Catholic | ARLnow.com

After church rebuke of immigration enforcement, Arlington bishop calls for common ground

Published November 20, 2025 at 10:00AM

Arlington Bishop Michael Burbidge (courtesy of the Diocese of Arlington)

Arlington’s Roman Catholic bishop is emphasizing both border security and humanitarian issues after helping to write a rare rebuke of immigration enforcement nationwide.

In an interview on the Diocese of Arlington’s podcast this week, Bishop Michael Burbidge defended the special statement on immigration that the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops approved in a 216-5-3 vote last week — but particularly stressed the need to safeguard national interests while supporting immigrant communities.

News

Arlington parishes seek food donations and volunteers this weekend

By Dan Egitto

Published November 13, 2025 at 11:45AM

Crates of food donations for distribution in Arlington (file photo)

Donation and service events for local families in need are taking place at Roman Catholic parishes across Arlington this weekend.

The projects, part of over 100 events happening in the Diocese of Arlington as part of a “Week of Service,” include food drives, meal-packing events, fundraisers and other efforts to benefit the community.

News

Arlington diocese defies trends and ordains its largest class of Catholic priests in decades

By The Associated Press

Published June 27, 2025 at 11:45AM

Priests and bishops bless the 12 newly ordained priests during Mass at the Cathedral of Saint Thomas More in Arlington, Va., on Saturday, June 7, 2025. (AP Photo/Jessie Wardarski)

By TIFFANY STANLEY Associated Press

ARLINGTON, Va. (AP) — They are a day away from becoming Catholic priests, rehearsing for their ordination Mass under the gothic cathedral’s arches.

News

Arlington bishop chides Trump meme, praises Youngkin’s contraception veto

By Dan Egitto

Published May 8, 2025 at 9:15AM

Bishop Michael Burbidge in 2024 (courtesy Diocese of Arlington)

Arlington’s Roman Catholic bishop is sounding off about President Donald Trump’s social media post depicting himself as the next pope.

In a recent podcast, Bishop Michael Burbidge sharply criticized the president’s recent Truth Social post of himself in a white cassock and miter. He went on to praise Gov. Glenn Youngkin’s veto of the Virginia Right to Contraception Act — but criticized the Republican for approving legislation relating to in vitro fertilization.

News

St. Thomas More Cathedral marks milestone in year-long renovation project

By Jo DeVoe

Published February 23, 2024 at 9:30AM

A cross is installed at the top of the St. Thomas More Cathedral (courtesy Diocese of Arlington)

A custom stone cross was lifted into place on the Cathedral of St. Thomas More along Arlington Blvd this week.

To celebrate the placement of this feature, the highest point of the structure, the Diocese of Arlington held a “capping ceremony.”

News

St. Charles Catholic Church redevelopment proposal descends into planning purgatory

By Jo DeVoe

Published February 16, 2024 at 11:00AM

A drawing of the proposed St. Charles Church project in Clarendon (via St. Charles Catholic Church)

Development plans for St. Charles Catholic Church in Clarendon have descended into planning purgatory.

The brick church, which occupies a large piece of land near Northside Social and George Mason University’s Arlington campus, has assembled plans to redevelop the property with a new church building and parish center, affordable housing and underground parking.

Schools

Enrollment uptick continues for Arlington’s private schools post-Covid, while APS makes a comeback

By Jo DeVoe

Published August 30, 2023 at 11:30AM

St. Thomas Cathedral School

Arlington’s private schools say they are still riding a wave of enrollment increases that started early in the pandemic.

More than three years ago now, Covid lockdowns shut down schools, which reverted to distance learning. That fall, however, local private schools affiliated with a church or the Catholic Diocese of Arlington reopened their doors while Arlington Public Schools continued with virtual learning for most students for the better part of the 2020-21 school year.

News

Cathedral of St. Thomas More in Buckingham to undergo $15M renovation project

By Jo DeVoe

Published June 22, 2023 at 3:30PM

Rendering of the new cathedral (courtesy Diocese of Arlington)

There is a brick, mid-century Catholic church that overlooks Arlington Blvd from a hill, adorned with three stained glass arches and a white cross.

Built to serve a parish, it was repurposed in the mid-1970s and christened the Cathedral of St. Thomas More. Its exterior today belies the building’s significance as the “mother church” for nearly a half-million Catholics across Northern Virginia and the seat of their bishop, Michael Burbidge.

News

Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com

Published August 2, 2022 at 7:30AM

The Italian Store and Westover after sunset (staff photo by Jay Westcott)

House Fire Near Columbia Pike — From ACFD last night: “Units are on the scene of a working structure fire in the 3100 BLK of 15th St S. Avoid the area.” [Twitter]

Will ‘NaLa’ Catch On? — “At first, it showed up on freebie water bottles. Then it made its way onto rainbow shirts for Pride Month. In June, it popped up on Instagram as a hashtag, and in July, it was suddenly plastered on the surfboard and silver Airstream set up in a grassy patch of Arlington, declaring to the commuters, dog walkers and joggers strutting by that their neighborhood had earned a new nickname: NaLa.” [Washington Post]

Around Town

Catching a Friday fish fry near Arlington may require a penitential drive in traffic

By Jo DeVoe

Published March 1, 2022 at 10:30AM

The St. James fish fry in Falls Church (courtesy photo)

Locals looking for a good fish fry this Lenten season will have to cast their nets outside Arlington.

People won’t have to go far to indulge for Fat Tuesday — which is today — whether that’s with King Cake from Bayou Bakery or Cajun food at Ragtime. But getting to a fish fry may involve a drive into Falls Church or Fairfax County.

News

Local leaders weigh in on Russian invasion of Ukraine

By ARLnow.com

Published February 24, 2022 at 9:45AM

Sen. Mark Warner (D-Va.) at an event in Arlington in 2021 (staff photo by Jay Westcott)

Lawmakers and other local leaders and organizations are weighing in on the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

Among them is Virginia’s senior U.S. senator and Senate Intelligence Chair Mark Warner (D-Va.), who echoed the condemnations of the invasion by world leaders. Warner, in a statement, called the situation tragic and said Russia will “pay a steep cost.”

News

Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com

Published February 2, 2022 at 7:30AM

Runners at Washington-Liberty High School in the mist and fog (staff photo by Jay Westcott)

APS Test-to-Stay Date Set — “Arlington County Public Schools, in Virginia, is planning to launch its test-to-stay program Feb. 14, a school spokesman said. The coronavirus testing will initially be offered to students only, for free, at Syphax Education Center from 2:30 p.m. to 7 p.m. on school days.” [WTOP]

Police Probe Particularly Problematic Pothole — “Scanner: Police responding to intersection of Washington Blvd and N. Sycamore Street in East Falls Church for multiple reports of a large pothole damaging passing cars.” [Twitter]