Roman Catholic Diocese of Arlington
Encyclopedia
Diocese
A diocese is the district or see under the supervision of a bishop. It is divided into parishes.An archdiocese is more significant than a diocese. An archdiocese is presided over by an archbishop whose see may have or had importance due to size or historical significance...
of the Roman Catholic Church
Roman Catholicism in the United States
The Catholic Church in the United States is part of the worldwide Catholic Church, the Christian Church in full communion with the Pope. With more than 68.5 registered million members, it is the largest single religious denomination in the United States, comprising about 22 percent of the population...
in the southern United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. The Diocese of Arlington comprises 68 parishes located in the 21 northern-most counties within the Commonwealth
U.S. state
A U.S. state is any one of the 50 federated states of the United States of America that share sovereignty with the federal government. Because of this shared sovereignty, an American is a citizen both of the federal entity and of his or her state of domicile. Four states use the official title of...
of Virginia
Virginia
The Commonwealth of Virginia , is a U.S. state on the Atlantic Coast of the Southern United States. Virginia is nicknamed the "Old Dominion" and sometimes the "Mother of Presidents" after the eight U.S. presidents born there...
, including the Northern Virginia
Northern Virginia
Northern Virginia consists of several counties and independent cities in the Commonwealth of Virginia, in a widespread region generally radiating southerly and westward from Washington, D.C...
counties of Arlington
Arlington County, Virginia
Arlington County is a county in the Commonwealth of Virginia. The land that became Arlington was originally donated by Virginia to the United States government to form part of the new federal capital district. On February 27, 1801, the United States Congress organized the area as a subdivision of...
, Clarke
Clarke County, Virginia
Clarke County is a county in the Commonwealth of Virginia. As of 2010, the population was 14,034. Its county seat is Berryville.-History:Clarke County was established in 1836 by Thomas Fairfax, 6th Lord Fairfax of Cameron who built a home, Greenway Court, on part of his 5 million acre property,...
, Culpeper
Culpeper County, Virginia
As of the census of 2000, there were 34,262 people, 12,141 households, and 9,045 families residing in the county. The population density was 90 people per square mile . There were 12,871 housing units at an average density of 34 per square mile...
, Fairfax
Fairfax County, Virginia
Fairfax County is a county in Virginia, in the United States. Per the 2010 Census, the population of the county is 1,081,726, making it the most populous jurisdiction in the Commonwealth of Virginia, with 13.5% of Virginia's population...
, Fauquier
Fauquier County, Virginia
As of the census of 2000, there were 55,139 people, 19,842 households, and 15,139 families residing in the county. The population density was 85 people per square mile . There were 21,046 housing units at an average density of 32 per square mile...
, Frederick
Frederick County, Virginia
Frederick County is a county located in the Commonwealth of Virginia. It is included in the Winchester, Virginia-West Virginia Metropolitan Statistical Area. It was formed in 1743 by the splitting of Orange County. For ten years it was the home of George Washington. As of 2010, the population was...
, King George
King George County, Virginia
As of the census of 2010, there were 23,584 people, 9,411 households, and 4,525 families residing in the county. The population density was 93 people per square mile . There were 6,820 housing units at an average density of 38 per square mile...
, Lancaster
Lancaster County, Virginia
As of the census of 2000, there were 11,567 people, 5,004 households, and 3,412 families residing in the county. The population density was 87 people per square mile . There were 6,498 housing units at an average density of 49 per square mile...
, Loudoun
Loudoun County, Virginia
Loudoun County is a county located in the Commonwealth of Virginia, and is part of the Washington Metropolitan Area. As of the 2010 U.S. Census, the county is estimated to be home to 312,311 people, an 84 percent increase over the 2000 figure of 169,599. That increase makes the county the fourth...
, Madison
Madison County, Virginia
As of the census of 2000, there were 12,520 people, 4,739 households, and 3,521 families residing in the county. The population density was 39 people per square mile . There were 5,239 housing units at an average density of 16 per square mile...
, Northumberland
Northumberland County, Virginia
Northumberland County is a county located on the Northern Neck in the Commonwealth of Virginia, a state in the United States. In 2010, its population was 12,330. Its county seat is Heathsville...
