Excellent Parishes

Excellent Parishes

To those of us who attend it on a regular basis, Our Lady Queen of Peace is a special place. We value especially its welcoming atmosphere, opportunities for lay involvement, and strong focus on social justice. Some parishioners who have moved away from Arlington drive long distances on Sunday morning to continue their involvement with the community.

We know that many other such parishes exist, but they are not always easy to find. We hope that this page will make the search a little easier for those relocating to another part of the country as well as those traveling for business or pleasure. Most of the following are from the book, Excellent Catholic Parishes: The Guide to Best Places and Practices by Paul Wilkes (Paulist Press, 2001). They were chosen because they appear to have many of the same qualities we value so highly in OLQP. There is also a growing number of parishes recommended by people in the OLQP community or by visitors to this website.

The list is far from comprehensive and we can’t personally endorse each parish on it. We each have our own needs and preferences in a faith community. But a visit to a parish website should provide some idea of what to expect, should you decide to make a personal visit.

Arizona

Tucson
Our Mother of Sorrows
1800 South Kolb Road
Tucson, AZ 85710
http://www.omosparish.org/
Source – Excellent Catholic Parishes

California

Palm Springs
Our Lady of Solitude
151 W. Alejo Road
Palm Springs, CA 92262
No website –
Source – OLQP parishioner, who says “This is a small, old church which has a wonderfully welcoming and inclusive and diverse community. During our time there over the course of a couple of months, it was also clear that the gay/lesbian community was welcome and participating. After negative experiences with other churches in Palm Springs, this was like a breath of fresh air akin to what one finds at OLQP.”

Pleasant Hill
Christ the King
199 Brandon Road
Pleasant Hill, CA 94523
http://www.ctkph.org/
Source – Excellent Catholic Parishes

Santa Monica
St. Monica
701 California Avenue
Santa Monica, CA 90403-4005
http://www.stmonica.net/
Source – Excellent Catholic Parishes

South Pasadena
Holy Family
1501 Fremont Avenue
South Pasadena, CA 91030
http://www.holyfamily.org/index.php
Source – OLQP parishioner

Colorado

Arvada
Spirit of Christ
7400 West 80th Avenue
Arvada, CO 80003
http://www.spiritofchrist.org/
Source – Excellent Catholic Parishes

Connecticut

Catholic Community of St. Bridget
80 Main Street
Manchester, CT
(860) 643-2403
http://www.saintbridget.com/
Source: An OLQP parishioner says of this parish “They have a Haiti Committee and seem to have interest in social justice issues. The Masses we have attended seem friendly and not overly ‘stiff’ or ‘formal’ “.

Florida

Winter Park
St. Margaret Mary
526 N. Park Avenue
Winter Park, FL
(407) 647-3392
http://www.stmargaretmary.org/
Source – Excellent Catholic Parishes

Illinois

Chicago
Old St. Patrick’s
700 West Adams Street
Chicago, IL 60661
http://www.oldstpats.org/
Source – Excellent Catholic Parishes

St. Sabina
1210 West 78th Place
Chicago, IL 60620
http://www.saintsabina.org/
Source – Excellent Catholic Parishes

Evanston
St. Nicholas
806 Ridge Avenue
Evanston, IL 60202
http://www.nickchurch.org/
Source – Excellent Catholic Parishes

Louisiana

New Orleans
St. Gabriel the Archangel
4700 Pineda Street
New Orleans, LA 70126
http://www.stgabe.net/
Source – Excellent Catholic Parishes

Maine

Brunswick
St. Charles Borromeo
132 McKeen Street
Brunswick, ME 04011
http://www.saintcharlesbrunswick.org/
Source – Excellent Catholic Parishes

Portland
Sacred Heart/St. Dominic
65 Mellon Street
Portland, ME 04101
http://www.shsdp.org/index.html
Source – recommended by former OLQP parishioner

Maryland

Silver Spring
St. Camillus
1600 St. Camillus Drive
Silver Spring, MD 20903
(301) 434-8400
http://www.stcamilluschurch.org
Source – Excellent Catholic Parishes

Massachusetts

Newton
Our Lady Help of Christians
573 Washington Street
Newton, MA 02458
http://www.ourladys.com/
Source – Excellent Catholic Parishes

Michigan

Ann Arbor
St. Francis of Assisi
2250 East Stadium Blvd
Ann Arbor, MI 48104
http://www.stfrancisa2.com/welcome.htm
Source – Excellent Catholic Parishes

St. Mary Student Parish
331 Thompson Street
Ann Arbor, MI 48104
http://www.stmarystudentparish.org/
Source – Excellent Catholic Parishes

Saginaw
St. Mary Cathedral
615 Hoyt Avenue
Saginaw, MI 48607
No website
Source – Excellent Catholic Parishes

Minnesota

Minneapolis
St. Stephen
2211 Clinton Ave. South
Minneapolis, MN 55404
http://www.ststephenscommunity.org/
Source – Excellent Catholic Parishes.
A St. Stephen’s parishioner, whose mother attends OLQP, adds “I've been to Queen of Peace and I can attest that St. Stephens has a similar vibe. It is an open and accepting community committed to social justice. It has a large and active gay and lesbian community. Lay people (men and women) act as prayer leaders and co-lead masses with the priest; lay people (men and women) give the homilies three out four Sundays a month. It is a very joyful and life-giving place -- which is how I would describe Queen of Peace”.

