Welcome to St. John the Apostle Roman Catholic Church, a growing and diverse parish within the Catholic Diocese of Arlington.

Melding the Antique with the Modern

Our Church of St. John the Apostle has a rich and special history that spans the centuries. From the small, centenarian chapel on King Street to the new towering church across the street, St. John the Apostle blends the antique with the modern in a growing, but still small-town atmosphere.

Chapel of the Immaculate Conception (est. 1878)

The "Little Church" on King Street has been known throughout the years by several names, including its most familiar name of Chapel of the Immaculate Conception, plus Mary of the Immaculate Conception, St. Mary and Our Lady of Lourdes. It first operated as a mission of St. Peter Church in Harpers Ferry, W.Va. Then it was later transferred to a mission of St. James Church in Falls Church.

The plaque in the back of the chapel by James Lucler ⁵ provides a detailed account of our chapel. St. John’s "Little Church" of 1878 was a simple rectangular structure on the corner of King and Union Streets, about 25 feet by 40 feet. It was constructed by Norris and Sons, master builders of Leesburg's historic district, using  simple hand tools, and without electricity. Its capacity was about 80-100 people.

In 1927, after nearly 50 years,  the Chapel was enlarged by extending the back wall out 20 feet and creating room for a sanctuary and two sacristies. Wings were added to the sides, forming a miniature transept, and making room for a few more pews. It was renamed St. John the Apostle at which time it was established as an independent parish.

From 1936-1939, the chapel underwent its most drastic renovations both inside and out. Without changing its 1927 footprint, it was transformed into a historically accurate reproduction of a medieval French chapel, and a soaring Gothic spire was added to adorn its steeple.

Today, Eucharistic Adoration is still held at the chapel. Its intimacy, warmth, and preserved past make it rare privilege to visit.

The Parish Center (est. 1992)

Construction on a Parish Center, located at 101 Oakcrest Manor Dr NE, was completed in 1992. This building served our parish community well into the next decade and beyond. In addition to being a place of worship, it housed the business offices, religious education classrooms, plus a preschool (which unfortunately had to permanently close in 2020). But once again, our Catholic Community had grown proportionally with fast-growing Loudoun County, and the space was outgrown. Overflow from Sunday Masses routinely filled the church narthex and extended into the hallways. When then-pastor Father John P. Mosimann, arrived in 2004, he found a rapidly expanding community again in desperate need of a new space.

The "New Church" (est. 2012)

Overcrowding made building a new church a priority to St. John parishoners for many years. When Father Mosimann arrived in Leesburg he commented, "I found people who were longing to build something beautiful." ¹

According to Joseph Ange, forner parish business manager and a parishioner since 1973, "the property belonging to St. John the Apostle comprises 20 acres, including the parish center, a cemetery, a carriage house used for storage and an old mansion that now serves as the rectory." ¹Just across the parking lot from the Parish Center at 55 Oakcrest Manor Dr NE would be the site for a new church. The architects contracted were the firm of Franck & Lohsen, Washington, D.C.

Ground Breaking, Fall, 2010

Ground was broken for the new church in the Fall of 2010 in the presence of Arlington Bishop Paul S. Loverde. Leesburg Mayor Kristen Umstattd, Loudoun County Supervisor Kelly Burk (D-Leesburg), the project architects and representatives from Whiting-Turner Construction joined church leaders for the groundbreaking ceremony. During the event, Bill Knauer who chaired the Building Committee,  told those in attendance that the design for the new church was guided by four basic principles.

"When we started formulating our church design requirements, we identified 4 guiding principles:

• Incorporate the rich culture of traditional Catholic architecture
• Remember our 130 year Catholic legacy in Leesburg
• Recognize our location as a welcoming gateway to historic Leesburg
• Have sufficient seating to meet the demands of future growth".⁴

Father Mosimann dedicated the construction to the Blessed Mother, and, as a result, parishioners were "raising prayers" ¹ as well as raising funds. The project was funded primarily through a capital campaign. Citations from the generous pledges of the parishoners are permenently etched into the narthax wall. As of mid-January, 2012, it was also reported that the congregation had tallied more than 3.75 million ¹ Hail Marys for the new church! Read Dr. Jane Taylor's  (Retired Preschool Director, St. John's) heartwarming Remarks on the Groundbreaking Ceremony. Another interesting keepsake is the Memorial Program Brochure.

