Saint Francis de Sales Church
On this bike ride I rode aimlessly for quite a while and surprised myself when I found out that I was in Maryland. Eventually I turned around and headed back toward downtown D.C. And as I was riding along a modest old stone church on the side of the road caught my eye. Because it looked so interesting to me, I stopped to see it and find out more. It turned out to be Saint Frances de Sales Church, and it is located at 2021 Rhode Island Avenue (MAP) In northeast D.C.’s Langdon neighborhood.
The first thing I learned about Saint Francis de Sales Church is that it is a Catholic church with the oldest continuing congregation in D.C. I learned this from a plaque on the front of the building. The remainder of the plaque reads, “Congregation began about 1722, when Catholics first attended mass at chapel within Queen family mansion. About 1723 chapel was built outside mansion, on site approximately at present Evarts Street, N.E., near 20th Street. Building came to be called Queen’s Chapel. Destroyed by fire three times: In American Revolution (date uncertain): War of 1812 (1814); and Civil War (1862). Rebuilt each time: Last time as St. Francis de Sales church (1908). Each new building attended by members of congregation that had attended at older building. St. Francis de Sales Church moved to present site in 1927. Last Queen’s Chapel building is now gone.”
The next thing I wanted to learn about was Francis de Sales and who he was, which I researched later when I got home. Francis de Sales was a Bishop of Geneva and is honored as a saint in the Catholic Church. Born on August 21, 1567, to a noble family at Chateau de Sales in the Kingdom of Savoy near Geneva, Switzerland, he knew from a very early age that he desired to serve God and had a vocation to the priesthood. However, he kept it from his family. His father wanted him to enter a career in law and politics. And he pursued those studies while waiting for God to make His will clear. Francis stated, “I had to know fully what God himself wanted. I had to be sure that everything in this should be done as though his hand had done it.” So Francis waited. Then one day, while he was riding. Francis fell from his horse three times that day. And every time he fell, his sword came out of the scabbard, and every time it came out, the sword and scabbard came to rest on the ground in the shape of the Christian cross. Taking this as a sign, he told his father. And after much discussion and disagreement from his father, Francis was ordained to the priesthood and elected provost of the Diocese of Geneva, in 1593, by the Bishop of Geneva.
Although he lived to be only 55 years old, through his 29-year career he became noted for his deep faith and his gentle approach to the religious divisions in his land resulting from the Protestant Reformation. He is known also for his writings on the topic of spiritual direction and spiritual formation, particularly the Introduction to the Devout Life and the Treatise on the Love of God.
St. Francis de Sales was beatified on January 8, 1661 and canonized on April 19, 1665 by Pope Alexander VII. In 1923, Pope Pius XI named St. Francis de Sales the patron saint of Catholic writers and the Catholic press because of the tracts and books he wrote. He is also the patron saint of the deaf, journalists, adult education, and the Sisters of St. Joseph. His feast day is celebrated on January 24th.
Its long history combined with its present leadership and parishioners has combined to make today’s Saint Frances de Sales Church a vibrant presence in its neighborhood and the city. The church has Mass with Cantor, Traditional Latin Mass and/or Gospel services six days a week, as well as scheduled confessions and Adoration Holy Hours, and active Christian education and fellowship communities. So every indication is that it will continue well into the future as it did for so long in the past.
[Click on the thumbnails above to view the full size photos]
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