This post was written by Hatchet Reporter Julie Douglas

Washington D.C. is not just filled with important government buildings – the city boasts some important and interesting religious sites.

Basilica

One of these spots is the Basilica of the National Shrine, located at 400 Michigan Avenue Northeast. The church was built in the 1920s, but the building came to halt due to lack of funding throughout the Great Depression and World War II says Jackie Hayes, the basilica’s spokesperson. The upper levels of the church are dedicated to seventy chapels, smaller rooms that are within the church, that help the basilica to be one of ten largest churches in the world says Hayes.

“The Basilica of the National Shrine brings the old and the new together. Most of the artwork here is mosaic and inspired by Byzantine times, but we also have the largest contemporary ecclesiastical art chapel in the world. The Basilica reflects American Catholicism and America itself,” said Jackie Hayes, The Basilica’s spokeswoman. The church boasts the largest mosaic of Christ in the world and awe-inspiring domes ornamented with mosaics says Hayes. The Basilica of the National Shrine has nearly a million visitors a year and has had visitors including Pope John Paul II, Pope Benedict XVI, and Mother Theresa. On average, the Basilica has six daily masses. It is considered the nation’s cathedral and sanctuary of pilgrimage and prayer Hayes said.

Scientology

Another little known spot is The Church of Scientology, which states one of its main beliefs as everyone does evil but overall man is good. Open seven days a week, the church attracts 300-400 visitors, said Sue Taylor, Public Affairs Director. The founder of scientology, L. Ron Hubbard, a GWU alumni and a former editor of The Hatchet, opened the first church of scientology in DuPont circle in 1955. Currently, that location has become a museum that demonstrates the growth of the church through the years and a new location at 16th and P has become the official grounds of the Church of Scientology. The church offers training and courses around topics such as man as a spiritual being and diametrics of human beings Taylor said.

Sixth and I

The sixth and I synagogue is anything but your typical place of worship. With the slogan “what it means to be Jewish is up to you,” and a venue for rock concerts, political talks, and cooking classes, Sixth and I is more of a community center than a temple said Jessica Krivoy, the spokesperson for Sixth and I. Built in 1908 and originally called the Adas Israel Hebrew Congregation and then Turner Memorial A.M.E. Church, Sixth and I was once destined to become a disco nightclub until it was saved and converted into the multi-purpose space that it is today. The synagogue does not identify with a particular sect of Judaism, and offers everything from orthodox to reform services. Each Friday of the month, the celebration of Shabbat is dedicated in a different and innovative way, their most popular service being one that attracts between 200 and 300 people called “sixth in the city,” geared towards Jews in their twenties and thirties. The service features a happy hour before services as well as a $6 dinner afterwards.

“Many people come to our services and then go out into Chinatown afterwards to continue schmoozing,” Krivoy said. “Participants are also invited to choose from six different prayer books and join in on services that create an “intimate, spiritual experience.”

St. John’s

Often called, “the President’s church,” St. John’s Church which is located across the street from the White House at 1525 H Street, has been the church of every president since Madison said Hayden Bryan, the church’s spokesperson. This Episcopalian church was built in 1816 by Benjamin Henry Latrobe, the first professional architect in the United States Bryan said. St. John’s generally has 600 members attend Sunday mass and sometimes church-goers even get the chance to see President Obama in the pew set aside for the president that is located in the middle of the congregation so that they aren’t disturbed. St. John’s is also home to famous stained glass windows created by Madam Loreen in France in the 1880s. The church still has the pew that Abraham Lincoln sat in that was located in the back of the church so that church-goers wouldn’t even know that he was there, Bryan said.