VIDEO: Old St. Mary’s Church in Philadelphia Has Ties to Founding Fathers
PHILADELPHIA — Just blocks from Independence Hall stands Old St. Mary’s Church, where American and Catholic history intersect.
Established in 1763, the historic Philadelphia church was visited at least four times by members of the Continental Congress, including George Washington and John Adams.
Those visits included the first public religious commemoration held three years after the signing of the Declaration of Independence.
Msgr. Paul DiGirolamo, pastor of Old St. Mary’s Church, said the Continental Congress members’ presence was connected in part to the relationships between the newly formed United States and its allies.
“They were respectful of the allies who were supplying money, ammunition and assistance,” Msgr. DiGirolamo said, referring to the French and Spanish.
The church’s connection to Washington is particularly notable because he was an Anglican, not a Catholic. Washington worshipped at the church at least twice, according to the church’s website.
However, it is unlikely that Washington participated in the Catholic Mass.
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“Everything would have been in Latin, and they would not have been used to that,” Msgr. DiGirolamo said. “So their participation would have been limited.”
Washington’s connections with Catholics extended beyond his visits to Old St. Mary’s Church.
Bill Lauto, a Long Island resident who researched Washington’s Catholic connections while working on the Shroud of Turin, pointed to Washington’s support for the construction of a church in Baltimore and his relationship with a Jesuit priest in Maryland who visited him shortly before his death.
Lauto also said accounts from people at Washington’s Mount Vernon estate offer a glimpse into the Founding Father’s private faith.
“George Washington himself would pray many times for many different reasons, something that wasn’t really done in public,” Lauto said.
Washington’s respect for Catholics has also been recognized in Rome. Two popes praised Washington’s commitment to religious harmony and peacemaking.
For Lauto, the history carries personal significance, particularly because anti-Catholic sentiment was common during the Revolutionary War.
“It definitely does make me very proud to be a Catholic,” Lauto said.
More than 250 years after its establishment, Old St. Mary’s Church continues to bring generations of people together.
For Msgr. DiGirolamo, serving as pastor of such a historic church means witnessing that connection firsthand.
“You’re watching all the generations come together and everyone enjoys it,” he said. “It’s more of a family here.”
The parish hopes to continue that tradition for centuries to come, preserving Old St. Mary’s place at the intersection of Philadelphia’s Catholic and American history.