Ukrainian Catholic National Shrine of the Holy Family, National shrine near University Heights, Washington, D.C.
The Ukrainian Catholic National Shrine of the Holy Family is a religious site in Washington, D.C., built in the Byzantine architectural style. It contains two worship spaces, a lower church and an upper church, one built on top of the other.
The cornerstone of the lower church was blessed in 1979, marking the start of construction for the Ukrainian Catholic community in America. The upper church was completed in 1999, about two decades later.
Services here follow the Byzantine Rite, rooted in Ukrainian Catholic tradition. Visitors can notice this in the choral singing, the vestments worn by the clergy, and the icons displayed throughout the space.
The shrine is located on Harewood Road in the northeast of Washington, D.C., and is easy to reach by public transit. Daily services take place here, and some are also broadcast online for those who cannot attend in person.
This shrine stands directly next to the campus of the Catholic University of America, placing a Ukrainian Catholic place of worship right beside one of the country's main Catholic academic centers. The two church levels can each function independently, allowing separate services to take place at the same time.
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