Holy Trinity Catholic Church, Washington D.C.

Founded in 1787 and run by the Jesuits, Holy Trinity Catholic Church is the oldest Roman Catholic community and house of worship in continuous operation in Georgetown and greater Washington, D.C.

The first church building was completed in 1794 and is now known as the Chapel of Saint Ignatius. Today, it is used for smaller religious celebrations and parish activities, and remains part of the parish’s daily life — a quieter reminder of the days when Georgetown was still its own town and Washington, D.C., was more an ambitious blueprint than a polished capital...

By the mid-19th century, however, the congregation needed more room, and so, a larger temple was dedicated in 1851. That building continues to serve as the main parish church today. Its long use gives Holy Trinity a layered kind of importance: part place of worship, part historical witness, and part Georgetown landmark that has watched generations of parishioners, students, families, and public figures pass through its doors.

Among its most famous worshipers was President John F. Kennedy, who attended services here with his family. His connection is marked by a plaque in front of the church, adding a presidential footnote to the parish’s already substantial history. For America’s first Roman Catholic president, Holy Trinity was not just a convenient church in Washington; it was part of his public and private life in the capital.

The list of notable attendees does not end there. Joe Biden worshiped here, too, while serving as Vice-President and later as President, and Nancy Pelosi, former speaker of the United States House of Representatives, also attended services at Holy Trinity during her time in Washington, D.C. So, while the church is deeply rooted in Georgetown’s Catholic history, it has also remained quietly plugged into the life of national leadership. No campaign banners, no grandstanding — just centuries of Mass, memory, and the occasional motorcade...