Sanctuary from Downtown

Today for the first time I went to daily Mass at St. Mary's.
As it turns out, the little church changed the shape of the GAO.

According to GAO history, in 1941 after Congress had authorized $9,850,000 for the acquisition of a GAO headquarters building, the government purchased plots from individual property owners on the block and began to raze the structures. But St. Mary’s was so well established in the neighborhood that planning officials did not hold out much hope for buying the church property. In the end “the Commissioners of the District of Columbia closed and vacated G Place up to the point where the St. Mary's church property began. They designed the GAO building around the church.” Overhead pictures show the irregular shape this forced the building to become.

The church sits on the northwest corner of 5th and H Streets and is just around the block. As I turned the corner this afternoon to enter, I saw several other crisp and serious professionals striding to the front doors, entering quickly. Outside the D.C. world buzzed with traffic and panhandlers, with clicking high-heeled shoes and jostling crowds of people hurrying past with their heads down. Upon entering the church, that busy world was gone. The dark suits were kneeling, the clicking shoes silent. The service was quick – just 30 minutes of prayer, Scripture and fellowship. Soon I was back outside again, my high heels clicking. I was thankful for that church today as I slipped back into my chair, and I’m still laughing at God’s irony. In a building full of perfectionists the corners don’t quite line up….

EC