, Orange
Orange County, Virginia
As of the census of 2000, there were 25,881 people, 10,150 households, and 7,470 families residing in the county. The population density was 76 people per square mile . There were 11,354 housing units at an average density of 33 per square mile...
, Page
Page County, Virginia
As of the census of 2000, there were 23,177 people, 9,305 households, and 6,634 families residing in the county. The population density was 74 people per square mile . There were 10,557 housing units at an average density of 34 per square mile...
, Prince William
Prince William County, Virginia
-National protected areas:* Featherstone National Wildlife Refuge* Manassas National Battlefield Park* Occoquan Bay National Wildlife Refuge* Prince William Forest Park-Government and politics:...
, Rappahannock
Rappahannock County, Virginia
As of the census of 2010, there were 7,373 people, 2,788 households, and 2,004 families residing in the county. The population density was 26 people per square mile . There were 3,303 housing units at an average density of 12 per square mile...
, Richmond
Richmond County, Virginia
Richmond County is a county located on the Northern Neck in the Commonwealth of Virginia, a state in the United States. As of 2010, the population was 9,254. Its county seat is Warsaw. The rural county should not be confused with the large city and state capital Richmond, Virginia, which is over...
, Shenandoah
Shenandoah County, Virginia
As of the census of 2000, there were 35,075 people, 14,296 households, and 10,064 families residing in the county. The population density was 68 people per square mile . There were 16,709 housing units at an average density of 33 per square mile...
, Spotsylvania
Spotsylvania County, Virginia
As of the census of 2000, there were 90,395 people, 31,308 households, and 24,639 families residing in the county. The population density was 226 people per square mile . There were 33,329 housing units at an average density of 83 per square mile...
, Stafford
Stafford County, Virginia
Stafford County is a county located in the Commonwealth of Virginia, a U.S. state, and just across the Rappahannock River from the City of Fredericksburg. As of the 2000 census, the population was 92,446, increasing to 128,961 in 2010.. Its county seat is Stafford. In 2006, and again in 2009,...
, Warren
Warren County, Virginia
As of the census of 2000, there were 31,584 people, 12,087 households, and 8,521 families residing in the county. The population density was 148 people per square mile . There were 13,299 housing units at an average density of 62 per square mile...
and Westmoreland
Westmoreland County, Virginia
As of the census of 2000, there were 16,718 people, 6,846 households, and 4,689 families residing in the county. The population density was . There were 9,286 housing units at an average density of...
, and Cities of Alexandria
Alexandria, Virginia
Alexandria is an independent city in the Commonwealth of Virginia. As of 2009, the city had a total population of 139,966. Located along the Western bank of the Potomac River, Alexandria is approximately six miles south of downtown Washington, D.C.Like the rest of northern Virginia, as well as...
, Fairfax
Fairfax, Virginia
The City of Fairfax is an independent city forming an enclave within the confines of Fairfax County, in the Commonwealth of Virginia in the United States. Although politically independent of the surrounding county, the City is nevertheless the county seat....
, Falls Church
Falls Church, Virginia
The City of Falls Church is an independent city in Virginia, United States, in the Washington Metropolitan Area. The city population was 12,332 in 2010, up from 10,377 in 2000. Taking its name from The Falls Church, an 18th-century Anglican parish, Falls Church gained township status within...
, Fredericksburg
Fredericksburg, Virginia
Fredericksburg is an independent city in the Commonwealth of Virginia located south of Washington, D.C., and north of Richmond. As of the 2010 census, the city had a population of 24,286...
, Manassas
Manassas, Virginia
The City of Manassas is an independent city surrounded by Prince William County and the independent city of Manassas Park in the Commonwealth of Virginia in the United States. Its population was 37,821 as of 2010. Manassas also surrounds the county seat for Prince William County but that county...
, Manassas Park, and Winchester
Winchester, Virginia
Winchester is an independent city located in the northwestern portion of the Commonwealth of Virginia in the USA. The city's population was 26,203 according to the 2010 Census...
