On a corner of 36th and N Streets NW in Georgetown, Holy Trinity Catholic Church has stood as a continuous Catholic presence in the District of Columbia since 1787, making it the oldest Jesuit parish in the United States still serving its original community. Sponsored by the Society of Jesus and rooted in the Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius of Loyola, the parish describes its mission in three lines: to accompany one another in Christ, to celebrate God's love, and to transform lives. From the steps of its 19th-century church building to the monthly Young Adult Community Mass in the refurbished Chapel of St. Ignatius, Holy Trinity weaves together a historic sanctuary, a working Jesuit staff, and a wide range of parish programs that reach well beyond the walls of the worship space.
A Parish of the Society of Jesus
Holy Trinity is sponsored by the Society of Jesus, the religious order St. Ignatius founded in the 16th century. The parish grounds its identity in four Jesuit commitments, drawn from the Superior General's 2005 letter to Jesuits in parish ministry.
- Missionary outreach. The parish serves as a base of outreach through preaching, catechesis, the Spiritual Exercises, confession and other sacraments, service to the poor, and work for justice.
- Social ministry. The parish embraces ethnic and cultural diversity, the promotion of justice, and a spirit of solidarity, committed to what the parish calls the faith that does justice.
- Collaboration in mission. Jesuits serve as bridges between the Society of Jesus, the Archdiocese of Washington, neighboring parishes, lay people, and the wider Holy Trinity network.
- A practical Ignatian spirituality. Parishioners are invited into eyes-wide-open contemplation, communal discernment, and a vigorous carrying out of what they discern.
Five Jesuits currently staff the parish, with the pastor joined by three parochial vicars and two senior priests. The parish staff also includes two permanent deacons and lay coordinators for every major area of parish life, from liturgy and music to faith formation and bereavement support.
The 1787 Parish and a Building with Two Histories
Holy Trinity traces its origins to 1787, and its sacramental registers reach back to a January 1, 1795 wedding at the start of parish life. The original chapel, the Chapel of St. Ignatius Loyola, dates to 1792 and is described by the parish as the oldest place of continuous Catholic worship in the District of Columbia. Cardinal Hickey blessed the chapel in its present form in November 1999, and it now hosts three daily Masses along with weddings, funerals, and other liturgical celebrations.
The main church on 36th Street NW was built in the mid-19th century and is celebrated for its 1925 E.M. Skinner pipe organ, originally installed in the Coolidge Auditorium of the Library of Congress and brought to Holy Trinity in 1955. A five-year renovation by the Lively-Fulcher Organ Company between 1995 and 2000 added five stops to the pedal division, including a full-length 32-foot pedal reed and a digital 32-foot bourdon, and brought the instrument to 50 ranks over four divisions and more than 2,500 pipes. The chapel has its own instrument, a nine-stop tracker organ built by Visser & Associates of Houston, installed in spring 2000 on a movable platform.
Holy Trinity's campus includes the main church at 1315 36th Street NW, the Parish Center and Chapel of St. Ignatius at 3513 N Street NW, the school at 1325 36th Street NW, and Trinity Hall at 3518 O Street NW, all within a few blocks of each other in Georgetown.
Mass, Reconciliation, and the Liturgical Week
The schedule of Masses reflects the parish's two worship spaces. The Chapel of St. Ignatius hosts daily Mass Monday through Friday at 8:00 am and 5:30 pm, plus Saturday morning at 8:00 am. The main church holds the Sunday Masses at 7:30 am, 9:00 am, 11:30 am, and 5:30 pm, with the 9:00 am Mass also celebrated in Trinity Hall and livestreamed for those unable to attend in person. Saturday's vigil Mass at 5:30 pm is held in the church. Reconciliation is heard on Saturdays from 4:30 to 5:15 pm in the church and by appointment.
Beyond Mass, the parish keeps a steady rhythm of prayer throughout the week. Morning Prayer is prayed together on Mondays and Fridays at 9:00 am via Zoom. Christian Meditation in the John Main tradition gathers in the chapel every Thursday from 6:05 to 6:35 pm, immediately following the 5:30 pm Mass. Zen Meditation is offered on Saturday mornings at 7:30 am, both in the Upper Room and online. Fr. Kevin Gillespie, the pastor, leads a Rosary prayer by Zoom on Tuesday evenings.
Music for Every Sunday Morning
Four choral ensembles support the sung liturgy at Holy Trinity. The Loyola Ensemble ministers at the 9:00 am Mass and welcomes singers and instrumentalists of all ages, with a children's contingent that begins at reading age. The Ignatian Choir enhances the 11:30 am Mass, drawing on chant, Renaissance motets, and 20th-century anthems. The 5:30 Ensemble leads the Sunday evening Mass with a contemporary repertoire accompanied by piano, guitar, and other instruments. The YAC Ensemble enriches the monthly 7:15 pm Young Adult Community Mass in the chapel with guitar, violin, and other instruments.
