Saint Aloysius Catholic Church
- Architect
- Benedetto Sestini
- Year
- 1859
- Style
- Renaissance Revival
- City
- Washington, DC
St. Aloysius Catholic Church was built in 1859 to serve the Irish Catholic community of Swampoodle, a working-class neighborhood near the church. President James Buchanan and several cabinet members attended its dedication on October 16, 1859. Designed in the Renaissance style by Jesuit Father Benedetto Sestini — a mathematics teacher at Georgetown University — the church has been run by the Jesuits since its founding and stands physically connected to Gonzaga College High School.
the building
Altar painting by Brumidi. The painting above the main altar, depicting Aloysius Gonzaga receiving his first Holy Communion from Cardinal Charles Borromeo, was painted by Constantino Brumidi — the same artist known for the frescoes in the rotunda of the U.S. Capitol.
the style
Sestini designed the church in the Renaissance style, an unusual credit for a Jesuit priest whose primary vocation was teaching mathematics rather than architecture.
More on Renaissance Revivalthe architect
Benedetto Sestini was a Jesuit priest who taught mathematics at Georgetown University; this 1859 church is the building for which he is known as architect.
significance
The church is a DC Historic Landmark, listed on the National Register of Historic Places, and included in the District of Columbia Inventory of Historic Sites. Its parish closed in 2012 and merged with Holy Redeemer Church, though the building remains connected to Gonzaga College High School.
nearby
- Chesapeake and Potomac Telephone Company Warehouse
- Postal Square Building
- Wiley, Emily, House
- Germuiller Row
- Union Station and Plaza
- Luzon Apartment Building