About St. Andrew the Apostle · Clifton, Virginia
St. Andrew the Apostle is a Roman Catholic parish in Clifton, Virginia, in the Diocese of Arlington. Established in 1989 by Bishop John Richard Keating, it serves more than 5,200 registered families in the western Fairfax County area. The parish is known for the reverence of its liturgies, an active music ministry anchored by a 2020 pipe organ, and a robust PreK-8 parish school. It offers daily and Sunday Mass (including a Latin Novus Ordo Mass), daily Eucharistic Adoration, a full schedule of confession times, and a wide range of ministries from Youth Ministry to the Respect Life apostolate and Knights of Columbus Council 10947.
- Established
- 1989
- Patron
- St. Andrew the Apostle
- Rector
- Rev. Robert J. Wagner
- Diocese
- Diocese of Arlington
Why belong here
St. Andrew the Apostle is a vibrant, 5,200-family parish that reverently celebrates the Mass — including a Sunday Latin Novus Ordo and a daily schedule with six daily Masses a week, daily Eucharistic Adoration, and four weekly confession times. Parishioners of all ages find a home here: a PreK-8 parish school, an active Youth Ministry, the Knights of Columbus Council 10947, a Respect Life ministry, OCIA/OCIC sacramental preparation, men's and women's prayer groups, Legion of Mary, a contemporary and traditional choir with a 2020 pipe organ, and outreach through the Giving Tree, the annual Thanksgiving food drive (200+ families), the '40 cans of Lent' St. Lucy Food Project drive, and the parish school 'Crusader Cupboard.' It's a place to pray, be formed, and serve.
Mass times at St. Andrew the Apostle
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Tuesday: 11:45 AM – 12:15 PM
- Thursday: 11:45 AM – 12:15 PM
- Wednesday: 7:00 PM – 7:45 PM
- Saturday: 3:30 PM – 4:30 PM
- First Friday: following the 9:00 AM Mass
- First Saturday: 8:00 AM – 8:45 AM
- Weekly confessions for the school students
- Additional opportunities during Advent and Lent
Adoration times
- Monday: 9:30 AM – 12:00 PM and 12:30 PM – 9:00 PM
- Tuesday: 9:30 AM – 9:00 PM
- Wednesday: 9:30 AM – 8:00 PM (concurrent with 7 PM confessions)
- Thursday: 9:30 AM – 9:00 PM
- Friday: 9:30 AM – 7:00 PM
- First Friday: 7:00 AM (after the 6:30 AM Mass) and 9:30 AM (after the 9:00 AM Mass)
History of St. Andrew the Apostle
Founded in 1989 by Bishop John Richard Keating with Msgr. John Patrick Hannan as pastor, the parish grew up in temporary worship spaces — the Town of Clifton firehouse, then the Centreville firehouse, then Centreville High School — while its own campus took shape. The new church was dedicated April 3, 1993, and the first Sunday Masses in the finished church were celebrated the next day, Palm Sunday. Successive pastors Fr. Jerome Fasano (1997–2007) and Fr. John Kelly (2007–2015) deepened the parish's identity with stained-glass Rosary windows and statues of saints, plus a family-style culture marked by the annual parish picnic and Lenten soup suppers. In 2020, the parish dedicated a new pipe organ and welcomed its fifth pastor, Fr. Robert Wagner. The Knights of Columbus Council 10947 (Father Julius J. Cilinski Council) has been a continuous presence since the founding years.
- 1989: Parish established by Bishop John Richard Keating
- Founding pastor: Msgr. John Patrick Hannan
- April 3, 1993: church dedicated; first Sunday Masses April 4, 1993 (Palm Sunday)
- Pastors: Msgr. Hannan → Fr. Jerome Fasano (1997–2007) → Fr. John Kelly (2007–2015) → (gap) → Fr. Robert J. Wagner (2019–present)
- September 2020: Pipe organ Opus 762 dedicated
Mass and Liturgy
The parish offers a rich daily and Sunday schedule, including a Latin Novus Ordo Mass every Sunday at 10:30 AM and a Latin Novus Ordo daily Mass on Wednesdays at 8:00 PM. The contemporary choir sings at the 9:00 AM Sunday Mass and the traditional choir at the 10:30 AM Latin Mass. The parish is widely noted for the reverence of its liturgy and the unusually large number of active altar boys serving the altar.
