About St. John the Beloved · Mclean, Virginia
St. John the Beloved is a Roman Catholic parish in McLean, Virginia, in the Diocese of Arlington, serving roughly 4,600 registered families at its octagonal 'church in the round' on Linway Terrace. Founded as a mission of St. James in Falls Church in 1913 and established as an independent parish in 1951, it is home to St. John the Beloved Academy (a pre-K–8 liberal-arts school that earned the U.S. Department of Education Blue Ribbon in 2008) and is known for its reverent liturgy, including a weekly Latin Mass. The parish has produced numerous priestly and religious vocations in recent years and runs an active outreach including a Knights of Columbus council, a Saint Vincent de Paul conference, and a monthly dinner team for Christ House in Alexandria.
- Established
- 1951
- Patron
- St. John the Beloved (Apostle and Evangelist)
- Rector
- Very Rev. Christopher J. Pollard, V.F.
- Diocese
- Catholic Diocese of Arlington
Why belong here
St. John the Beloved offers a full Catholic life in one place: a richly celebrated liturgy with daily Mass (including a weekly Latin Mass), extensive Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament most days of the week, a parish K–8 academy, vibrant youth ministry with summer service trips and CYO sports, and active adult outreach through the Knights of Columbus, Saint Vincent de Paul, the Legion of Mary, and a monthly Christ House dinner team. The parish has produced an extraordinary harvest of priestly and religious vocations in recent years, reflecting a community that actively forms disciples of every age.
Mass times at St. John the Beloved
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Wednesday: After the 8:30 a.m. Mass
- Wednesday: Every hour at the top of the hour from 10:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. (so long as there are penitents)
- Saturday morning: After the 8:30 a.m. Mass
- Saturday afternoon: 3:30 p.m. – 4:30 p.m.
- First Friday: After the 8:30 a.m. Mass
- By appointment: call the Parish Office at (703) 356-7916
Adoration times
- Sundays: 2:00 p.m. – 4:30 p.m.
- Wednesdays: 9:15 a.m. – 7:30 p.m.
- Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays: 7:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.
- A Funeral, Wedding, or Baptism may interrupt or delay the start of Adoration.
Parish History
St. John the Beloved traces its roots to a 1913 mission established by the Carlin family in rural El Nido, served from St. James in Falls Church. The parish was formally established in 1951 and entrusted to the Missionhurst Fathers (C.I.C.M.); the current octagonal church was designed by parishioner-architect Francis Koenig and dedicated in 1956. Subsequent decades saw rapid growth — the opening of a K–8 school, the founding of daughter parish St. Luke in 1961, and an extraordinary bloom of priestly and religious vocations in recent years. The full chronology — from the 1913 cornerstone through Pastor Pollard's 2014 installation — is published on the parish's Parish History page.
Founding and the Mission Years (1913–1951)
In 1912 William M. Carlin gave a half-acre of land in El Nido, Virginia, on the western boundary of his father's property, for a mission church. Bishop Denis J. O'Connell of Richmond laid the cornerstone on September 21, 1913, and Father Amadeus J. Van Ingelgem of St. James parish in Falls Church looked after the little flock. The builder E. P. Carlin built the church in two stages — Masses were first said in the basement while fewer than ten pioneer families gathered — and the Carlins and Peytons of nearby Chesterbrook kept the mission going for decades, with Mr. Carlin keeping a nightly vigil so the Blessed Sacrament could be reserved in the tabernacle. Father Van Ingelgem served until October 1931, when he was succeeded by St. James's fourth pastor, Father Edward V. Mullarkey.
Establishment as a Parish and the 'Church in the Round' (1951–1961)
In October 1951 the mission was raised to an independent parish and entrusted to the Missionhurst Fathers. Its founding pastor, Father Paul R. Cauwe, C.I.C.M., was a Belgian who had served eleven years as a missionary in China and been imprisoned in Manchuria for five years during World War II. With rapid postwar growth, construction of the eight-sided church designed by Francis Koenig began in 1954; Bishop Peter L. Ireton of Richmond dedicated the new building on October 21, 1956. So many families arrived that St. Luke parish on Georgetown Pike was carved off in 1961 to serve northern McLean.
Clergy and Staff
The parish is led by Very Rev. Christopher J. Pollard, V.F. as Pastor, with two parochial vicars and two priests in residence, supported by a business manager, bookkeeper, office administrator, facilities manager, sacristan, director of music, and faith-formation director. Both Catholic Herald and the parish staff page list the team; the parish staff page names Rev. Thomas Azzi, O.P. in residence, while the Catholic Herald lists Rev. Ryan Alemão in residence.