A new Holy Trinity Youth Choir, open to singers from 5th through 12th grade, is being formed to sing at the 9:00 am Masses in Trinity Hall, with two Sunday rehearsals a month during the program year.
Faith Formation for Children, Youth, and Adults
Holy Trinity describes itself as home to one of the largest religious education and adult faith formation programs in the D.C. area, serving more than 6,000 registered households from the District, Northern Virginia, and Maryland, and enrolling around 500 children in faith formation each year.
Sunday morning religious education classes meet from 10:10 to 11:10 am for children in PreK through 8th grade, using the Finding God series from Loyola Press and following the curriculum approved by the Archdiocese of Washington. An at-home catechesis option supports families who prefer to teach their children at home, with resources mailed out and staff guidance throughout the year. Sacramental preparation for first Penance and first Eucharist typically takes place in second grade, with a schedule of parent reflections, a retreat, and celebrations at Sunday Masses.
Adult Faith Formation at Holy Trinity draws on the USCCB's pastoral plan, Our Hearts Were Burning within Us, and offers scripture study, lectures, and sacramental preparation through the year. A long-running weekly book discussion group meets on Thursdays from 7:15 to 8:45 pm on Zoom and has read together for more than 18 years, working through five or six books a year on contemporary Catholic topics. The parish also hosts monthly online conversations on Pope Leo XIV's first encyclical, Magnifica Humanitas, focusing on one chapter or section at a time.
The Order of Christian Initiation of Adults (formerly RCIA) gathers on Tuesday evenings for adults exploring the Catholic faith, and an adapted version, OCIA adapted for children, accompanies young people who have not been baptized in any Christian tradition and prepares them to celebrate Baptism, Confirmation, and First Eucharist at the Easter Vigil.
Shepherd's Flock: Award-Winning Special-Needs Catechesis
Shepherd's Flock is the parish's intergenerational program for children and young people with special needs and their families. Students may have learning challenges, be on the autism spectrum, or live with Down syndrome or other genetic conditions. The program uses the Catechesis of the Good Shepherd model in an atrium setting combined with Loyola Press's adaptive Finding God materials, and trained catechists work one-on-one with each child during the regular Sunday morning class time.
The parish celebrates a Shepherd's Flock Mass and potluck on the third Saturday of each month at 4:30 pm in the chapel, where students serve as greeters, lectors, and gift-bearers. Sacramental preparation is offered to all children, using Loyola's adaptive kits for Reconciliation, Eucharist, and Confirmation. In 2018 the program received the New Wineskins Award from the National Conference on Catechetical Leadership for its work in catechesis for students with special needs.
Youth Ministry, Young Adults, and the Family Network
High school youth ministry meets Sunday mornings from 10:10 to 11:10 am alongside the religious education classes, with additional Saturday or Sunday evening events and virtual groups on weeknights. Summer programming includes a weeklong middle-school service week, a Baltimore service immersion trip for high school students, and the Notre Dame Vision conference on the Notre Dame campus.
The Young Adult Community, or YACs, gathers adults in their 20s and 30s, both single and married, around Ignatian spirituality and a commitment to social justice. They celebrate a YAC Mass on the second Sunday of each month at 7:15 pm in the Chapel of St. Ignatius, with a YAC Café following in McKenna Hall, and meet for faith sharing on Thursday evenings. Their leadership is provided by a steering committee of co-chairs drawn from the community.
Family faith resources on the parish platform include Loyola Press tools for family prayer, a year-end check-in for couples, and a parents' network that grew up around Shepherd's Flock.
A Parish Committed to LGBTQIA+ Catholics
Holy Trinity's LGBTQIA+ Ministry is a lay-led effort that welcomes individuals who are lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, questioning or queer, intersex, asexual, and their families and friends. The ministry holds a full meeting on the third Sunday of each month, with separate discussion groups for men, for women and marginalized genders, and for family and friends. Each year the parish hosts a Pride Mass at Holy Trinity, joined by Cardinal Wilton Gregory, who told a 2019 Theology on Tap gathering in the parish that LGBTQIA+ Catholics belong at the heart of the Church.
The pastoral staff affirms unequivocally that LGBTQIA+ individuals have and always will have a valued place in the parish community, and the parish points to Outreach, a national LGBTQ Catholic resource, as a partner in ministry.
Social Justice and Direct Service
Holy Trinity describes social ministry as a core Jesuit commitment, and the parish supports a range of direct service opportunities. Parishioners serve Saturday suppers at Mt. Zion UMC and contribute monthly breakfast kits and other items to So Others Might Eat, the Fr. McKenna Center, the Harriet Tubman Women's Shelter, and the Georgetown Ministry Center. Every Tuesday, parishioners provide lunch for 60 guests at the Georgetown Ministry Center, with the last Tuesday of the month set aside for a make-together lunch. The parish's Social Justice Coordinator and a separate pastoral associate organize these efforts, alongside a parish team that visits the Arlington County Jail in partnership with the Frederick Douglass Project and a Returning Citizens team that meets virtually.
