Can someone recommend a Catholic church for me in Springfield/Alexandria/Arlington?

[Anonymous]

One of my new years resolutions is to start going to church again. I just need help finding a church and would appreciate any recommendations.

Here's what I'm working with:

-My husband is Jewish and is actually pretty anti-Catholic. We have agreed to raise our son Catholic and he is good about not saying anything negative but will NOT participate in anything, go to mass, etc. So I need a church where I won't feel weird about going alone. This is probably my #1 criteria.

-I know that the Diocese of Arlington is one of the most conservative in the country and I am hoping for a church whose members are not so over the top that I will feel uncomfortable about not having a strong background in Catholic doctrine, a Jewish husband etc. It doesn't have to be "Catholic Lite," necessarily, or even liberal, but I am also not looking to be judged.

-I would love a church with lots of community events, maybe a school, or an active mother's group. My son is 2 years old and I'd love to just be involved with something that would help us meet other moms and kids.

-A dedicated children's mass would be great.

Any recommendations? Thank you!

[Anonymous]

Nativity in Burke on the outskirts of Springfield. We have friends with similar religious backgrounds as your family and they have had positive experiences there. Nativity is a very young parish that focuses on youth and young families.

St. Raymond is very traditional. There are many families that attend this parish; most are what you would consider the traditional large Catholic families. From my observation the average family size there is around four kids. If you are going to church primarily for worship over primarily for fellowship, this is the place to be. Its activities focus nearly 100% on the liturgical aspects of religion as opposed to the social side of religion, so it might not be the best fit for you.

St Bernadette is a very large and bustling parish. If you are from a recent iimmigrant background it might be the the best parish in the area for you. They do a lot of outreach to immigrant families. I remember it to be a very warm and welcoming place to worship when we attended a decade ago.

[Anonymous]

Based on what you said, I would definitely not go to St. Raymond's in Springfield. I go to St. Bernadette's, also in Spfd; it has a school but not a dedicated kids' Mass, as far as I know. The other one that I like is Nativity in Burke; the priest makes a point of saying all are welcome, which I presume is a statement about being inclusive of gay Catholics.

[Anonymous]

Cross the Key Bridge and go to Holy Trinity! Really, it's worth the trip.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Nativity in Burke on the outskirts of Springfield. We have friends with similar religious backgrounds as your family and they have had positive experiences there. Nativity is a very young parish that focuses on youth and young families.

St. Raymond is very traditional. There are many families that attend this parish; most are what you would consider the traditional large Catholic families. From my observation the average family size there is around four kids. If you are going to church primarily for worship over primarily for fellowship, this is the place to be. Its activities focus nearly 100% on the liturgical aspects of religion as opposed to the social side of religion, so it might not be the best fit for you.

St Bernadette is a very large and bustling parish. If you are from a recent iimmigrant background it might be the the best parish in the area for you. They do a lot of outreach to immigrant families. I remember it to be a very warm and welcoming place to worship when we attended a decade ago.

One thing about St Raymond is that we e have released a lot about our Catholic church attending there. The pastor is very old school, but very passionate about sharing the theology of the Catholic church with his parishioners.

That said, I really think that Nativity is what you are looking for. It is wonderful parish for young families such as yours.

Good luck and welcome back. I hope you find the right parish home for your family.

[Anonymous]

Consider Episcopal. In the church I go to, many people -- myself included -- started out life as Catholics and feel much more comfortable in an Episcopal church. Service is very similar, (in some cases more familiar to me than some of the services the Catholic churches have now with the new hymnals and new language) and not a whole lot of judging going on.

[Anonymous]

Our Lady Queen of Peace in Arlington. Very much a welcoming parish and a strong community. You may want to read some of the parish bulletins on the web to get a taste of the church.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote: You may want to read some of the parish bulletins on the web to get a taste of the church.

This is a very good suggestion.

Then visit a few. You might be surprised what speaks to you spiritually when you are actually at Mass. We were!

[Anonymous]

St Charles in Arlington. Agree with suggestion of checking out the bulletins/websites to get a feel for each parish.

[Anonymous]

St Ann in Arlington.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:St Ann in Arlington.

+1. Just got on this thread to recommend St. Ann. Really nice vibe; also people come dressed up and down. The church is very light and bright. Just a nice, welcoming feel.

[Anonymous]

I stopped going to Blessed Sacrament the day the priest called the Affordable Health Care act "the work of Satan" and the congregation applauded. No joke.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I stopped going to Blessed Sacrament the day the priest called the Affordable Health Care act "the work of Satan" and the congregation applauded. No joke.

I don't understand the level of stupidity that brings someone to that conclusion.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I stopped going to Blessed Sacrament the day the priest called the Affordable Health Care act "the work of Satan" and the congregation applauded. No joke.

At least he wasn't hiding.

You've got to know that most priests are thinking the same thing but not expressing it.

Don't fool yourself. There is no such thing as a liberal parish.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Our Lady Queen of Peace in Arlington. Very much a welcoming parish and a strong community. You may want to read some of the parish bulletins on the web to get a taste of the church.

+1 Very welcoming parish. They have wonderful children's programs. There is a monthly kid's mass during the school year, just for young kids and their parents. The one for January is this Saturday. There is also a great education program. The regular 9:30 and 11:15 masses also have a kid's portion where children preschool and up leave the main mass and have a special homily in the kid's room before returning to the main mass.