On Thursday, April 4, Pope Francis named Archbishop Wilton D. Gregory as the seventh Archbishop of Washington. (Catholic Standard story.)

As the planning for the Mass of Installation began, both Cardinal Wuerl and Archbishop Gregory desired that the faithful of the Archdiocese of Washington be able to attend the Mass on May 21. At the time of the Vatican announcement, the installation was planned for the Cathedral of Saint Matthew the Apostle, the mother church of the Archdiocese of Washington. 

Seating, however, is limited in Saint Matthew’s and in order to accommodate the large number of laity who expressed interest in attending, the decision was made to move the Mass to the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception, the largest Roman Catholic Church in North America. The Mass will be broadcast on Eternal Word Television Network (EWTN) and live-streamed on social media. 

Archbishop Gregory's Mass of Installation as the archbishop of Washington will be celebrated at 2 p.m. May 21 at the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception. The liturgical procession will begin at 1:30 p.m. 

The Basilica of the National Shrine is located at 400 Michigan Ave., N.E., with parking available on its lot and along Harewood Road. The basilica is located within walking distance of the Brookland/Catholic University of America stop on Metro's Red Line.

Archbishop Gregory will offer a Mass of Thanksgiving on Sunday, May 26, 2019 at 10 a.m. at the Cathedral of Saint Matthew the Apostle in Washington at 1725 Rhode Island Ave., N.W., near the Farragut North Station on Metro's Red Line.

The Archdiocese of Washington is home to over 655,000 Catholics, 139 parishes and 93 Catholic schools, located in Washington, D.C., and five Maryland counties: Calvert, Charles, Montgomery, Prince George’s and St. Mary’s.