Youth ministry opens the same direct service paths to teens, with family-friendly Saturday suppers and rotations through Fr. McKenna Center's Clothing Closet, Men's Day Program, and Food Pantry, as well as partnerships with We Are Family DC, Martha's Table, Christ House, and Georgetown Ministry Center.
Holy Trinity School and the Ignatian Educational Mission
Holy Trinity School is a Catholic elementary school in the Jesuit tradition serving students in the parish campus on 36th Street NW. The parish describes the school as part of its Ignatian educational mission, and the faith formation program shares facilities with the School's upper and lower school buildings for Sunday morning classes.
Bereavement Support and Spiritual Care
Holy Trinity's bereavement ministry offers six-week support groups for general loss and for spousal loss, plus drop-in groups for those who prefer a flexible schedule. Groups meet in person at the parish and follow a fall and spring cycle, with a general loss group meeting Saturdays from 10:00 to 11:30 am and a spousal loss group on Thursdays from 4:00 to 5:15 pm. The ministry also maintains a prayer wall and provides a list of additional grief resources for parishioners.
Ignatian spiritual care is offered through Ignatian Training Programs, a Peter Faber Training Program, and an information session on the Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius Loyola. Senior Coordinator for Ignatian Training Programs Deacon Ed McCormack oversees these multiweek formation tracks, which are open to parishioners seeking to deepen their practice of discernment and contemplation.
The Cura Virtualis History Committee and a Reckoning with Georgetown's Past
One of the most distinctive parish initiatives at the parish is the Holy Trinity History Committee, a lay group that has spent years researching the role of slavery, segregation, and race in the parish's past. The committee's work, posted in articles, vignettes, biographies, and historical events, focuses on the African American community that was part of Holy Trinity from its earliest years through the exodus of Black parishioners in 1923, the founding of Epiphany Catholic Church, and the 1994 reconciliation service between the two parishes. The committee has digitized historical records from Georgetown University's Booth Family Center for Special Collections, including baptismal registers from 1795 to 1928, marriage registers from 1795 to 1908, a death register from 1818 to 1867, and interment registers. Searchable indexes of African American names extracted from these records are made available to researchers. The parish's identity as a sponsor of Georgetown University and the sacramental records of Georgetown students are part of this ongoing historical work.
Music and the Concert Series
The parish hosts a Concerts at Holy Trinity series that brings professional chamber ensembles to the historic sanctuary, and the church's 1925 E.M. Skinner organ is the centerpiece of the program. Organ concerts, choral works, and chamber orchestra appearances are part of the parish's outreach to the wider D.C. cultural community.
Getting to Holy Trinity
Limited on-street parking is available near the parish. For Sunday Masses, parking is usually available at Georgetown Visitation Preparatory School at 35th and Volta Streets NW. Handicapped parking is on the corners of 36th and O Streets NW, with a ramp leading to the church, parish center, and chapel through the parish center's gallery hallway. Bus routes C91, D96, and D94 from Dupont Circle Metro Station have stops close by, and the A58 bus from Rosslyn or Farragut Metro Stations stops on M Street NW. Bike racks line the ramp in front of the upper school at 36th and O Streets NW.
The Parish Pastoral Council
The Parish Pastoral Council at Holy Trinity, made up of elected parishioners serving three-year terms, shares leadership responsibility with the pastor. The council operates through communal discernment, a distinctly Jesuit practice of reaching decisions that all can embrace. Four parishioners were elected to the council in 2026: Thomas Hill, Richard Lee, Eric Nicoll, and Bryan Walsh. The council meets on the third Wednesday of each month from 7:00 to 9:00 pm in McKenna Hall and on Zoom, with reserved time at the beginning of each meeting for parishioners to bring questions or concerns.
Child Protection and Safe Environment
Holy Trinity operates under the Child Protection Policy of the Archdiocese of Washington, which itself implements the USCCB's Charter for the Protection of Children and Young People. The Jesuits serving at Holy Trinity are subject to additional requirements imposed by the Maryland Province of the Society of Jesus. The parish publishes the Archdiocese's child protection resources, including guides on bullying, online safety, and parenting, and the parish's youth and faith formation volunteers are required to complete background checks and attend VIRTUS Safe Environment training.
Giving, Stewardship, and Non-Cash Gifts
The parish accepts recurring and one-time gifts online, with pledges and payments, fees for faith formation and Ignatian programs, and Mass intention cards all routed through the parish giving platform. A separate pathway supports non-cash gifts of stock, IRA distributions, and donor-advised fund gifts through a dedicated giving partner. Holy Trinity transitioned to a new parishioner relationship management platform, Ministry Platform, in mid-July, and recurring donors are being contacted individually to re-establish their gifts.
Where the Parish Lives Online
The parish livestreams the Sunday 9:00 am Mass, posts homilies and reflections online, and shares a weekly eLetter by email subscription. Holy Trinity also has active Facebook and Instagram accounts, a YouTube channel for homilies and recordings, and a digital bulletin distributed by the parish. The Cura Virtualis publication carries the work of the History Committee and other parish scholarship.