Catholic IntelligenceA work of service to the Church

Archdiocese of Washington

Vashingtonen(sis)

The Archdiocese of Washington is a Latin Church metropolitan archdiocese covering the District of Columbia and five Maryland counties, established in 1939 and made a metropolitan see in 1965. Cardinal Robert W. McElroy was installed as its eighth archbishop on March 11, 2025.

The see

Rank
Metropolitan see
Tradition
Latin Church
Erected
1939
Latin
Vashingtonen(sis)
Patron
Blessed Virgin Mary
Annuario code
001000142

The see in figures

Catholics
655,601
Population
2,980,005
Catholic shareof the people living within its bounds
22.0%
Priests
262
Catholics per priest
2,502
Extent
5,449 km²
Catholics per km²
120

Figures as recorded in the register, from the Annuario Pontificio and the see's own published statements. Shares and ratios are computed from the two figures shown beside them.

The bishop

Archbishop
Robert W. McElroy

A see whose chair stands empty is recorded as vacant rather than filled with a guess. On what a bishop is, see the bishop.

The cathedral

Cathedral of St. Matthew the Apostle stands in Washington, the church that holds the cathedra from which this see takes its name.

On what a cathedral is, see the cathedral; every see church on earth is gathered at the cathedrals.

The province of Washington

This see is the metropolitan of its province.

The sees of this province:

On how the Church is ordered into provinces, see the diocese.

History

Covering the District of Columbia together with several Maryland counties, the Archdiocese of Washington (Latin: Archidiœcesis Metropolitae Vashingtonensis) is a Latin Church archdiocese of the Catholic Church in the United States. Within its bounds stand the Catholic University of America, Georgetown University, and the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception.

Catholic Intelligence

Get early access

We are indexing the whole visible Church: every diocese and parish on earth, searchable and mapped, with Mass times, clergy, and diocesan contacts. Launching soon. Sign up to be first in when it opens, starting with [object Object].

One email at launch. Nothing else.

Sources

The see's own website · Wikipedia

Compiled from the published statements of the see and the references of the Holy See, among them the Annuario Pontificio. Corrections: hello@catholicintelligence.com.