St. Aloysius Church, Washington, DC is a parish church in NoMa run by the Society of Jesus (Jesuits). It is named for St. Aloysius Gonzaga. It is often associated with Gonzaga College High School, with which it is physically connected. The church building was built in 1859.
The New York Times, in describing the dedication of the Church mentions that President James Buchanan and several Cabinet members were present. Jesuit Father Benedict Sestini, who taught Mathematics at Georgetown University at the time, was the church’s architect. The painting above the main altar, showing Aloysius Gonzaga receiving his first Holy Communion from the hands of Cardinal (St.) Charles Borromeo, was the work of the noted Constantino Brumidi, who is famous for painting the frescoes in the rotunda of the United States Capitol.
Brumidi was a personal friend of Father Sestini and painted him and the pastor, Father Bernadine Wiget, as kneeling in the Communion scene. The model for St. Aloysius’ mother was parishioner Adele Cutts Douglas, wife of Stephen Douglas, the “Little Giant” who was Abraham Lincoln’s rival in the historic debates of 1858 and the presidential campaign of 1860.
On September 9, 1862, three years after the dedication and in the dark days of the Civil War, Father Wiget received a requisition from the District of Columbia’s military governor to use the Church as a military hospital. The Pastor made a counter-proposal to build a hospital on “K” Street just north of the church according to the requirements of the military governor and according to his time-frame. Parishioners constructed a 250-bed hospital within eight days. In appreciation, the hospital was named St. Aloysius to honor the Church.
The New York Times, in describing the dedication of the Church mentions that President James Buchanan and several Cabinet members were present. Jesuit Father Benedict Sestini, who taught Mathematics at Georgetown University at the time, was the church’s architect. The painting above the main altar, showing Aloysius Gonzaga receiving his first Holy Communion from the hands of Cardinal (St.) Charles Borromeo, was the work of the noted Constantino Brumidi, who is famous for painting the frescoes in the rotunda of the United States Capitol.
Brumidi was a personal friend of Father Sestini and painted him and the pastor, Father Bernadine Wiget, as kneeling in the Communion scene. The model for St. Aloysius’ mother was parishioner Adele Cutts Douglas, wife of Stephen Douglas, the “Little Giant” who was Abraham Lincoln’s rival in the historic debates of 1858 and the presidential campaign of 1860.
On September 9, 1862, three years after the dedication and in the dark days of the Civil War, Father Wiget received a requisition from the District of Columbia’s military governor to use the Church as a military hospital. The Pastor made a counter-proposal to build a hospital on “K” Street just north of the church according to the requirements of the military governor and according to his time-frame. Parishioners constructed a 250-bed hospital within eight days. In appreciation, the hospital was named St. Aloysius to honor the Church.
St. Aloysius Catholic Church at 19 I Street, NW in Washington, D.C. The church is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
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