Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1925-10-25
WASHINGTON BECOMING
i. S. RELIGIOUS CAPITAL
Many Denominations Plan Great Ma
tiOnal Churches and Institutions in
City in Immediate Future.

| or visitors to Washington.
Within the past three years, under
the energetic administration Of Bishop
Freeman, the great structure Is being
rapidly pushed to completion. The
Cathedral already Is one Of the great
! CenterS Of the religious life OF the
| United States. Through the burial OF
! Woodrow Wilson and Admiral Dewey
| in it's crypt it has become sacred
ground for Americans Of all creeds.
Roman Catholic Center.
! The most widespread national re-
ligious center in the National Capital
is that of the Roman Catholic Church
at Brookland, grouped about the Cath
Ollie University, with it's imposing
buildings and the very beautiful
houses of studies of various religious
orders.
| Under construction and destined to
be one Of the most beautiful ecclesias-
! teal structures in the world is the
Shrine Of the Immaculate Conception
on the university campus. This is be-
ing built by donations from Catholics
all over the United States, and in this
sense will be a national edifice.
! Brookland is not considered ma
| tional admir- iStrative center of the
| Catholic Church in the United States
Zach dioces is an administrative en-
| tlty under The Vatican. Catholic Uni
verstty, however, is the annual meet
ing place of the American hierarchy
composed; of all the bishops, archbish-
ops and cardinals of the United States
AT theSe meetings policies to be pur-
sued during each year are discussed
and decided upon.
An Educational Center.
The university itself, however, is the
national Catholic educational center
devoted to the higher education of
both clergymen and laymen. 1t is far
from complete. The present group Of
imposing buildings is intended only
to serve as a nucleus to the beautiful
dream fabric of the men who first vi
stoned the university, which is getting
further and further toward realization
each year.
The various religious houses here
are not generally administrative head<
quarters or orders, but rather dwelling
places for priests and brothers while
they are studying at the university.
Each year there are additions to the
group of these buildings, which are
widely scattered about Brookland. and
W @.
teal architecture.
The Franciscan Monastery. with its
remarkable reproductions Of the Ro-
man catacombs. long has been the OBJ
Ject OF pilgrimages of Catholics from
all over the United States. and il Is
the center of some of the administra.
tive work of the Franciscan order in
the United States.
Trinity College is a national Cath.
Ole college for women, and fits in adj
nlrabiy with the university group. al
though 1t is not an organic part of the
university.
Earliest of National Churches.
The earliest of the imposing array
OF national churches along Sixteenth
street is the Swedenborgian Church
OIL the New Jerusalem at Corcoran
street. The corner stone of this beau-
tlful structure was laid in 1894. and
hrst services were held there In 1896
Ihls Is truly national church. Rev.
Paul Sperry, the present pastor, ex-
planned. 1t was built by funds raised
by the national Swedenborgian body.
and is the administrative headquar.
tiers Of the sect's mission work. The
local Swedenborgian society, Rev Mr.
Sperry explained, has no property in
terest in the structure, but merely is
allowed to hold its services there by.
the national organization.
All Souls Unitarian Church NAV be
described as "national' only in the
sense that a portion of the funds used
in construction of the imposing edifice
at Sixteenth and Harvard streets were
subscribed by Unitarians all over the
United States, according to Rev U. c.
b. Pierce the pastor. 1t is, however,
entirely under the control of the local
society, and the greater part of the
money was raised by Washington Uni
tarians.
Each Unitarian church, Rev Mr.
Pierce explained, must be considered
as an entity, entirely self-governing
and without any controlling organiza-
ton which could dictate policies or
assign clergymen. In this respect, he
said, national church would be i'm
possible.
1t was long felt among Unitarians
throughout the country, however
that the faith should be represented
in the National Capital by a struc-
ture the building of which would be
a very heavy drain on the resources
of the local society.
Seventh.day Adventists.
Among the most firmly established
national religious organizations at
the National Capital is the Seventh.
day Adventist center at Takoma
Park. most Of the buildings being
just over the District line. In many
respects this is the most truly ma
| tional' Of all. since it includes not
only the ecclesiastical, but the edu-
cational, missionary and administra-
tive headquarters of the denomina-
| ton around which are grouped the
dwellings of a considerable body of
| adherents.
| The NEST notable of the Adventist
organizations at Takoma Park is the
! Washington Missionary College,
where regular collegiate courses are
| given each year to several hundred
students with the special object Of
| training them for the far-f1ung mis-
missionary activities of the church.
A great bulk of religious literature
! is issued annually from the national
publishing house and from the ma
tional church pulpit are sounded the
| keynotes Of various national cam
paigns waged by the sect.
Yearly the Adventist colony is i'm
| proving the appearance Of its prop
erty until it has built up one of the
| most beautiful religious villages in
! effects A cardinal purpose of the
church is to insist upon a strict sepa,
| ration Of church and state and for
| this purpose, leaders claim, the To-
! cation near the National Legislative
center is particularly desirable, since
f! they are able to spot at its start
any subversive movement. such as
| they insist is represented by various
drives for Sabbath blue laws and