About Star of the Sea · Virginia Beach, Virginia
Star of the Sea Catholic Church is the oldest Catholic parish in Virginia Beach, Virginia, located oceanfront at 1404 Pacific Avenue between 14th and 15th Streets. Founded in 1915 as a summer mission chapel established by the Basilica of St. Mary of the Immaculate Conception in Norfolk, it grew from 25 founding families into a community of roughly 1,200 families serving year-round residents and visitors to the resort strip. It is part of the Diocese of Richmond (Deanery 2) and operates Star of the Sea Catholic School (PreK-8), a National Blue Ribbon School of Excellence that opened in 1958.
- Established
- 1915
- Patron
- Star of the Sea (Blessed Virgin Mary, invoked under the title Stella Maris)
- Rector
- Rev. Esteban 'Steve' DeLeon (Father Steve)
- Diocese
- Diocese of Richmond (Deanery 2)
Why belong here
Star of the Sea offers an unusually welcoming oceanfront Catholic community that has served Virginia Beach for over a century, with a full range of liturgies including daily Mass, Saturday Vigil, three Sunday Masses (the 10 a.m. livestreamed for the homebound on the 1st and 3rd Sundays), monthly First Saturday Rosary, and a strong Confession schedule. Its ministries are unusually robust for a parish of its size: a deeply rooted Social Ministry (Parish Pantry, Meals on Wheels, Migrant Ministry, Respect Life, Prison Ministry at Virginia Beach City Jail, Living Food Baskets), an active Life Teen youth program, Adult Faith Formation including a Women's Book Club and Men's Faith Formation, and a vibrant Music Ministry with adult choir, youth choir, cantors and instrumentalists. The attached National Blue Ribbon Star of the Sea Catholic School (PreK–8) makes it especially attractive to young families, and the parish's central location on the resort boardwalk makes it a frequent destination for visiting Catholics.
Mass times at Star of the Sea
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- 3:30 PM on the 1st and 3rd Saturdays of the month
- Other times by appointment (contact the parish office)
History of Star of the Sea Parish
Star of the Sea traces its origins to 1915, when the Basilica of St. Mary of the Immaculate Conception in Norfolk established a summer mission at the Virginia Beach oceanfront. Father Philip P. Brennan laid the cornerstone of the original small chapel on June 4, 1915, on land beside Lake Holley obtained from Mr. James S. Groves of the Virginia Beach Development Company. The mission initially served about 55 members and grew to roughly 100 by 1918. The parish was formally constituted as an affiliate of the Norfolk basilica and has served the resort community continuously since then. The church celebrated its centennial on August 15, 2015, with a Mass and a dinner at the Virginia Beach Convention Center — an occasion formally recognized by the Virginia House of Delegates in House Resolution No. 313.
- 1915 — Mission chapel founded by Basilica of St. Mary of the Immaculate Conception, Norfolk
- June 4, 1915 — Father Philip P. Brennan lays the cornerstone
- 1950s — Major expansion under Father Nicholas Habets
- 1958 — Star of the Sea Catholic School opens
- 1995 — Major church renovation
- 2005–2007 — New parish hall completed
- 2015 — Centennial celebration; Virginia House Resolution No. 313
- 2017 — New school administrative wing completed
Faith Formation & Sacramental Preparation
Faith Formation at Star of the Sea provides lifelong Catholic formation from early childhood through seniors. The Christian Initiation (RCIA) program welcomes unbaptized adults, baptized Christians seeking full communion, and baptized Catholics seeking Confirmation, with sessions on Thursday evenings from late September through Easter and reception of the sacraments at the Easter Vigil. Sacramental preparation is offered for First Reconciliation and First Eucharist, Teen Confirmation (10th–12th grade, paired with the Life Teen program), Baptism, and Marriage.
- Christian Initiation (RCIA) for adults — Thursday evenings
- Children's Faith Formation
- First Reconciliation and First Eucharist preparation
- Teen Confirmation (10th–12th grade)
- Life Teen youth ministry
- Baptism preparation
- Marriage preparation
Adult Faith & Family Groups
Beyond sacramental preparation, the parish sustains a number of ongoing adult and family formation opportunities coordinated by the Faith Formation office.
- Women's Book Club
- Men's Faith Formation
- Tuesday Evening Adult Faith Sharing
- Life Teen (teen program)
Music Ministry
The Music Ministry proclaims the Catholic faith through congregational and choral singing at weekend Masses and on feast days and holy days of obligation from September through June. The parish welcomes cantors, an adult choir (rehearses Thursdays 7:00–9:00 PM), instrumentalists, and a youth choir for Grades 3 through 12 that sings at the monthly 10:00 AM Youth Sunday Mass. All adult volunteers (18+) must complete VIRTUS Safe Environment training.