Dedication Mass, August 3, 2012

With a fervent devotion to Our Lady and the tireless efforts of the many dedicated, construction of the new church was completed in August of 2012. The Dedication Mass was held on August 3, 2012 with hundreds of parishoners in attendance. On that joyful day, according to eyewitness Karen Graham, "a procession arrived outside the closed church doors where the keys and legal ownership documents were formally passed to the Bishop" [Loverde], "the principal celebrant. The bishop called for the doors to be opened and led the congregation inside a darkened, bare sanctuary. For the next three hours in a beautiful and ancient tradition, the furnishings were anointed, incensed and consecrated to their sacred purpose as part of the dedication mass."²

Architectural Description

According to francklohsen.com:

"Building upon the rich tradition of Catholic architecture, this new church, with a Latin cross plan, seats 1,100 people and serves as the center of this established community. The architectural style is an American Vernacular with Gothic and Romanesque inspirations. Located on a former prominent estate, this new building faces the grand lawn and the town as well. A soaring tower contributes to the traditional skyline of this historic Virginia town."³ View the pristine photos of our new church on the Franck & Lohsen website by clicking on the camera icon. 

Faithfully Serving a Diverse Community

Today, St. John the Apostle Catholic Church has grown to about 3,300 families and is faithfully served by our Pastor,  Fr. Kevin Larsen, and our Parochial Vicars, Fr. Michael Kelly and Fr. Ed Guilloux. Read about our Clergy.

Weekly, St. John the Apostle celebrates six Sunday Masses and a Saturday night vigil. Every effort is made to serve the diverse needs of our community through our Liturgy. Those who relish the Latin Tradition can attend a Sunday Latin Mass. A Spanish Mass is offered at the Main Church each Sunday.

People of Service

Parish Ministries provide a wide range of home-based as well as outreach services that include an active Knights of Columbus council and a Ladies Auxiliary. The parish has a Religious Education program that welcomes more than 1,000 students each school year under Ms. Diana Solomon, the Director of Religious Education, and Ms. Sara Ginther (CYM).
Dr. Michael Langlois heads a robust music program with multiple choirs.

A giving tree stands in the lobby of the parish center, encouraging parishioners to support crisis pregnancy centers and food pantries. And a monthly food drive for a local food bank is part of the fabric of the parish.

We hope you will explore our ministries through this website and join with us in service!

"A Big Church" that "Doesn't Feel Big"

An article from The Arlington Catholic Herald (Crowe, 2012) makes some remarks that comment on the climate of St. John the Apostle and are worthy of note:

Though St. John the Apostle has grown considerably in the 40 years Mr. Ange has been a parishioner, it remains close-knit, he said. "When we first arrived everybody knew each other, and I think we operated as a holy family," he said. "That's continued on through the years even through we've grown to 2,600 families." ¹

For Ms. Odom, another parishioner, St. John the Apostle is a place she can call home. "It's a big church, but it doesn't feel big," ¹ Odom said. And she has cited the service of our priests for this compliment. The parish addresses the needs of all ages, Odom said. "There's a lot of vitality and lots of things going on," and the priests tie everything together." ¹

References:  ​​​​​

1. Crowe, Gretchen R. "Parish Blends Past with Future- The Arlington Catholic Herald." Catholicherald.com, Catholic Herald, 8 Feb. 2012, www.catholicherald.com/news/local_news/parish_blends_past_with_future/
2. Graham, Karen. "St. John The Apostle Church Holds Dedication Mass on Friday." Leesburg, VA Patch, Patch, 4 Aug. 2012, patch.com/virginia/leesburg/st-john-the-apostle-church-holds-dedication-mass-on-friday.
3. "Franck & Lohsen Architects." Franck & Lohsen Architects | St. John the Apostle Roman Catholic Church, francklohsen.com/index.php/ecclesiastical/st-john-the-apostle/.
4. Sly, Randy. “St. John the Apostle Parish Breaks Ground for New Church - Politics & Policy - News.” Catholic Online, Catholic Online, 7 Oct. 2010, www.catholic.org/news/politics/story.php?id=38624.
5. Lucler, James. "The Evolution of St. John's Little Church, June 19, 2013. View the PDF of the image