Latin Mass Parishes in the Diocese of Arlington
Background Information
Effective Sept. 8, 2022, Bishop Burbidge has implemented Traditionis custodes in the Diocese of Arlington, imposing heavy restrictions on the celebration of the traditional Latin Mass. Under these norms, only eight parishes are permitted to continue the public celebration of the TLM, out of more than 20 parishes which previously celebrated it regularly.
Of these remaining eight, only three parish TLMs, listed below, are permitted to be celebrated in their parish church buildings. This indult was granted for two years, i.e. ending in 2024, unless it is renewed.
The other five remaining parish TLMs have been assigned to alternate locations outside the parish church buildings, listed below, with no publicly announced end date to their permissions.
*** UPDATE: On July 18, 2024, it became public knowledge that Bishop Burbidge's request to the Dicastery for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments (DDW) for an extension of the indult for the three in-parish TLMs was granted. Therefore, St. Rita, St. John the Beloved, and St. Anthony of Padua Mission will be able to continue to offer the TLM in their parish church buildings until summer 2026, at which point the permission will need to be renewed again. The other five locations, which require no permission from Rome under TC since they are not parish church buildings, will be able to continue as well. ***
*** UPDATE 2: On July 19, 2024, the Diocese of Arlington formally announced the indult renewal, revealing a key condition (officially a "suggestion" from the DDW) attached to it: the three parishes must replace one TLM per month with a Novus Ordo Mass in Latin. (This does not apply to the five off-site TLM locations, which will continue every week as normal.) In homilies preached at St. Rita and St. John the Beloved on Sunday, July 21, it was made clear that these would have to be Sunday Masses, but that the off-weeks would not be the same for all three parishes.
ALMS will work diligently to communicate the dates of these off-weeks. If you have not already done so, please subscribe for our email updates (see the footer of any page on this website) and follow us on social media, especially Facebook. ***
Additionally, these norms prohibit the public celebration of the TLM in the Diocese during Holy Week and the Sacred Triduum.
Public celebrations of the traditional Divine Office are not implicated.
Besides the locations listed below, residents of the Diocese of Arlington may also be interested in options in neighboring jurisdictions: the closest would be the Franciscan Monastery in Washington, D.C., which is a Sunday TLM venue approved by the Archdiocese of Washington; the Priory of the Annunciation in Charles Town, W.Va., which is in the Diocese of Wheeling–Charleston and administered by the Canons Regular of the New Jerusalem; and St. Joseph in Richmond, Va., which is in the Diocese of Richmond and administered by the Priestly Fraternity of St. Peter.
Remaining in the Parish Churches
Sun. 9:15 a.m. sung
Tue., Thu. 7:30 p.m. low
New as of 12/15/23: Fri. 7:30 p.m. Latin Novus Ordo
Mission of St. Elizabeth of Hungary
Sun. 1 p.m. sung
Updated: Mon., Thu. 9 a.m. low
Tue. 7 p.m. low
Fri. 7 p.m. low (sung on feasts)
Feb.–June 2024: 1st Sat. 9 a.m. sung
Moved to Alternate Locations
at Chelsea Academy & the Historic Church
Sun. 8 a.m. sung, 10 a.m. sung (Chelsea Academy)
1st & 3rd Sun. Vespers 3:30 p.m. (Parish Church)
Mon.–Sat. 7 a.m. low (Historic Church)
at Renaissance Montessori School
Sun. 8:30 a.m. low, 12 noon alt. low/sung
Mon.–Fri. 7:15 a.m. low
Sat. 7:30 a.m. low
at Sacred Heart Academy
in the Historic Church
in the Historic Church
* Site maintained directly by parishioners.
Photo credits for banner image and St. Rita thumbnail: Divine Mercy Care.