Additional Services

New requests for sacramental celebrations are now being accepted. Please keep in mind that due to the COVID-19 pandemic, scheduling and number of guests allowed at all celebrations on Georgetown University campus will follow the guidelines of the District of Columbia and University administration.

Weddings

Georgetown University opens the three following unique religious settings to campus weddings:

Dahlgren Chapel of the Sacred Heart (Located in Dahlgren Quadrangle)
The university’s main chapel since 1892, Dahlgren’s historical richness attracts many engaged couples. Its site, behind historic Healy Hall in the Dahlgren Quadrangle, adds to its attraction. The chapel seats approximately 300 wedding party members and guests. One of the engaged must be a Roman Catholic to qualify for a wedding in this 19th-century setting.

Copley Crypt Chapel of the North American Martyrs (Located in Copley Hall)
Engaged couples may also reserve Copley Crypt for a wedding if one of the engaged is a Roman Catholic. The chapel offers an intimate seating capacity of 70. The center aisle of the chapel is 20 feet in length. The chapel entrance is off the roadway behind Copley Hall.

Servant of God Sr. Thea Bowman Chapel of St. William (Located in Copley Hall)
St. William Chapel comfortably seats 125 wedding party members and guests in chairs. The center aisle of the chapel is 20 feet in length.  The chapel may be reserved for ceremonies of any faith. Access St. William via Copley Hall’s main entrance.

The chapels are all wheelchair accessible.

Step 1: Review Georgetown University’s Guidelines for Marriage

Engaged couples interested in marrying at Georgetown University are first asked to review GU’s Guidelines for Marriage. Should couples have additional questions after reading the guidelines, they can contact the Weddings Coordinator by email at weddings@georgetown.edu or by telephone at (202) 816-9987.

Step 2: Determine Eligibility
Dahlgren, Copley Crypt, and Sr. Thea Bowman Chapels are available for weddings of the following affiliates within the Georgetown University community:

  • GU degree students
  • GU alumni
  • Current GU faculty, staff and administrators
  • Children of current GU faculty, staff and administrators

Step 3: Determine Availability, Hold a Date, and Set-up a Pastoral Visit
After reviewing the online chapel calendar, engaged couples should contact the Weddings Coordinator to hold their preferred wedding date and time. At that time arrangements will be made for a pastoral visit with Dr. Ennio Mastroianni, Campus Minister for Engaged Couples. Choose no more than two dates and times on which to place holds. Please, no third-party calls.

The Weddings Coordinator will initially hold a wedding date and time for a period of two weeks, at which point the hold will be removed from the chapel calendar unless the engaged couple contacts the Coordinator to extend the hold. Please note that no wedding date is confirmed until after the couple meets with Dr. Mastroianni for the pastoral visit.

Schedule of Fees

The current chapel fee per wedding is $1500.00. Checks should be made payable to Office of Campus Ministry, Georgetown University. Please refer to the Guidelines for Marriage for all additional fees.

  • Please refer to the Online Chapel Availability Calendar for available times for weddings, wedding rehearsals and pastoral visits with the Director of Adult Faith Formation.
  • Weddings only take place on Saturdays at 11am, 1pm, 3pm and 5pm. Rehearsals take place on Fridays at 2pm, 3pm, 4pm, 5pm and 6pm.
  • Campus Ministry does not schedule weddings on certain federal holidays and during certain University events and breaks. Please refer to the Guidelines for Marriage for more information.
  • Archdiocesan Regulations require arrangements for marriage to be made at least 6 months in advance.

Infant Baptisms

The Catholic Chaplaincy oversees the process of Baptism for children in collaboration with Holy Trinity Parish and the Archdiocese of Washington.

Georgetown University students, faculty, staff, and alumni may have their children baptized in one of our Chapels on campus. 

The protocol is as follows:

  1. Send an email inquiry to the Sacraments Team (sacraments@georgetown.edu) with a request for a time frame for Baptism and information on affiliation to the University. We will reply to you with availability.
  2. Baptisms take place only on Sunday afternoons in Dahlgren Chapel, with one Baptism per time slot. Please note that we do not schedule baptisms on Easter Weekend, Commencement Weekend, Memorial Day Weekend, Reunion Weekend, New Student Orientation (last weekend in August), Labor Day Weekend, Thanksgiving, Christmas break, and New Year’s Eve/Day. 
  3. Contact a priest or deacon to baptize your child. The priest or deacon must have faculties within the Archdiocese of Washington.
  4. If this is your first child for baptism, then enroll in a baptismal preparation class for parents at your local parish or at Holy Trinity Catholic Church.
  5. Arrange for godparent/godparents, at least one of whom must be Catholic godparent. A non-Catholic godparent is known as a “Christian witness.”
  6. Fill out the Baptismal Information Form we will send you once the date is confirmed. We use this information to create a baptismal certificate, to register the baptism at Holy Trinity Church, and to acquire a sacristan to set up the chapel for your child’s baptism.
  7. Charitable gifts in honor of your child’s baptism are to be made payable to Georgetown University Catholic Campus Ministry. An offering of $150 is appreciated to reduce our expenses for a sacristan, supplies, and chapel use.
  8. Customarily, parents provide the priest or deacon with a minimum stipend of $150-$200, made payable directly to the priest or deacon. 

Mass Intention Requests

Dear Georgetown Community and Friends,

We are not able to take Mass Intention requests at this time. However, we are working to restore this service to our community. When we are able to accept them, we will update this page with the information on the process for requesting Mass Intentions for Dahlgren Chapel’s weekday Masses.

Best,

The Catholic Ministry Team

RCIA: Inquiry & Information

If you or someone you know is interested in learning more about the Catholic Church, consider participating in our RCIA (Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults) sessions. RCIA is a process through which adults learn more about the beliefs, rituals, and practices of the Catholic Church. Georgetown University’s RCIA process is open to current Georgetown University students, faculty and staff. Participants who complete the process may go on to become full members of the Catholic Church.

Oftentimes, people will notice that they are spending more time wondering about the Catholic faith. Perhaps a new friend, a family member, a life change, an experience of the Mass, or a vibrant Scripture text has stirred your attentiveness to deeper matters. If you find yourself inquisitive about the Catholic faith and would like to learn more, please email Chaplain Michelle Siemietkowski, siemietm@georgetown.edu.

Confirmation for Adult Catholics

Have you been a Catholic a long time but never experienced the Sacrament of Confirmation? Faith journeys are unique experiences; there is no cookie-cutter Catholic. If you are a baptized Catholic, already made your first Communion, but have never been Confirmed; is this the time to complete your formal initiation into the Catholic Church? If you would like to learn more, please email Chaplain Michelle Siemietkowski, siemietm@georgetown.edu.