- Adult Choir — rehearses Thursdays 7:00–9:00 PM; sings at 10:00 AM Sunday Mass
- Cantor rehearsal — Thursdays 7:00–7:30 PM
- Youth Choir & Instrumentalists — Grades 3–12; 10:00 AM Youth Sunday Mass monthly
- Coordinator: Grayson Cordova (parish office 757-428-8547)
Social Ministry & Outreach
Guided by Catholic Social Teaching, the parish's Social Ministry is widely recognized as one of the strongest in the Diocese of Richmond. Through prayer, education, action and direct service, the ministry serves people experiencing food insecurity, homelessness, utility shut-off, and migrant-worker hardship on Virginia's Eastern Shore. The parish also maintains a Prison Ministry at the Virginia Beach City Jail.
- Parish Pantry — bag lunches, drinks, desserts, groceries; utility shut-off assistance (Wednesdays & Fridays 9:30–11:30 AM, lunch provided; phone 757-428-1244)
- Meals on Wheels drivers and volunteers
- Migrant Ministry — Eastern Shore outreach
- Respect Life Representative
- Living Food Baskets — partnered with St. John's
- Prison Ministry — Virginia Beach City Jail
- Coordinator: Virginia Mollner
Star of the Sea Catholic School
Star of the Sea Catholic School is the parish's associated school (School ID 30 in the Diocese of Richmond), serving PreK-3 through 8th grade at 309 15th Street, Virginia Beach (phone 757-428-8400; website https://www.sosschool.org/). It opened in 1958 with eight classrooms under the Sisters, Servants of the Immaculate Heart of Mary (IHM) and has been recognized as a National Blue Ribbon School of Excellence and a 2022 Best of Virginia Beach Award winner in the Catholic School category. A 2005–2007 parish-hall addition gave the school access to a state-of-the-art cafeteria and additional classrooms, and a new administrative wing completed in 2017 further modernized the campus. The school continues to maintain its IHM heritage, sending cards to the IHM retirement home at Camilla Hall and receiving classroom and religious materials.
- Grades: PreK-3 through 8th grade
- Founded 1958; original staff: Sisters, Servants of the Immaculate Heart of Mary
- National Blue Ribbon School of Excellence
- 2022 Best of Virginia Beach Award — Catholic School category
- Extended care before and after school by CPR-certified staff
- Phone: (757) 428-8400
- Website: https://www.sosschool.org/
Parish Staff & Parish Council
The parish is staffed by a pastor and a small team of lay coordinators handling business, faith formation, youth ministry, social ministry, music, and parish administration, supported by an elected Parish Council.
- Pastor: Rev. Esteban 'Steve' DeLeon
- Business Manager: Grace Jones
- Parish Secretary: Lisa Stuhlmann
- Religious Education Coordinator: Nancy Liette
- Faith Formation Associate: Amanda Libasci
- Youth Ministry Coordinator: Dani Liette
- Social Ministry Coordinator: Virginia Mollner
- Music Coordinators: Grayson Cordova / Bryce Miller
- Custodian: Denise Rutledge
- Parish Council members: Bruce McCoy, Vince Libasci, Jim Billing, Tim Murphy, Ruth Damaso Neely, Teresa Saulnier, J.P. Igana
Star of the Sea Columbarium
The parish maintains an on-site columbarium at 1404 Pacific Avenue, providing inurnment options for parishioners and their families. Inquiries are handled through the parish office at 757-428-8547.
- Name: Star of the Sea Columbarium
- Location: 1404 Pacific Avenue, Virginia Beach, VA 23451
- Contact: parish office (757) 428-8547
Getting Involved & Safe Environment
All adult volunteers (18+) at Star of the Sea must be in full compliance with the Diocese of Richmond's Office of Safe Environment, including VIRTUS training, before serving in any ministry. The parish welcomes new members and visitors, and registration can be completed online through the parish website.
- Parish registration via staroftheseaparish.com
- VIRTUS Safe Environment training required for all adult volunteers
- Office hours: Mon–Thu 9:00 AM–4:00 PM; Fri 9:00 AM–12:00 Noon
- Contact: [email protected] / (757) 428-8547
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Father Philip P. Brennan1915–1950
First pastor; laid the cornerstone of the original chapel on June 4, 1915; served more than three decades and saw the congregation grow from ~55 to ~100 by 1918.
- Father Nicholas J. Habets1950–1962
Oversaw the construction and 1958 opening of Star of the Sea Catholic School.
- Father Francis B. Bambrick1962–1971
Built the gymnasium that housed additional classrooms, the school office and dining room.
- Father Paul T. Gaughan1971–1981
- Father Raymond T. McIntyre1981–1995
Long tenure spanning the parish's largest period of membership growth.
- Msgr. William J. Sullivan1995–1996
- Father James E. Dorson1996–2002
- Father Kevin J. O'Brien2002–2005
- Father Esteban 'Steve' DeLeon2005–present
Divine Word Missionary priest, ordained Oct. 19, 1985 in the Philippines; first appointed parochial vicar of nearby St. Mark, Virginia Beach in 2004 by Bishop Francis X. DiLorenzo; became parochial vicar and then pastor of Star of the Sea in 2005; first non-Caucasian pastor of the parish; celebrated 40th anniversary of ordination in 2025.