Editor's Desk: Continued Growth

By Michael F. Flach
Herald Editor
(From the issue of 11/28/02)

The total Catholic population of the Arlington Diocese (those registered at diocesan parishes) increased by more than 20,000 during the past year, according to figures published recently in the 2003 edition of the Official Diocesan Directory. The Catholic population in the diocese now stands at 382,574.

The largest diocesan parish remains All Saints in Manassas with 17,244 parishioners. St. Timothy Parish in Chantilly is second with 15,347. Moving into the third spot is Church of the Nativity in Burke with 13,205.

It is not surprising to discover that seven of the 10 largest diocesan parishes are located in Fairfax County. Those seven parishes have an average of 12,724 parishioners. In contrast, the seven parishes located in Arlington County have a total of 20,246 parishioners (2,892 per parish). That number includes Holy Martyrs of Vietnam Parish, which is located in Arlington, but actually attracts parishioners from throughout the Washington area. If you remove Holy Martyrs from Arlington’s total, the six remaining parishes average only 2,640 parishes.

The three parishes in the top 10 not located in Fairfax County are All Saints, St. Mary Parish in Fredericksburg (11,271) and St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Parish in Lake Ridge (10,280). Thirty-three percent of the total Catholic population in the diocese is located in the 10 largest parishes.

The number of baptisms increased from 7,995 to 8,858, but the total number of marriages decreased slightly from 1,792 to 1,693.

Catholic education continues its rapid growth in the diocese. St. James School in Falls Church is the largest elementary school with 720 students, followed by St. Mary in Alexandria (687), Corpus Christi in Falls Church (650 at two campuses) and St. Timothy in Chantilly (635).

Seven other elementary schools have at least 500 students: St. Michael in Annandale (500), St. Leo the Great in Fairfax (545), Holy Cross Academy in Fredericksburg (509), St. Joseph in Herndon (573), All Saints in Manassas (520), Our Lady of Good Counsel in Vienna (524) and Aquinas in Woodbridge (550).

Another four schools are near the 500 mark: St. Louis in Alexandria (456), Holy Spirit in Annandale (490), St. Theresa in Ashburn (485) and St. Bernadette in Springfield (496).

The demographic shift to Fairfax County and beyond is clearly evident in the school numbers. None of the largest schools are located in Arlington County, although some students at Corpus Christi school do live in the county. St. Agnes, with 394 students, is the county's largest Catholic elementary school.

Enrollment at all three diocesan high schools is at or near capacity. Bishop O’Connell leads the way with 1,489 students, with Paul VI (1,145) and Bishop Ireton (833) close behind.

It is evident that the two new diocesan high schools planned for Prince William and Loudoun Counties can’t come soon enough. The two schools, which will cost an estimated $50 million combined, will be funded by the proceeds of the ongoing Diocesan Capital Campaign "Rooted in Faith — Forward in Hope."

In addition to containing a complete of diocesan schools and parishes, the 2003 directory has contact information for all diocesan offices, as well as clubs, organizations and societies located in the diocese. The directory’s cover design this year incorporates the Capital Campaign logo, which was created by Father Donald J. Rooney, administrator of St. Mary Parish in Fredericksburg.

To order copies of the 2003 Catholic Directory, call the diocesan publications office at 703/841-2516 or fax your order to 703/524-5028.— M.F.F.

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