A little misinformation here. The Arlington diocese does not prohibit altar girls. It is up to each pastor. Some have them (St Joes in Herndon), some don't (St Catherine). St Athanasius may call itself Catholic but is not part of the diocese. |
I was the PP about Arlington diocese and I stated it was "one of the last" not to allow altar girls. They did not even allow individual parishes to make that decision until March 2006, 12 years after the Vatican and then the US Conference of Bishops. The only other hold out in the nation at that point was Lincoln, Nebraska. Reading this update about individual parishes still not allowing altar girls is, frankly, head-shaking. |
I went there when I was craving a Latin mass. It was creepy. |
Maybe the National Shrine. |
St. John the Beloved in McLean, VA is the most conservative church I have ever come across. It's like the place is stuck in 1950. No alter girls, they still celebrate one Sunday mass entirely in Latin, had at least 7 priests & 6 alter boys on the alter during what seemed to be a normal Sunday mass in ordinary time. CCD teacher told my friend's son he should not celebrate Halloween because it was devil worship. Many families have 8/9 children. If you like that sort of thing, go for it. If not, beware. |
are they opus dei? |
They don't appear to be Opus Dei. Check out their website you'll find out all you need to know. I just looked at their lists of Catholic Colleges and remembered sitting in a meeting where I was told that Georgetown and Notre Dame were not really Catholic. St. John really takes things to the extreme. |
In DC - I attended mass at St. Ann's for a bit and thought it was very conservative.
Also try Epiphany in Georgetown. |
There are definitely some in the congregation. |
I can see their point on Georgetown being Catholic in name and formality only. But Notre Dame? Hmm, I think ND beats Georgetown on that one. But just my impression. |
Well that's a big 'so what'. |
Drive to georgetown. Holy Trinity. I grew up in that parish. Others have been a surprise and difficult. I fired my Northern Virginia parish. |
Ditto Holy Trinity. The Jesuits made it possible for me to retain my Catholic identity through the last pope (and I certainly never though I would see a Jesuit in that role in my lifetime!). When I left DC briefly to work in Chicago for a Catholic hospital system, I couldn't stomach the order that ran the chapel at my hospital or the several other nearby parishes within walking distance. I drove all the way up to Loyola just to hear some preaching about living a life greater than oneself. |
We found Blessed Sacrament in DC to be super duper conservative |
agree |