Crossing the Potomac into Catholic northern Virginia

King Street Mile, Old Town Alexandria (photo credit Sam Kittner, courtesy Visit Alexandria)

Just a short water taxi ride across the Potomac River from the nation’s capital lies a state steeped in history, charm and with a special Catholic story to call its own. It is the Commonwealth of Virginia and once you set foot in it, it will be very hard to leave.

Alexandria

The departure point for exploring Catholic Virginia is Alexandria, the centuries-old town directly across the Potomac River from Washington. The red brick sidewalks, cobblestone alleys and perfectly ordered 18th century row houses are scarcely unchanged from the way they appeared during the late colonial era when many of the Founding Fathers would roam these streets.

The Old Town is so well preserved that it has become a destination in its own right, ranking Alexandria among the top three small cities in the United States by Conde Nast. The main attractions include walking the historic King Street Mile (or riding the free historic trolley that runs along it); visiting the oldest farmers market in the U.S; stepping into history at the 18th century Gadsby’s Tavern Museum, which hosted the first five US Presidents; and visiting George Washington’s historic Mount Vernon estate.

Basilica of St. Mary (photo courtesy of Basilica of St. Mary)

In a quiet corner of Old Town Alexandria is the mother church of northern Virginia, the imposing Basilica of St. Mary and the oldest parish in Virginia. It was established in 1795, with the surprising financial support of President George Washington. This came to be, as George Washington’s military aide-de-camp during the Revolutionary Wars, Col. John Fitzgerald, was a prominent Catholic in Alexandria and led fundraising efforts to establish the first permanent Catholic parish in the Commonwealth of Virginia.

At the other end of the Old Town is St. Joseph’s Church., the only parish in the diocese with saintly foundations. It was established in 1915 as the church for the Black Catholic population in Alexandria, with the financial assistance of St. Katherine Drexel who donated about half of the cost towards its construction. Today, it is a lively parish to visit, with an opportunity for experiencing Mass set to the rhythm of a Gospel choir.

Arlington

The view from Arlington National Cemetery covers the skyline of Washington, D.C. (photo courtesy of Stay Arlington)

Next door to Alexandria, along the Potomac River, is the City of Arlington. It is steeed in military heritage and is home to the Pentagon, the National 9/11 Pentagon Memorial, the iconic Marine Corps Memorial and Arlington National Cemetery. There are miles of trails that offer great views across the river to Washington and the Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) also just re-opened its free museum, which is a popular draw for kids.

Tomb of the Unknown Soldier at Arlington National Cemetery (left); Pentagon 9/11 Memorial (right). Photos courtesy of Stay Arlington (credit Jake McGuire for the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier photo).

The essential destination in town is the Arlington National Cemetery, where so many of our nation’s heroes are buried. Among the monuments within the Cemetery is Chaplain’s Hill which honors the memory of military chaplains killed in the line of duty. On the hill, there is a specific memorial dedicated to the 83 Catholic chaplains who were killed during the Second World War, Korean and Vietnam Wars. Two of the names listed on the monument – Fr. Vincent Capodanno and Fr. Emil Kapaun – are now well advanced in their respective causes for canonization.

Arlington was also a place of refuge for those fleeing war, particularly the thousands of Vietnamese refugees who arrived following the Fall of Saigon in 1976; in fact, the diocese received the second largest number of Vietnamese refugees in the country. To help settle this community, Vietnamese priests were located in a refugee camp in Pennsylvania and brought them to Arlington to establish a Vietnamese parish for the community. Today, Holy Martyrs of Vietnam parish, has the distinction of being the first Vietnamese parish in the U.S. Entering the church, you are greeted by a giant mural of the crucified Christ surrounded by the Vietnamese martyrs rising above the altar. This commemorates the estimated 130,000-300,000 martyrs who were martyred in Vietnam between 1630 and 1886; many of whom endured incredibly brutal torture.

Just over a mile from from Holy Martyrs of Vietnam is the Cathedral of St. Thomas More, where pilgrims can meditate on the life of the patron saint of lawyers. The stained glass windows tell the story of this great defender of religious freedom. The rectangular windows behind the bishop’s throne are roughly the size of the windows in St. Thomas More’s prison cell in the Tower of London; a powerful reminder of the restrictions he embraced for the sake of religious liberty and freedom of conscience.

The Cathedral of St. Thomas More (photos courtesy of the Diocese of Arlington)

The story of America’s pursuit of religious liberty and freedom of conscience is best encapsulated south of Arlington in colonial Williamsburg and at the state capital of Richmond. You can read more about these destinations in a separate post here.

If you are interested in exploring the rest of the metro DC area, consult my article on Catholic Washington.