Two Things Challenge: Church / Lady

This is the church, this is the steeple;
Open the doors and see all the people.
Close the doors and hear them pray.
Open the doors and they all run away!

This week's Two Things Challenge was Church / Lady. One of the things I enjoy about living in Washington is, people go to church in this town. And they get dressed up to do. Sunday finery is really fine around here. My goal was to get some pictures of ladies in their Sabbath threads, but I was either out too early or too late. Summer church service times elude me, so I'm sans sisters in Sunday frocks and sashes. Nevertheless, I went down to 15th and Church Streets NW and took some pictures at St. Luke's Episcopal Church and then over to the American Red Cross Museum. These are the results.

The 8:00 service was underway when I arrived at St. Luke's and they had the doors thrown open to enjoy the cool morning air. The homily was in full swing as I discretely made efforts to photograph one of the oldest Episcopal churches in the city. Founded in 1873, it served as the predominant Episcopal parish for colored people in the District of Columbia. The church is located on the edge of the DuPont Circle and Logan Circle neighborhoods and remains a predominantly black church with a rich history and vibrant community.

Sister Jane D'Angelo on the grounds of the Red Cross Museum

For lady, I had to be a little more creative. There are very few monuments or memorials to women in the District, but I knew about one or two on the grounds of the American Red Cross Museum on 17th and D Streets NW. This picture is a statue of Sister Jane D'Angelo and commemorates her life and the lives of 300 nurses who died during World War I. I thought it was a fitting representation of a lady.

Church ladies listening to the homily

Finally, this last photo takes us back to St. Luke's and combines both words. I shot these two ladies through the open door of the church.


Photo copyright: D.C. Confidential, 08/08