The 1400 block of V Street NW has been renamed “St. Augustine School Way” in honor of the oldest Catholic School in the District that was dedicated to educating African American children.
D.C. Council member Brianne Nadeau (D-Ward 1) and leaders of the Archdiocese of Washington recognized the administrators and teachers of St. Augustine Catholic School during the ceremony to symbolically rename the street on Jan. 24.
St. Augustine Catholic Church is now 165 years old and recognized as the “Mother Church of Black Catholics” in Washington, D.C. In 1858, a group of African-American Catholics established St. Augustine Catholic School.
Catholic officials say the church served as a beacon to the formerly enslaved population even before the Civil War. It is not only the first Black Catholic church in the District but also the oldest Black Catholic parochial school.
Father Patrick Smith, the current pastor of St. Augustine, said in a statement, “The unveiling of St. Augustine School Way pays tribute to the rich history and spiritual legacy of St. Augustine Catholic Church and School.”
He noted five years before the Emancipation Proclamation, the Black Catholic community, “while not yet having a church of their own to worship,” founded the institution.
According to history, members of the St. Augustine community worshiped in the basement of St. Matthew’s Church before the first Catholic school for Black children in the District was open.
Smith added that this made clear “that the education of their children was their highest priority.”
Today, St. Augustine Catholic School educates children in pre-kindergarten through eighth grade. The school is committed to laying a threefold foundation of academic excellence, spiritual growth, and moral virtue in all students who enroll, resulting in holistic character development.
According to the statement, the Catholic church’s involvement, past and present, in affordable housing, including senior housing and advocacy for the poor and the homeless, highlights its dedication to community development. As steadfast community partners, St Augustine Parish, which encompasses both the church and the school, has consistently provided office and meeting spaces for non-profit organizations working with vulnerable residents in our city.
Deeply committed to community outreach and engagement, St. Augustine Catholic Church and School actively strives to make a positive impact on the lives of those in need in our neighborhood and beyond.
The unveiling ceremony was a culmination of the introduction of Bill 25-70, the St. Augustine School Way Designation Act of 2023, on Jan. 25, 2023, by Council member Nadeau.
Many attendees noted that this approved bill points the way to a legacy not only worth celebrating but, most importantly, worth continuing in the community today.
“Loved being part of this beyond measure,” Nadeau wrote on X (formerly Twitter) after the event.
