It’s easy to picture the small, stone chapel topped with a Celtic
cross in the midst of the emerald Irish countryside. Instead, it’s nestled next
to the red and yellow bricks of Bishop O’Connell High School in Arlington. The
$3.5 million worship space is part of a $24 million construction project that
has given the school a new atrium, campus ministry center, a turf field and
more classrooms.
Bishop Michael F. Burbidge dedicated the Immaculate Heart of Mary
Chapel July 16. In his homily, he spoke about the mission that animates the
school. “Every day, no matter what subject area, no matter what part of the
building we’re in, we are able to share with our students that Jesus is alive
and with us, to invite them to encounter him, to turn to him in your time of
need,” he said.
“To become, as St. Paul says, living stones — meaning that from
this building and nourished by God’s word and the Eucharist, we become those
living stones who build up the kingdom of God through our charitable outreach
and care and concern for others, especially those in most need, helping them to
see the face of Christ.”
The chapel’s name honors Our Lady and the Sisters, Servants of
the Immaculate Heart of Mary, the religious order that has staffed the high
school since it opened in 1957. Several of the sisters attended the Mass along
with administrators and alumni. “They’ve been there from the creation of the
school and they continue to be an enormous presence,” said Head of School Bill
Crittenberger. “They’re just a tremendous group of women.”
While schoolwide Mass will continue to be celebrated in the large
auditorium, daily Mass, adoration and confession will be in the chapel, which
seats about 160. “Our classes are about 275 to 300 (students), so we can take
each class and have half the class in Mass in the new space, which is just so
beautiful,” said Crittenberger.
Funds for the chapel and campus ministry center were donated by
the eight children of Robert and Elizabeth Murphy, all graduates of Bishop
O’Connell. “O’Connell means a lot to us and it meant a lot to our parents,”
said Bob Murphy, the oldest of the siblings. “Both of my parents grew up in
Washington and most of the members of our family who lived in Northern Virginia
went into Washington for high school because there weren’t any Catholic high
schools in Arlington. Their early commitment to O’Connell allowed all of us to
have a school that was close to home that became very much a part of our lives.
All of us still have close friends who were in our classes when we went to O’Connell.”
When the siblings learned about the capital campaign to improve
the school, the chapel and the campus ministry center jumped out at them as
both a wonderful undertaking and the perfect way to remember their parents.
“The chapel itself is just incredibly beautiful, it’s very simple but it’s got
a dignity and a sacred presence there that is unmistakable,” said Murphy.
“(You) just feel very much at home with the Lord when you walk in there.”
Murphy said he and his siblings were touched when Bishop Burbidge
spoke in his homily about leaving the doors of the chapel open for everyone.
“High school is a lot of fun, it’s a time for new experiences and growing, but
it’s also very challenging,” said Murphy. “To have a place that is there no
matter where you are in your journey and what your problems might be, a place
that is welcoming and open and available to you, either just to sit and pray or
receive the sacraments, that’s just a huge gift to the students.”