. The Diocese of Arlington is led by The Most Rev. Paul Loverde
Paul Loverde
Paul Stephen Loverde is the bishop of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Arlington in Northern Virginia.-Early life:Bishop Loverde was born in Framingham, Massachusetts on September 3, 1940. He received his secondary school education at La Salle Academy in Providence, Rhode Island, followed by an...
, a bishop
Bishop
A bishop is an ordained or consecrated member of the Christian clergy who is generally entrusted with a position of authority and oversight. Within the Catholic Church, Eastern Orthodox, Oriental Orthodox Churches, in the Assyrian Church of the East, in the Independent Catholic Churches, and in the...
who resides at the Cathedral of Saint Thomas More
Cathedral of Saint Thomas More
The Cathedral of Saint Thomas More is the cathedral of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Arlington and the seat of Bishop Paul S. Loverde. The Rev. Robert J. Rippy has been the Rector since 2005. The Cathedral also has a Parochial Vicar, two resident priests, Director of Religious Education, Youth...
in Arlington County, Virginia
Arlington County, Virginia
Arlington County is a county in the Commonwealth of Virginia. The land that became Arlington was originally donated by Virginia to the United States government to form part of the new federal capital district. On February 27, 1801, the United States Congress organized the area as a subdivision of...
. In 2007, there were 258 priests who ministered to 402,541 registered Catholics in the Diocese of Arlington. The total population within the Diocese of Arlington, both Catholics and non-Catholics, was 2,715,932.
The Diocese of Arlington also has two missions in the Dominican Republic
Dominican Republic
The Dominican Republic is a nation on the island of La Hispaniola, part of the Greater Antilles archipelago in the Caribbean region. The western third of the island is occupied by the nation of Haiti, making Hispaniola one of two Caribbean islands that are shared by two countries...
-- Banica Mission Parish and Pedro Santana Mission Parish, which are overseen by the diocesan Office of the Propagation of the Faith. The Director of the Propagation of the Faith in the Diocese of Arlington is currently Fr. Patrick L. Posey, who also serves as Pastor of St. James Church in Falls Church.
The diocese was canonically erected on May 28, 1974 by Pope Paul VI
Pope Paul VI
Paul VI , born Giovanni Battista Enrico Antonio Maria Montini , reigned as Pope of the Catholic Church from 21 June 1963 until his death on 6 August 1978. Succeeding Pope John XXIII, who had convened the Second Vatican Council, he decided to continue it...
. The parishes which comprise the Diocese of Arlington were ceded from the neighboring Diocese of Richmond
Roman Catholic Diocese of Richmond
The Roman Catholic Diocese of Richmond is an ecclesiastical and episcopal see or diocese of the Roman Catholic Church in the United States. Its current territory was created by Pope Paul VI and encompasses all of central and southern Virginia, Hampton Roads, and the eastern shore...
. The current Bishop of Arlington is Paul S. Loverde.
Bishops
The Founding Bishop of the Diocese, Thomas Jerome WelshThomas Jerome Welsh
Thomas Jerome Welsh was an American prelate of the Roman Catholic Church. He served as Bishop of Arlington and as Bishop of Allentown .-Early life and education:...
, was installed on August 13, 1974. Bishop Welsh served until February 8, 1983, when he was transferred by Pope John Paul II
Pope John Paul II
Blessed Pope John Paul II , born Karol Józef Wojtyła , reigned as Pope of the Catholic Church and Sovereign of Vatican City from 16 October 1978 until his death on 2 April 2005, at of age. His was the second-longest documented pontificate, which lasted ; only Pope Pius IX ...
to become Bishop of the Diocese of Allentown
Roman Catholic Diocese of Allentown
The Roman Catholic Diocese of Allentown is a Roman Catholic diocese comprising the Pennsylvania counties of Berks, Carbon, Lehigh, Northampton and Schuylkill, in the United States. Its cathedral is the Cathedral Church of Saint Catharine of Siena, located in Allentown, Pennsylvania...
, Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania
The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is a U.S. state that is located in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The state borders Delaware and Maryland to the south, West Virginia to the southwest, Ohio to the west, New York and Ontario, Canada, to the north, and New Jersey to...
