“George Washington: Champion of Religious Liberty” with John Berlau

Throughout his life of public service, George Washington promoted freedom for Catholics, Jews and other religious minorities. Even though he was not Catholic, Washington made a financial contribution towards the establishment of our parish at the request of his friend and aide-de-camp Colonel John Fitzgerald.

The Basilica of Saint Mary will host a lecture with John Berlau titled George Washington: Champion of Religious Liberty on Tuesday, February 9, at 7:30 pm in the church. The lecture will also be live streamed here on the parish website for those that cannot attend in person.

Registration is required to attend this event in person. Seating is limited to 100 people due to COVID-19 restrictions, so please register here or call the parish office at 703-836-4100. Admission is free. If you register and cannot attend, please call the parish office so we can open your spot for someone else.

In a recent piece in National Review, Berlau wrote that the Basilica of Saint Mary is a “monument to Washington’s vision of religious freedom.”

Berlau is the author of the new book George Washington, Entrepreneur. You can purchase a copy of the book on the Macmillan website and Amazon. We will not have copies for sale at the event.