The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Washington is a "particular church" of the Roman Catholic Church in the United States. It comprises the District of Columbia and Calvert, Charles, Montgomery, Prince George's and Saint Mary's counties in the state of Maryland.

The Archdiocese of Washington is home to the The Catholic University of America, the national Catholic university operated by the United States bishops. It is also home to the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception, a prominent minor basilica dedicated to the nation's patron saint.

Prelature

The ordinary of the Archdiocese of Washington is an archbishop whose episcopal see is located at St. Matthew's Cathedral in the City of Washington. The Archbishop of Washington concurrently serves as metropolitan of the Ecclesiastical Province of Washington. Its sole suffragan bishop is the Diocese of Saint Thomas in the United States Virgin Islands.

The first Archbishop of Washington was Michael Joseph Curley in 1939. The current Archbishop is the Most Reverend Donald Wuerl, who was previously the Bishop of Pittsburgh. His predecessor was Theodore Cardinal McCarrick, whose resignation upon reaching the age limit was accepted on May 16, 2006 by Pope Benedict XVI.

History

The Archdiocese of Washington often prides itself in sharing the fact that the Society of Jesus celebrated the first Mass in the United States on its shores in 1634. During the colonial era however, Catholics would remain a persecuted people suffering the wrath of oppression allowed by local penal laws.

Upon the establishment of the United States by its founding fathers, the Holy See appointed a Jesuit, John Carroll, to be the first bishop of the newly created diocese which would later become the Archdiocese of Baltimore. The Prefecture Apostolic of the United States, as the entity was known then, had jurisdiction over all American Catholics including present-day City of Washington.

In 1939, Pope Pius XII separated the City of Washington from the Archdiocese of Baltimore and created the joint Archdiocese of Baltimore-Washington. The process of separation was officially concluded on November 15, 1947. The independent Archdiocese of Washington was established on October 12, 1965, becoming a metropolitan see of its own.

Ordinaries

1. Michael Joseph Curley (1939–1947) simultaneously Archbishop of Baltimore
2. Patrick Aloysius Cardinal O'Boyle (1947–1973 retired
3. William Wakefield Cardinal Baum (1973–1980) appointed Prefect of the Congregation for Catholic Education and Major Penitentiary of the Apostolic Penitentiary
4. James Aloysius Cardinal Hickey (1980–2000) retired
5. Theodore Edgar Cardinal McCarrick (2000–2006) retired
6. Donald William Wuerl (since 2006)

Auxiliary Bishops

Given its young age, the Archdiocese has enjoyed a large number of Auxiliary Bishops:

1. John Michael McNamara (1947-1960) died
2. Patrick Joseph McCormick (1950-1953) died
3. Philip Matthew Hannan (1956-1965) appointed Archbishop of New Orleans
4. William Joseph McDonald (1964-1967) appointed Auxiliary Bishop of San Francisco
5. John Selby Spence (1964-1973) died
6. Edward John Herrmann (1966-1973) appointed Bishop of Columbus
7. Thomas William Lyons (1974-1988) died
8. Eugene Antonio Marino S.S.J. (1974-1988) appointed Archbishop of Atlanta
9. Thomas Cajetan Kelly O.P. (1977-1981) appointed Archbishop of Louisville
10. Alvaro Corrada del Rio S.J. (1985-1997) assigned Apostolic Administrator of Caguas, Puerto Rico
11. William George Curlin (1988-1994) appointed Bishop of Charlotte
12. Leonard James Olivier S.V.D. (1988-2004) retired
13. William Edward Lori (1995-2001) appointed Bishop of Bridgeport
14. Kevin Joseph Farrell (2001-2007) appointed Bishop of Dallas
15. Francisco González Valer S.F. (since 2001)
16. Martin David Holley (since 2004)

Affiliated Bishops

The following men began their service as priests in the Archdiocese before being appointed bishops elsewhere (years in parentheses refers to their years in Washington):

• John Francis Donoghue, Archbishop of Atlanta (1955-1984)
• David Edward Foley, third Bishop of Birmingham (1956-1986)
• Raymond James Boland, seventh Bishop of Kansas City-Saint Joseph (1957-1988)

High Schools

• Academy of the Holy Cross, Kensington, MD
• Archbishop Carroll High School, DC
• Bishop McNamara High School, Forestville, MD
• Connelly School of the Holy Child, Potomac, MD
• DeMatha Catholic High School, Hyattsville, MD
• Don Bosco Cristo Rey High School, Takoma Park, MD
• Elizabeth Seton High School, Bladensburg, MD
• Georgetown Preparatory School, North Bethesda, MD
• Georgetown Visitation Preparatory School, DC
• Gonzaga College High School, DC
• The Heights School, Potomac, MD
• Our Lady of Good Counsel High School, Olney, MD
• St. Anselm's Abbey School, DC
• St. John's College High School, DC
• St. Mary's Ryken High School, Leonardtown, MD
• St. Vincent Pallotti High School, Laurel, MD
• Stone Ridge School of the Sacred Heart, Bethesda, MD