. Bishop Welsh was previously Auxiliary Bishop of the Archdiocese of Philadelphia
Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Philadelphia
The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Philadelphia is an ecclesiastical territory or diocese of the Roman Catholic Church in southeastern Pennsylvania, in the United States. It covers the City and County of Philadelphia as well as Bucks, Chester, Delaware, and Montgomery counties. The diocese was...
, Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania
The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is a U.S. state that is located in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The state borders Delaware and Maryland to the south, West Virginia to the southwest, Ohio to the west, New York and Ontario, Canada, to the north, and New Jersey to...
, and rector of St. Charles Borromeo Seminary in Wynnewood, Pennsylvania
Wynnewood, Pennsylvania
Wynnewood, Pennsylvania is a suburban community located outside of Philadelphia in Lower Merion Township, Pennsylvania and Haverford Township, Pennsylvania, United States. Wynnewood was named in 1691 for Dr. Thomas Wynne, William Penn's physician and the first Speaker of the Pennsylvania General...
.
The second Bishop of the Diocese, John Richard Keating
John Richard Keating
John Richard Keating was an American clergyman of the Roman Catholic Church. He served as Bishop of Arlington from 1983 until his death in 1998.-Biography:...
, was ordained as Bishop of Arlington on August 4, 1983, and served until his death March 22, 1998. Bishop Keating was previously Vicar General and Chancellor of the Archdiocese of Chicago, Illinois
Illinois
Illinois is the fifth-most populous state of the United States of America, and is often noted for being a microcosm of the entire country. With Chicago in the northeast, small industrial cities and great agricultural productivity in central and northern Illinois, and natural resources like coal,...
.
The Diocese's third Bishop, Paul S. Loverde, previously Bishop of the Diocese of Ogdensburg
Roman Catholic Diocese of Ogdensburg
The Roman Catholic Diocese of Ogdensburg is a Roman Catholic diocese in New York. It was founded on February 15, 1872.On February 23, 2010, the Most Reverend Terry R...
, New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
, was installed on March 25, 1999.
Catholic Colleges and Universities
- Catholic Distance UniversityCatholic Distance UniversityCatholic Distance University , located in Hamilton, Virginia, is a private undergraduate and graduate institution that is "in the vanguard of Catholic distance learning." Established in 1983 in the Arlington diocese by Bishop Welsh, CDU offers an accredited bachelor degree in theology completion...
- Christendom CollegeChristendom CollegeChristendom College is a small Catholic liberal arts college in Front Royal, Virginia, United States, which is located in the Shenandoah Valley.-Educational Mission:...
- Marymount UniversityMarymount UniversityMarymount University is a coeducational, four-year Catholic university that has its main campus located in Arlington, Virginia. Marymount offers bachelor’s, master’s, and doctoral degrees in a wide range of disciplines and has a diverse and welcoming academic community with approximately 3,600...
Catholic high schools
- Bishop Denis J. O'Connell High SchoolBishop Denis J. O'Connell High SchoolBishop Denis J. O'Connell High School was founded in 1957 in Arlington County, Virginia. It was operated by the Catholic Diocese of Richmond, but has been under the direction of the Diocese of Arlington since 1974. The school is named for Bishop Denis J...
, Arlington - Bishop Ireton High SchoolBishop Ireton High SchoolBishop Ireton High School is a Roman Catholic High School located in Alexandria, Virginia. The school was founded in 1964 by the Oblates of St. Francis DeSales, an order of Catholic priests sometimes called Salesians, and originally admitted only male students...
, Alexandria - Oakcrest SchoolOakcrest School (McLean, Virginia)Oakcrest School is an independent Roman Catholic school for girls grades 6–12 located in McLean, Virginia. It is inspired by the traditional teachings of the Catholic Church under the auspices of Opus Dei....
*, McLean - Paul VI Catholic High SchoolPaul VI Catholic High SchoolPaul VI Catholic High School is a Roman Catholic college preparatory school in Fairfax, Virginia.The school is named for Pope Paul VI, and is located in southwest Fairfax...
