About the DC Catholic Conference
Who we are
Under the leadership of Archbishop Wilton D. Gregory, the DC Catholic Conference advocates for the public policy interests of the Archdiocese of Washington in the District of Columbia and encourages Catholics to actively participate in the public square. We work primarily with local government, advocacy groups, and other religious organizations to advocate for those in need and promote the common good.
Our priorities reflect our experience as the region’s largest non-governmental social service provider and single largest faith community.
Our Team
Chris Anzidei, General Counsel
Andrew Rivas, Manager of Catholic Policy and Advocacy
Mark Rothe, Legal and Catholic Policy Analyst
Life Issues
Advocacy efforts include protection of the unborn, maternal healthcare, pregnancy support, protection for vulnerable women, assisted suicide, capital punishment, ethical vaccine development, and stem-cell research.
Education
Advocacy efforts center on school safety, rigorous safe environment and child protection policies and trainings. We seek to empower parents to choose the school that best suits the needs of their child.
Social Justice
Advocacy efforts address criminal justice reform, disabilities rights, prostitution, human trafficking, economic justice, clean rivers programs, care for creation, immigration reform, and affordable housing.
Religious Freedom
Our efforts focus on the right of religious organizations to be true to their faith in word and in deed and the right of individuals to act in accordance with their conscience.
Catholic Impact in the District of Columbia
Every day people’s lives are touched in ways large and small by the local Catholic presence. Young people are formed to be good citizens, patients receive life-saving treatment, families are strengthened, seniors are cared for, disadvantaged men and women are fed and provided a place to sleep, people in distress are given respite and hope, and others find the meaning in life they have been searching for – all due to the efforts of the Catholic community.
Catholics in D.C.
- 39 individual parishes and more than 50,000 Catholics.
- Masses celebrated in more than 20 languages.
- Hundreds of parish ministries, providing D.C. residents with spiritual support, food, shelter, clothing, literacy, immigration support, communities, and more.
- Largest faith-based ministry serving people living with disabilities.
- Saint John Paul II Seminary forms men to be priests in the Archdiocese of Washington.
Education and Youth Support
- Eighteen primary and secondary schools with more than 5,700 students, as well as nine pre-K programs.
- Youth ministry and sports programs for over 25,000 children and teens.
- Victory Youth in Ward 8 facilitates high quality out of school curriculum, recreational programs, and nutritional assistance.
Social and Service Agencies
- Catholic Charities of the Archdiocese of Washington is the largest non-governmental social service provider in the region, serving more than 140,000 people annually at 36 locations in Washington, D.C., and in the five surrounding Maryland counties.
- $10 million in pro bono legal services for the poor.
- Dental, medical, and behavioral health care to more than 8,500 adults and children.
- 2.5 million meals for those in need in the metro region.
- Spanish Catholic Center provides holistic services for immigrants.
Care for the Vulnerable
- St. Ann’s Center for Children, Youth and Families serves 650 women, children and teen moms with housing, education, day care and more.
- Victory Housing and St. Martin’s Apartments provide 382 units of affordable, quality housing for seniors and families.
- Prison ministry and programs support returning citizens.
- Catholic Cemeteries offers quiet sanctuaries that unite earthly and eternal life for families in the District.