilist at the noon mass.

If you go to the Shrine by taxi, be sure to arrange for a taxi to pick you up after the mass because it is difficult to hail a cab in the area normally—and it will be even more difficult on Christmas Eve and Day.

If you don’t want any of these large places and want something on a bit more human scale, try

4. St. John’s Lafayette Park (“The Church of the Presidents”) (Episcopal): At the corner of 16^th and H Streets, NW, just opposite the North Side of the White House (Metro: McPherson Square).  The North Side is the one with the flat side of the White House directly on Pennsylvania Avenue, NW.  Phone is 202-347-8766.

St. John’s was designed by Benjamin Latrobe.  Latrobe was also one of the many architects of the US Capitol and was responsible for The Capitol’s rebuilding after it was burned in the War of 1812.  The Parish House behind the church was, at one time, the British Legation.  The church has traditionally been the scene of a service before each inauguration attended by the new president; pew 54 is reserved for the President.  President Obama sometimes worships at St. John’s with his family.

The Lessons and Carols is scheduled for December 20^th at 11:00am.  There is no midnight service on Christmas Eve, but there is a Holy Eucharist on December 25^th at 11:00am.

By the way, don’t expect to see President Obama.  He’s rumored to be going to Hawaii for a vacation with his family during the holidays.

Because DC Like a Local got a lot of requests for alternatives for other denominations, you can find a follow up to this piece.

Merry Christmas to all of you and Happy Chanukah to me (I'm Jewish)!