- Very Rev. Christopher J. Pollard, V.F. — Pastor
- Rev. Dort Bigg — Parochial Vicar
- Rev. John Melmer — Parochial Vicar
- Rev. Thomas Azzi, O.P. — In Residence
- Rev. Ryan Alemão — In Residence (per Catholic Herald)
- Mr. Francisco de Brey — Business Manager
- Ms. Theresa Carrescia — Bookkeeper
- Mr. John Balint — Office Administrator
- Mrs. Kristin Crouch — Facilities Manager
- Ms. Phyllis Benson — Sacristan
- Mr. David Lang — Director of Music
- Mrs. Sheila Harrington — Assistant Faith Formation Director
- Mr. Michael Jacobeen — Faith Formation Director & Youth Ministry Coordinator
Worship and Liturgy
St. John celebrates a full daily Mass schedule, including a Sunday Noon Latin Mass and a Wednesday 8:00 p.m. Latin Ordinary Form Mass, alongside extensive Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament most days of the week. Communion is also brought to those listening from the vestibule or outside immediately after Mass. The Rodgers hybrid three-manual organ installed in 2005 underpins the parish's reputation for reverent liturgy.
Faith Formation and Religious Education
The parish runs the full arc of Catholic formation — from a parish academy through children's Religious Education, home-school support, and the Order of Christian Initiation of Adults (OCIA) — supplemented by recommended resources and a parish-run apostolate called Tough Topics for engaging difficult cultural questions.
St. John the Beloved Academy
Founded in 1954 as St. John's Grade School (K–4), the school expanded to K–8 by 1958, peaked at 1,200 students in 1965, was renamed St. John the Beloved Academy in 2006, and earned the U.S. Department of Education Blue Ribbon School of Excellence in 2008. It is a co-educational Catholic liberal-arts school in the Diocese of Arlington serving preschool through eighth grade under headmaster Jeffrey P. Presberg, with the motto 'Fides, Scientia, et Gaudium' (Faith, Knowledge, and Joy).
- Address: 6422 Linway Terrace, McLean, VA 22101
- Phone: (703) 356-7554
- Website: stjohnacademy.org
- Motto: 'Fides, Scientia, et Gaudium' (Faith, Knowledge, and Joy)
- Blue Ribbon School of Excellence 2008
- Supported historically by the Religious of the Sacred Heart of Mary (1954–1973) and the Sisters of Notre Dame (1973–1993)
Children's Religious Education and OCIA
Children's Faith Formation, Home-School resources, and the OCIA (formerly RCIA) for adults are all listed under the parish's 'Learn the Faith' hub, alongside links to Formed.org, The Word Bookstore, and Choosing a Catholic College.
Youth Ministry
St. John's youth ministry, led by Faith Formation Director Michael Jacobeen, focuses on Encountering Christ and lifelong discipleship. Programs include summer WorkCamp home-repair service trips (June 20–26, 2026), Summer Swing Dance Nights for rising high schoolers, and the annual Kings Dominion Day with Bishop Burbidge at St. Mary's in Fredericksburg. CYO sports (basketball November–March, girls' volleyball in spring) are open to academy students and Religious Education enrollees. The parish also founded the Tough Topics apostolate (www.toughtopics.life) for apologetics on gender identity, abortion, and same-sex attraction.
- WorkCamp 2026 (June 20–26)
- Summer Swing Dance Nights for rising high schoolers
- Kings Dominion Day (with Mass at St. Mary's Fredericksburg)
- CYO Basketball (Nov–Mar) and Girls' Volleyball (spring)
- Tough Topics apologetics program
Outreach and Charitable Works
The 'Be an Apostle' outreach arm of the parish channels parishioners into several concrete ministries: a Knights of Columbus council, a developing Saint Vincent de Paul conference, a monthly dinner team serving the Christ House shelter in Alexandria, SHARE of McLean, and the Legion of Mary.
- Knights of Columbus Council 11806 — meets first Thursday of the month; Grand Knight Gil Perez (703) 622-1229
- Saint Vincent de Paul Society — parish conference being established; contact [email protected]
- Christ House — 2nd Friday monthly dinner team serving 65–75 guests at the Catholic Charities shelter in Alexandria
- SHARE of McLean
- Legion of Mary
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Rev. Paul R. Cauwe, C.I.C.M.1951–
Founding pastor; Belgian missionary, imprisoned in Manchuria 5 years in WWII.
- Rev. Henry E. Hammondfrom 1967
Second pastor; built the convent at 1600 Carlin Lane for the sisters.
- Rev. Ley1993
Appointed Mrs. Christine Wells as first lay principal.
- Rev. Jerome Daly1994–2000
Renovated Carlin Hall and built the gymnasium.
- Rev. Ed Hathawaycirca 2000–2005
Five-year tenure; transformed Carlin Hall into Parish Office, continued sanctuary renovation, hired Peter Schultz as Headmaster of St. John Academy.
- Rev. Franklyn McAfee2005–
Oversaw installation of Rodgers organ (2005); added weekly Latin Mass; later named Pastor Emeritus.
- Rev. Paul Scaliafrom 2009
Came to St. John in 2009 under Father McAfee.
- Very Rev. Christopher J. Pollard, V.F.2012–present
Arrived 2012; installed as Pastor in 2014.