Parishes

• Ascension, Bowie, MD
• Holy Family, Hillcrest Heights, MD
• Holy Family, Mitchellville, MD
• Holy Redeemer, College Park, MD
• Holy Spirit, Forestville, MD
• Most Holy Rosary, Rosaryville, MD
• Mount Calvary, Forestville, MD
• Our Lady of Fatima, Riverdale Park, MD
• Sacred Heart, Bowie, MD
• St. Ambrose, Cheverly, MD
• St. Bernard of Clairvaux, Riverdale, MD
• St. Bernardine of Siena, Suitland, MD
• St. Columba, Oxon Hill, MD
• St. Dominic (Mission), Aquasco, MD
• St. Edward the Confessor Church, Bowie, MD
• St. Hugh, Greenbelt, MD
• St. Ignatius, Oxon Hill, Fort Washington, MD
• St. James, Mt. Rainer, MD
• St. Jerome, Hyattsville, MD
• St. John Baptist de la Salle, Chillum, MD
• St. John the Evangelist, Clinton, MD
• St. Joseph, Beltsville, MD
• St. Joseph, Largo, MD
• St. Margaret of Scotland, Seat Pleasant, MD
• St. Mark, Hyattsville, MD
• St. Mary of the Assumption Church, Upper Marlboro, MD
• St. Mary of the Mills, Laurel, MD
• St. Mary, Landover Hills, MD
• St. Mary, Piscataway, Clinton, MD
• St. Matthias, Lanham, MD
• St. Michael, Brandywine, MD
• St. Nicholas, Laurel, MD
• St. Phillip the Apostle, Camp Springs, MD
• St. Pius X, Bowie, MD

Calvert County (Maryland) Parishes

• Jesus, the Divine Word, Huntingtown, MD
• Jesus, the Good Shepherd, Owings, MD
• Our Lady Star of the Sea, Solomons, MD
• St. Anthony, North Beach, MD
• St. John Vianney, Prince Fredrick, MD

St. Mary's County (Maryland) Parishes

• Holy Angels, Avenue, MD
• Holy Face, Great Mills, MD
• Immaculate Conception, Mechanicsville, MD
• Immaculate Heart of Mary, Lexington Park, MD
• Our Lady of the Wayside, Chaptico, MD
• Our Lady's Church at Medley's Neck, Leonardtown, MD
• Sacred Heart, Bushwood, MD
• St. Aloysius, Leonardtown, MD
• St. Cecilia, St. Mary's City, MD
• St. Francis Xavier, Newtowne, Leanardtown, MD
• St. George, Valley Lee, MD
• St. John, Hollywood, MD
• St. Joseph, Morganza, MD
• St. Michael, Ridge, MD
• St. Peter Claver, Saint Inigoes, MD
• St. Xavier (Mission), Piney Point, MD

Charles County (Maryland) Parishes

• Holy Ghost, Newburg, MD
• Our Lady Help of Christians, Waldorf, Waldorf, MD
• Sacred Heart, La Plata, MD
• St. Catherine of Alexandria, McConchie, Port Tobacco, MD
• St. Francis de Sales, Benedict, MD
• St. Francis de Sales (Mission), Newburg, MD
• St. Ignatius, Chapel Point, Port Tobacco, MD
• St. Ignatius Loyola, Hilltop, La Plata, MD
• St. Joseph, Pomfret, MD
• St. Mary, Bryantown, MD
• St. Mary Star of the Sea, Indian Head, MD
• St. Mary, Newport, MD
• St. Peter, Waldorf, MD

District of Columbia Parishes Cathedral of St. Matthew the Apostle Church of the Annunciation Church of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary Church of the Incarnation Church of the Nativity of Our Lord Jesus Epiphany Church Holy Comforter-St. Cyprian Holy Name of Jesus Holy Redeemer Holy Rosary Holy Trinity Immaculate Conception Our Lady of Perpetual Help Our Lady of Victory Our Lady Queen of Peace Our Lady Queen of the Americas St. Aloysius St. Ann St. Anthony of Padua St. Augustine St. Benedict the Moor St. Dominic St. Francis de Sales St. Gabriel St. Joseph?s on Capitol Hill St. Francis Xavier St. Louis de France St. Luke St. Martin of Tours St. Mary, Mother of God St. Patrick St. Peter St. Stephen, the Martyr St. Teresa of Avila St. Thomas More St. Thomas, the Apostle St. Vincent de Paul Shrine of the Most Blessed Sacrament Shrine of the Sacred Heart Montgomery County (Maryland) Parishes Church of the Resurrection, Burtonsville, MD Christ the King, Silver Spring, MD Holy Cross, Garrett Park, MD Holy Redeemer, Kensington, MD Little Flower, Bethesda, MD Mother Seton, Germantown, MD Our Lady of Grace, Silver Spring, MD Our Lady of Lourdes, Bethesda, MD Our Lady of Mercy, Potomac, MD Our Lady of Sorrows, Takoma Park, MD Our Lady of the Presentation, Poolseville, MD Our Lady of the Visitation, MD Our Lady of Vietnam, Silver Spring, MD Our Lady, Queen of Poland, Silver Spring, MD Shrine of St. Jude, Rockville, MD St. Andrew the Apostle, Silver Spring, MD St. Andrew Kim, Olney, MD St. Bartholomew, Bethesda, MD St. Bernadette, Silver Spring, MD St. Camillus, Silver Spring, MD St. Catherine Labouré, Wheaton, MD St. Elizabeth, Rockville, MD St. Francis of Assisi, Derwood, MD St. Jane Frances de Chantal, Bethesda, MD St. John the Baptist, Silver Spring, MD St. John the Evangelist, Silver Spring, MD St. John Neumann, Gaithersburg, MD St. Martin of Tours, Gaithersburg, MD St. Mary, Barnesville, MD St. Mary, Rockville, MD St. Michael the Archangel, Silver Spring, MD St. Patrick, Rockville, MD St. Paul, Damascus, MD St. Peter, Olney, MD St. Raphael, Rockville, MD St. Rose of Lima, Gaithersburg, MD

Prince George's County (Maryland) Parishes

Resources

• Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Washington
• Cathedral of Saint Matthew the Apostle
• Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception
• Catholic Hierarchy Profile of the Archdiocese of Washington
• Alphabetical Listing of Parishes

References

de:Erzbistum Washington it:Arcidiocesi di Washington