- Sunday: 7:30 AM, 9:00 AM, 10:30 AM (Latin Novus Ordo), 12:30 PM
- Saturday Vigil: 5:30 PM
- Daily: Mon–Fri 6:30 AM and 9:00 AM
- Monday also at 12:00 PM; Wednesday also at 8:00 PM (Latin Novus Ordo)
- First Friday: additional 7:00 PM Mass
Parish Staff & Clergy
The parish is led by a pastor, two parochial vicars, a priest in residence serving the local Syro-Malabar Catholic community, and a transitional deacon. A staff of directors oversees Music Ministries, Religious Education, Youth Ministry, and parish operations.
- Rev. Robert J. Wagner — Pastor
- Rev. Joseph B. Townsend — Parochial Vicar
- Rev. Charles C. Wilton — Parochial Vicar
- Rev. Nicholas Thalakkottur — In Residence (Pastor, St. Jude Syro-Malabar Mission)
- Deacon Mark S. Sobczynski (also sacristan; in formation for the permanent diaconate)
- Mike Murphy — Director of Music Ministries
- Patty Laing — Director of Religious Education and of the Contemporary & Children's Choirs
- Bethany Rogers — Director of Youth Ministry
- Suzi Mauk — Business Officer
- Terri Kelly — Parish Office Manager
- Trish Burkat — Parish Secretary
- Claudia Lopez — Parish Secretary
Faith Formation & Religious Education
Religious Education for parish children runs through the OCIC (grades 3–8) on Thursday evenings 5:00–6:30 PM and OCIT for high-school students on Wednesday evenings 5:30–7:00 PM, both September through May. First Holy Communion is a two-year process starting in first grade, with First Communion traditionally received the first weekend of May in second grade. Adults seeking baptism or sacraments join OCIA on Monday evenings at 7:00 PM in the Padre Pio Room, running September through Easter.
- OCIA (adults) — Mondays 7:00 PM, Padre Pio Room
- OCIC (children grades 3–8) — Thursdays 5:00–6:30 PM
- OCIT (high school) — Wednesdays 5:30–7:00 PM
- First Holy Communion — two-year program beginning in 1st grade
- Director: Patty Laing (703-817-1773)
St. Andrew the Apostle Catholic School
The parish school, established in 1989 alongside the parish, serves PreK through 8th grade and includes a resource program. Total enrollment stands at approximately 219 students. The school has its own Crusader Cupboard food drive supporting local charities and an annual Lenten drive for the Lamb Center in Fairfax.
- Principal: Mary Baldwin
- Grades: PreK–8 (with resource program)
- School Office: 703-817-1774
- Email: [email protected]
- Web: standrew-clifton.org
Music Ministries and the Pipe Organ
Music is a hallmark of the parish. The contemporary choir leads the 9:00 AM Sunday Mass and the traditional choir leads the 10:30 AM Latin Novus Ordo Mass, with children's choirs directed by Patty Laing. The 2020 pipe organ — Opus 762, three manuals, 51 ranks, 2,891 pipes — supports the liturgical celebrations and is showcased in an annual concert series featuring visiting musicians.
- Mike Murphy — Director of Music Ministries
- Opus 762 pipe organ dedicated September 2020
- Annual organ concert series
Youth Ministry
St. Andrew's Youth Ministry provides middle- and high-school teens a social and spiritual setting to grow in faith. Activities include a 'homeless campout' awareness experience, a summer work camp, monthly worship-music nights, paintball and other outings, and the making of homemade prayer cards for homebound parishioners.