, Fairfax - John Paul the Great Catholic High SchoolJohn Paul the Great Catholic High SchoolPope John Paul the Great Catholic High School is a private, coeducational Catholic high school in Dumfries, Virginia operated by the Dominican Sisters of St. Cecilia...
, Dumfries - Seton High SchoolSeton High School (Manassas, Virginia)Seton is an accredited, private, co-educational, Catholic junior & senior high school. Seton teaches orthodox, traditional Catholicism, in harmony with the Magisterium of the Catholic Church and its leader, Pope Benedict XVI. Furthermore, the entire curriculum at Seton is grounded on a Christian...
*, Manassas
- * School operates independently but with the blessing of the Diocese.
Parishes
As listed in the Official Parish Locator for the Diocese of Arlington:- All Saints, Manassas
- Annunciation of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Manassas (located within the Arlington Diocese, but under the jurisdiction of the Melkite Eparch of Newton)
- Blessed Sacrament, Alexandria
- Cathedral of St. Thomas More, Arlington
- Christ the Redeemer, Sterling
- Corpus Christi Mission, South Riding
- Epiphany of Our Lord Byzantine Catholic Church, Annandale (located within the Arlington Diocese, but under the jurisdiction of the Byzantine Diocese of Passaic)
- Good Shepherd, Alexandria
- Holy Family, Dale City
- Holy Martyrs of Vietnam, Arlington
- Holy Spirit, Annandale
- Holy Transfiguration Melkite Greek-Catholic Church, McLean (located within the Arlington Diocese, but under the jurisdiction of the Melkite Eparch of Newton)
- Holy Trinity, Bristow
- Nativity, Burke
- Our Lady of Angels, Woodbridge
- Our Lady of Good Counsel, Vienna
- Our Lady of Hope, Potomac Falls
- Our Lady of Lourdes, Arlington
- Our Lady of the Blue Ridge, Madison
- Our Lady of the Shenandoah, Basye
- Our Lady of the Valley, Luray
- Our Lady Queen of Peace, Arlington
- Precious Blood, Culpeper
- Queen of Apostles, Alexandria
- Sacred Heart, Manassas
- Sacred Heart of Jesus, Winchester
- St. Agnes, Arlington
- St. Ambrose, Annandale
- St. Andrew the Apostle, Clifton
- St. Ann, Arlington
- St. Anthony, Falls Church
- St. Anthony of Padua, King George
- St. Bernadette, Springfield
- St. Bridget of Ireland, Berryville
- St. Catherine of Sienna, Great Falls
- St. Charles Borromeo, Arlington
- St. Clare of Assisi, Clifton
- St. Elizabeth, Colonial Beach
- St. Elizabeth Ann Seton, Lake Ridge
- St. Francis de Sales, Kilmarnock
- St. Francis de Sales, Purcellville
- St. Francis of Assisi, Triangle
- St. Isidore the Farmer, Orange
- St. James, Falls Church
- St. John the Beloved, McLean
- St. John Bosco, Woodstock
- St. John Neumann, Reston
- St. John the Apostle, Leesburg
- St. John the Baptist, Front Royal
- St. John the Evangelist, Warrenton
- St. Joseph, Alexandria
- St. Joseph, Herndon
- St. Jude, Fredericksburg
- St. Lawrence the Martyr, Alexandria
- St. Leo the Great, Fairfax
- St. Louis, Alexandria
- St. Luke, McLean
- St. Mark, Vienna
- St. Mary, Alexandria
- St. Mary of the Immaculate Conception, Fredericksburg
- St. Mary of Sorrows, Fairfax
- St. Matthew, Spotsylvania
- Michael, Annandale
- St. Patrick, Fredericksburg
- St. Paul, Hague
- St. Paul Chung, Fairfax
- St. Peter, Washington
- St. Philip, Falls Church
- St. Raymond of Penafort, Fairfax Station
- St. Rita, Alexandria
- St. Stephen the Martyr, Middleburg
- St. Theresa, Ashburn
- St. Thomas a Becket, Reston
- St. Timothy, Chantilly
- St. Veronica, Chantilly
- St. William of York, Stafford