Founded in 1795, the Church of St. Mary, located in Alexandria, Virginia, is the oldest Catholic parish in the Commonwealth of Virginia and West Virginia, which comprised one state territory until 1863. President George Washington made the first contribution for the creation of a Catholic parish in Virginia in the late 1700s, equivalent to approximately $1,200 today. A chapel was built at the south end of the city in 1795, on land still used today as St. Mary’s Cemetery.Before you head to Alexandria, plan trip itinerary details with our user-friendly Alexandria trip builder tool , to make sure you see all that Alexandria has to offer, including The Basilica of Saint Mary.
In 1810, the parish moved to its present location in the heart of the city at 310 South Royal Street. By 1826, Pastor Fr. Joseph Fairclough erected the Sanctuary and the major portion of the present day church. Throughout the 1800s, the Church of St. Mary played a crucial role in the growth of Catholicism in Virginia. Many mission churches established by Church of St. Mary have gone on to become independent parishes within the Diocese of Arlington.
Today, the Church of St. Mary continues to be a vibrant and lively parish community with 50 apostolate groups, 400 parishioners regularly volunteering throughout the community, 20 lay staff members and 3 full-time priests. In 2020, the Church of St. Mary will celebrate 225 years of parish life. St. Mary’s School (K-8) had a record enrollment of 712 students for this academic year (2017-2018), and will also celebrate a historic 150th anniversary in 2019.
Source
Create an itinerary including The Basilica of Saint Mary

Unable to display map at this time. Please try again later.
© OpenMapTiles © OpenStreetMap contributors
The Basilica of Saint Mary Reviews
-
We were able to attend a daily mass here. The church was almost full. The priest was traditional and very reverent. Would have liked to have more time to explore the statues, grounds and building. See... more »
-
So, what's a Basilica? It's a Catholic church. They can be big, and grand buildings that have beautiful artwork and stuff, but actually a Basilica is a church of historical significance that has made ... more »
-
Historic church. George Washington gave a significant donation to this church at it's founding. Colonel Fitzgerald, George Washington's aide, helped found this first Catholic Church in Virginia. George Washington supported religious freedom and pluralism in the new republic.
-
Loved the St. Isaac Jogues Missals and the size and participation of the congregation.
Plan your trip to Alexandria
Get a personalized plan
A complete day-by-day itinerary
based on your preferencesCustomize it
Refine your plan. We'll find the
best routes and schedulesManage it
Everything in one place.
Everyone on the same page.
Side trips from Alexandria
Hidden gems in Alexandria
Museums in Alexandria
Historic Sites in Alexandria
Nearby attractions in Alexandria
Plans to The Basilica of Saint Mary by other users
3 days in Alexandria
BY A USER FROM UNITED STATES
December, popular sights
PREFERENCES: December
ATTRACTION STYLE: Popular sights
PACE: Medium
2 days in Alexandria
BY A USER FROM UNITED STATES
December, popular sights
PREFERENCES: December
ATTRACTION STYLE: Popular sights
PACE: Medium
32 days in Annapolis & Washington DC
BY A USER FROM UNITED STATES
December, popular sights
PREFERENCES: December
ATTRACTION STYLE: Popular sights
PACE: Medium
60 days in Washington DC
BY A USER FROM CHILE
January, culture, outdoors, relaxing, beaches, historic sites, museums, shopping, wildlife, popular sights
PREFERENCES: January, culture, outdoors, relaxing, beaches, historic sites, museums, shopping, wildlife
ATTRACTION STYLE: Popular sights
PACE: Medium
8 days in Washington DC
BY A USER FROM UNITED STATES
November, culture, historic sites, museums, fast-paced, popular sights
PREFERENCES: November, culture, historic sites, museums
ATTRACTION STYLE: Popular sights
PACE: Fast-paced
17 days in Washington DC
BY A USER FROM UNITED KINGDOM
April, popular sights
PREFERENCES: April
ATTRACTION STYLE: Popular sights
PACE: Medium
View more plans