Saint Stephen Martyr Catholic Church is a Catholic parish church located at 2436 Pennsylvania Avenue NW in Washington, D.C., in the United States. The parish was founded on August 4, 1867, and the first church building consecrated and used for worship on December 27, 1868. This brick structure closed on July 15, 1959, and the current new building was consecrated and first used for worship on June 11, 1961. The church was a favorite of President John F. Kennedy.
Establishment of the parish and construction of the original structure
In the summer of 1865, Martin John Spalding, Roman Catholic Archbishop of Baltimore, suggested to the Reverend Dr. C.I. White, pastor at St. Matthew the Apostle Catholic Church in Washington, D.C., that a new parish be created in the city's west end to meet the needs of the area's rapidly growing Roman Catholic population. Dr. White purchased land at the corner of 24th Street and Pennsylvania Avenue (today 2436 Pennsylvania Avenue NW) from a Dr. Newman at a cost of $8,575 ($ in dollars) for the parish church, and began raising money for the building. The cornerstone for the new brick structure was laid on June 3, 1866.
The parish of Saint Stephen in Washington, D.C., was established on August 4, 1867, when the Rev. John McNally, formerly assistant pastor at St. Matthew the Apostle Church, was appointed the first pastor of the parish. A Solemn Mass was held at St. Matthew's to celebrate McNally's installation and creation of the parish. St. Stephen's became the ninth Roman Catholic parish established in the city.
The original red brick church and rectory were designed by Adolf Cluss, one of the most important architects working in the District of Columbia in the mid-1800s. Construction on and fundraising for Saint Stephen Martyr Church continued simultaneously. Construction on the basement (which contained the parish hall) was originally to be finished by mid-October 1867, but it was not complete until December. But work was far enough along for the first mass to be said in the church basement on October 27, 1867. Saint Stephen Martyr Church was dedicated on December 29, 1867. Father Francis X. Boyle of St. Peter's Catholic Church on Capitol Hill said mass and preached. At this time, Father McNally estimated the main building would be complete in the spring of 1868.
Father McNally's estimate was once more optimistic, for Saint Stephen Martyr Church was not completed until the end of the year. The church was consecrated on December 27, 1868, by the Very Reverend Dr. Thomas Foley, secretary to Archbishop Spalding. The Rev. Dr. C.I. White of St. Matthew's celebrated mass, while Dr. Foley preached the sermon. The adjacent church rectory was also completed at this time. The total cost of constructing the two buildings was about $51,425 ($ in dollars). Work continued inside the church for some time after its consecration. The $300 ($ in dollars) altar was not finished until February 1869.
Parish school and expansion
Sunday school began at St. Stephen Martyr on January 5, 1868, but Father McNally wanted a parochial school as well, and fundraising for and construction of a $2,200 ($ in dollars) structure began the following year. St. Stephen's Parish School for Boys opened in 1872, with about 50 pupils aged 5 to 13 in attendance. The same year, the Daughters of Charity of Saint Vincent de Paul opened St. Rose's Industrial School within the parish as well. This school accepted orphans who were cared for by St. Ann's Infant and Maternity Home, which was also located within the parish (but had been founded in 1861). St. Stephen's Parish School closed in 1879, and the land was offered for sale.
Father McNally died on November 6, 1889, after suffering a stroke. He was succeeded by Father John Gloyd, formerly of St. John's Catholic Church in Westminster, Maryland, on November 24, 1889. Father Gloyd oversaw the burial of Father McNally at Mount Olivet Cemetery (where his remains had been temporarily interred in the receiving vault).