Anyone in Northern Virginia DC

[FockeWulf]

I'll be moving to the area. I'm looking for Traditional parishes, SSPX chapels, and fellow Traditional Catholics in the area. Anyone nearby?

[ResRev]

I'm not very far and I occasionally go to parishes in the Arlington Diocese. So far we've only gone to the Diocesan TLMs there, there are quite a few, but I've been thinking about starting to go to St Athanasius (Independent, afaik) in Vienna. I'm sorry I can't give you more information about it!

[Stu Cool]

I live in Northern Virginia.  As ResRev says, there are some Diocesan TLMs which is the only ones that I have been to.  I know where St. Athanasius is that she mentioned but have never been. 

[zork]

I've been to St. Athanasius before. Fr. Ringrose is (or was) Pastor there. An SSPX priest was conducting the mass I went to, however, which I found interesting. Nice church, but tiny.

[FockeWulf]

I had a friend who used to attend there. I found an SSPX chapel in NoVa not too far away, and there's a Diocesan TLM in DC as well. I'll be right outside of DC, so anything in that area is best.

How are the Masses in the parishes you've attended?

[Stu Cool]

We went to Old St. Mary Mother of God today which is at 9.  It is a healthy sized Mass.  It was an old indult Mass before SP so it has some history (Patrick Buchanan attends regularly and I've seen Justice Scalia there).  They do Confession before Mass, First Saturday, and Holy Days.

We also attention Holy Trinity in Gainesville, VA which is where we were married and our daughters have been baptized.   It is closer to us but the Mass is at 12:30 so it takes a backburner to the N.O. 

We have also gone to St. John the beloved which is in McLean, VA (close to St. Athanasius).  That is at 12 and they normally do Holy Days as well. 

I should add that rubrics wise, Old St. Mary's does a good job.  They also rotate between High and Low Masses (except during the summer).

[ResRev]

We go to Old St Mary's on 1st Saturdays, never on Sundays, though. St Lawrence the Martyr has always been a fairly quiet low Mass every time we've gone (Sundays), pretty similar to what I'm used to at my usual parish. St John in McLean has more High Masses than any other I've been to and the choir is impressive. Pretty unusual for the area, from my limited experience. The congregation seems active and involved from the very, very few amount of times I've attended.

[aquinas138]

I just moved from the area a couple of years ago; I think the better-known options have been mentioned. There is a Yahoo! Group that emails the schedule for diocesan TLMs; you might find the email list helpful, especially for Holy Day Masses, when the schedules can be wonky.

[Christopher McAvoy]

The best option is the Priory of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary in Charles Town, WV, where it is dedicated exclusively towards this form, has monastic spirituality, outstanding patristic homiletics and the nicest sung masses of any of the other ones mentioned.  This is easier to get to if you live in Montgomery County, north of Fairfax. It is exactly one hour distance from Bethesda. I'm sorry to say that not one of the other masses can compare to it, with the exception of the SSPX mission in Falls Church, VA which is only once a month, it is the closest to a healthy SSPX chapel as one could find, as its prior was trained in Econe and speaks fluent french.

[FockeWulf]

Thanks everyone. They all sound like good choices and I plan on visiting a most of the ones that were listed. I appreciate the info.

[Sockpuppet]

There is also a diocesan TLM at Saint John the Apostle in Leesburg.

[Christopher McAvoy]

Yeah, the Leesburg, VA Church and Gainesville, VA Churches are fairly nice resources for the TLM actually, but their time schedule is later in the day and they very rarely hold sung masses (apparently Im one of the few who cares if it is a sung mass).

I guess since I have participated in it, i have to mention St Francis de Sales on Rhode Island Ave, in Washington, DC close to Hyattesville, MD. They have the Mass at 10:30 every Sunday and they have sung mass twice a month with a goal of making it every month eventually. Personally - though he is a very good man - I find that the priest saying this mass rushes through it at the speed of light when it is a low mass, which makes it hard for me to pray. So although I endorse it I am not fully satisfied with it. Nevertheless, who can beat 10:30 as a time. We need more 10 AMish latin masses near DC. Thats the time that normal people like to attend mass. By all means we need more regular people to view the trad mass as a convenient option.

Anyway, as soon as the SSPX mission holds missa cantatas every Sunday, I predict they will gain a large amount of new people.  They have the strongest community of people who care about and talk to each other. Churches need more of that, especially in this particular area of power/money oriented people. It brings back the value to the things that matter most, the gifts God bestows on us for free. Whenever the seminary is fully established it will begin holding mass every Sunday.

[Arun]

i worked for some Brethrens once, and they had a contractor come in from Virginia. we talked at lunch, cos of course Brethrens aren't allowed to eat with non-Brethrens so any non-Brethrens end up in the one donko...

West Virginia sounds like a real good place for me. all except i'm kinda brown and inked up all over, and its in America... but like the hunting and everything sounds good there. lol.

[Elizabeth]

The best option is the Priory of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary in Charles Town, WV, where it is dedicated exclusively towards this form, has monastic spirituality, outstanding patristic homiletics and the nicest sung masses of any of the other ones mentioned.  This is easier to get to if you live in Montgomery County, north of Fairfax. It is exactly one hour distance from Bethesda. I'm sorry to say that not one of the other masses can compare to it, with the exception of the SSPX mission in Falls Church, VA which is only once a month, it is the closest to a healthy SSPX chapel as one could find, as its prior was trained in Econe and speaks fluent french.

The SSPX mission is moving to twice a month; check the website and get on the email list.
The BEST Confessors, ever, IMO.

Charlestown sounds wonderful, from what you and others say.  Is there anything besides the racetrack to do afterward if one makes the trek?

Oh, another is in King George at 1:30.  We went there a couple of times and it seemed to have an especially holy spirit.

[Elizabeth]

I'll be moving to the area. I'm looking for Traditional parishes, SSPX chapels, and fellow Traditional Catholics in the area. Anyone nearby?

Welcome  Wishing you the very best!