About Our Lady of Loreto Chapel · Pensacola, Florida
Our Lady of Loreto Chapel (also written 'Our Lady of Loretto Chapel') is the Roman Catholic chapel serving Naval Air Station (NAS) Pensacola in Pensacola, Florida. It occupies the west wing of the Naval Aviation Memorial Chapel complex (Building 1982) at 250 Chambers Avenue on the base, and functions as a Catholic parish within the Diocese of Pensacola-Tallahassee. The chapel serves active-duty service members, their families, retirees, and base civilians, offering Sunday Mass, weekday Mass, baptisms, marriages, religious education, and a Catholic Chapel Choir. Its name honors the Holy House of Loreto in Italy — patroness of aviators — and many naval aviators leave a set of aviator wings in the chapel upon graduating from flight training as a tribute and prayer.
- Patron
- Our Lady of Loreto (the Virgin Mary, under the title of the Holy House of Loreto); also recognized as patroness of aviators, builders, and construction workers
- Diocese
- Diocese of Pensacola-Tallahassee
Why belong here
Our Lady of Loreto Chapel offers Catholic service members, families, retirees, and base civilians a welcoming liturgical home inside NAS Pensacola, with two Sunday Masses and a daily weekday Mass. The chapel community supports the full rhythm of Catholic life — baptisms, marriages with required four months of premarital counseling, religious education classes for children, a Catholic Chapel Choir, and spiritual care from an assigned Catholic chaplain. The chapel's special devotion to Our Lady of Loreto, patroness of aviators, and the long tradition of graduating aviators leaving their wings inside the chapel give it a unique spiritual identity tied to naval aviation heritage.
Mass times at Our Lady of Loreto Chapel
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Monday-Friday 11:00 AM — Confessions by appointment (per NAS Pensacola religious programs page)
Adoration times
- Chapels open for prayer and meditation Monday–Thursday 8:00 AM – 4:00 PM and Friday 8:00 AM – 2:00 PM (when not in use for scheduled services)
About Our Lady of Loreto Chapel
Our Lady of Loreto Chapel is the Roman Catholic chapel serving Naval Air Station Pensacola, located in the west wing of the Naval Aviation Memorial Chapel complex (Building 1982) at 250 Chambers Avenue. It operates under the Diocese of Pensacola-Tallahassee and the Navy's Command Religious Program, providing Catholic Mass, the sacraments, religious education, and pastoral care to service members, families, and base civilians. The chapel's patroness, Our Lady of Loreto, is the patron saint of aviators — a particularly fitting patronage for a chapel located on the 'Cradle of Naval Aviation.'
Patron and Heritage
The chapel takes its name from the Holy House of Loreto in Loreto, Italy — the house in which, according to Catholic tradition, the Virgin Mary was born and received the Annunciation, and which was miraculously carried by angels from the Holy Land. Our Lady of Loreto is venerated as patroness of aviators, builders, and construction workers. As a result, a long-standing tradition has developed at NAS Pensacola in which graduating naval aviators leave a set of aviator wings inside the chapel as a sign of remembrance and a prayer request for fellow aviators, past and present.
- Patroness: Our Lady of Loreto (Virgin Mary)
- Co-patrons: Aviators, builders, construction workers
- Feast Day: December 10
- Tradition: Aviators leaving wings in the chapel upon graduation
Worship Schedule
The chapel maintains a steady rhythm of Masses for the base community, with two Sunday Masses and one daily weekday Mass, as well as a Mass on Holy Days of Obligation. Confessions are available by appointment during the week, and the chapel doors are typically open for personal prayer and meditation during business hours.
- Sunday Mass — 8:30 AM (per NAS Pensacola housing chaplain schedule)
- Sunday Mass — 9:00 AM and 12:00 PM (per CNIC NAS Pensacola Religious Programs page)
- Daily Mass (Mon–Fri) — 11:30 AM
- Holy Days of Obligation — 11:30 AM
Sacramental Life
Our Lady of Loreto Chapel celebrates the full sacramental life of the Catholic Church for the NAS Pensacola community. Baptisms are prepared for through required classes held on the third Tuesday of the month at 6:30 PM. Couples seeking marriage are asked to contact the Catholic Chaplain at least four months in advance for premarital counseling. Confessions are heard by appointment Monday through Friday at 11:00 AM, and the chaplains are on call after hours through the Command Duty Officer for emergencies and anointings.
- Baptism — contact Catholic Chaplain; classes on 3rd Tuesday, 6:30 PM
- Marriage — 4 months notice required; Saturday weddings available
- Confession — by appointment Mon–Fri 11:00 AM
- After-hours pastoral care via the Command Duty Officer (850-452-4785)
Religious Education & Faith Formation
Religious Education Classes for Catholic children are offered at the J.B. McKamey Center (Building 634, across the street from NAMC) on Sundays at 10:00 AM during the school year (September–May). The chapel also supports a Young Adult Worship Service on Sunday evenings at the Corry Station Chapel (bus transportation provided from NAS Pensacola), and connects service members with CREDO retreats and excursions.
- Religious Education — Sun 10:00 AM, Bldg 634 (Sept.–May)
- Young Adult Worship — Sun 5:30 PM, NTTC Corry Station Chapel (bus provided)
- CREDO retreats and excursions — (850) 241-6976
Music & Liturgical Ministries
Music ministry at Our Lady of Loreto Chapel is led by the Catholic Chapel Choir, which rehearses weekly and supports the Sunday and weekday Masses. The choir is open to all Catholic musicians on the base, providing both a worship service and a community of faith for those who sing.
- Catholic Chapel Choir rehearsal — Mon 6:30 PM (NAMC); also Wed 5:30 PM, Bldg. 1982
Weddings at the Chapel
Weddings at Our Lady of Loreto Chapel / Naval Aviation Memorial Chapel are scheduled on Saturdays. The chapel is available to active-duty and retired military personnel, reservists while on active duty, and dependent children with a valid ID card. Couples should request a wedding application packet by calling the Chaplain's Office at 850-452-2342, and Catholic couples must also begin the marriage preparation process with the Catholic Chaplain at least four months in advance.
- Available Saturdays only
- Eligibility: active-duty, retired military, reservists on active duty, dependent children (with valid ID)
- Catholic marriage prep: 4 months minimum notice
- Application packet: 850-452-2342
Base Access, Hours & Contact
The chapels (Naval Aviation Memorial Chapel and Our Lady of Loreto Chapel) are normally open for prayer and meditation Monday–Thursday from 8:00 AM to 4:00 PM and Friday 8:00 AM to 2:00 PM, except when reserved for scheduled services. After hours, the duty chaplain is reachable through the Command Duty Officer at 850-452-4785.
- Chapel Office: (850) 452-2341
- Command Religious Program: (850) 452-2342 / DSN 459
- After-hours duty chaplain: 850-452-4785
- Open for prayer: Mon–Thu 8:00 AM – 4:00 PM; Fri 8:00 AM – 2:00 PM