- Director: Bethany Rogers ([email protected])
- Annual summer WorkCamp
- Service projects with homebound parishioners
Outreach & Charitable Works
Outreach is woven into parish life year-round. Each Advent the Giving Tree supplies gifts and basic necessities to House of Mercy, St. Margaret of Cortona Transitional Housing, and Mary's Shelter. Food and dry goods are donated to Western Fairfax Christian Ministries and the Catholic Charities St. Lucy Food Project. The Knights' Thanksgiving Food Drive provides 200+ holiday dinners, and the parish-wide '40 cans of Lent' benefits the St. Lucy warehouse. The parish school runs the 'Crusader Cupboard' and an annual Lenten donation drive for the Lamb Center.
- Advent Giving Tree
- Thanksgiving Food Drive (200+ families)
- '40 cans of Lent' — St. Lucy Food Project
- Western Fairfax Christian Ministries
- Lamb Center, Fairfax (Lenten drive)
Respect Life Apostolate
The Respect Life ministry organizes bus transportation for parishioners, family, and friends to attend the annual March for Life in Washington, D.C. The ministry prays each Saturday outside the abortion clinic in Falls Church and coordinates the parish's participation in the Manassas Life Chain on Respect Life Weekend each year.
- March for Life bus each January
- Weekly Saturday prayer in Falls Church
- Manassas Life Chain on Respect Life Weekend
Knights of Columbus Council 10947
The parish's Knights of Columbus council, named after Father Julius J. Cilinski, meets on the first Tuesday of the month at 7:30 PM and supports the parish through the Pancake Breakfast (monthly after morning Sunday Masses), the Thanksgiving Food Drive, the '40 cans of Lent' drive, Bikes for the World, the annual Memorial Mass for Father Cilinski, the Founders Day Dinner and Golf Outing, and more. The council erected outdoor Stations of the Cross and the Memorial for the Unborn on the parish grounds and supports Virginia 'Choose Life' license plates.
- Monthly Pancake Breakfast
- Thanksgiving Food Drive
- Bikes for the World collection
- Outdoor Stations of the Cross
- Memorial for the Unborn
Prayer Groups and Devotional Life
Beyond the Mass and Eucharistic Adoration, the parish hosts a weekly Men's Prayer Guild (Wednesdays after the 6:30 AM Mass in the Padre Pio Room), a Legion of Mary praesidium, a Catholic in Recovery meeting on Tuesday evenings, a Book Club with Luke Helbling, and 'Walking with Purpose,' a women's Bible study launched in Lent 2022.
- Men's Prayer Guild
- Legion of Mary (Tuesday evenings)
- Catholic in Recovery
- Walking with Purpose women's Bible study
- Book Club
Visit, Contact & Getting Involved
Parish Office summer hours (June 15 – August 18) are Monday–Friday 9:00 AM – 1:00 PM. The parish invites newcomers to learn about ministries through the website, weekly bulletin, and annual Ministry Fair, and to register using the forms available on the website, in the church vestibule pamphlet rack, or at the Parish Office.
- Address: 6720 Union Mill Road, Clifton, VA 20124
- Phone: (703) 817-1770
- Email: [email protected]
- Religious Ed: (703) 817-1773
- School: (703) 817-1774
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Msgr. John Patrick Hannan1989–1997
Founding pastor; oversaw construction of the church and also administered mission parish St. Clare of Assisi until it became a parish in 1996.
- Rev. Jerome Fasano1997–2007
During his tenure the sanctuary was beautified with Rosary stained-glass windows and statues of saints in the niches above the altar.
- Rev. John Kelly2007–2015
Strengthened the parish family spirit; started the annual parish picnic and Lenten soup suppers.
- Rev. Robert J. Wagner2019–present
Assigned as parochial administrator November 2019; installed as fifth pastor by Bishop Michael F. Burbidge in July 2020; expanded daily Mass, Eucharistic Adoration, and confession schedule.