Missouri

St. Louis
St. Alphonsus Liguori “Rock”
1118 North Grand Blvd
St. Louis, MO 63106
http://www.stalphonsusrock.org/
Source – Excellent Catholic Parishes

St. Louis
Catholic Student Center
Washington University
6352 Forsyth Blvd
St. Louis, MO 63105-2269
(314) 935-9191
http://www.washucsc.org
Source – OLQP parishioner, who says “The Catholic Student Center at Washington University is very active and committed to social justice and service, sponsoring many service trips and retreats every year. The Center is very welcoming of people of all different races, nationalities, and faiths; it fosters an environment of community, acceptance, faith in teaching and education, and love of learning and serving the less fortunate. Father Gary is absolutely wonderful and his homilies are very moving; he has a great talent for speaking to his congregation and affecting their lives with his words. The center, though based at a university, has a great mix of parishioners of all ages; from students at Washington University to families and residents of the local community. The center is also committed to aiding the less fortunate and becoming involved as stewards of the greater St. Louis metropolitan community.

Nebraska

Omaha
Sacred Heart Church
2218 Binney Street
Omaha, NE 68110
(402) 451-5755
http://www.sacredheartomaha.org/
Sources – A former OLQP parishioner and the daughter of a former parishioner both recommended this parish. The former parishioner says “there's a church in Omaha called Sacred Heart. When I attended their 10:30 service I felt I was back at OLQP. They are a warm and inviting community. Their sign of peace takes a good 10 minutes because they greet everyone in church. The parish is located in a predominantly black neighborhood, however the parishioners come from all over the city. The songs they sing are similar to those at OLQP. They are very involved in the local community and have a parish school attended by inner city kids. Their choir consists of 30 members and they have a 10-piece orchestra for accompaniment with a sound board. The church is very old but extremely well known. They have a church garden and they give the produce away to the needy. I definitely would say that Sacred Heart is a mirror image of OLQP.

The daughter of a former parishioner says “Sacred Heart has an incredible parish- much like OLQP- same type of neighborhood, same inclusive nature, and vibrant community. And the music is incredible. Although I now live in Lincoln Nebraska, I travel an hour when I can to get my spiritual fill at Sacred Heart.”

Nevada

Las Vegas
Christ the King
4925 S. Torrey Pines
Las Vegas, NV 89118
(702) 871-1904
http://www.ctklv.org/
Source – Excellent Catholic Parishes

New Jersey

Camden
St. Joseph Pro-Cathedral
2907 Federal Street
Camden, NJ 08105
http://www.sjprocathedral.org/
Source – Excellent Catholic Parishes

Hoboken
Saints Peter and Paul
404 Hudson Street
Hoboken, NJ 07030
http://www.spphoboken.com/
Source – Excellent Catholic Parishes

Upper Saddle River
Church of the Presentation
271 West Saddle River Road
Upper Saddle River, NJ 07458
http://www.churchofpresentation.org/
Source – Excellent Catholic Parishes

Westfield
Saint Helen
1600 Rahway Avenue
Westfield, NJ 07090
http://westfieldnj.com/sthelens/home.htm
Source – Excellent Catholic Parishes

New York

New York City
St. Francis Xavier
55 W. 15th Street
New York, NY 10011
http://www.sfxavier.org/
Source – Excellent Catholic Parishes

Rochester
St. Mary
15 St. Mary’s Place
Rochester, NY 14607
http://www.frontiernet.net/~stmary/
Source – Excellent Catholic Parishes

North Carolina

Raleigh
St. Raphael
5801 Falls of the Neuse Road
Raleigh, NC 27609
http://www.saintraphael.org/
Source – Excellent Catholic Parishes

St. Francis of Assisi
11401 Leesville Road
Raleigh, NC 27613
http://www.sfaraleigh.org/SFA/Home/
Source – Excellent Catholic Parishes

Ohio

Cincinnati
Community of the Good Shepherd
8815 E. Kemper Road
Cincinnati, OH 45249
http://www.good-shepherd.org/
Source – Excellent Catholic Parishes

Cleveland
St. Malachi Parish/Community of St. Malachi
2459 Washington Ave.
Cleveland, OH 44113
http://www.stmalachi.org/
Source – Excellent Catholic Parishes

Pennsylvania

Lansdale
St. Stanislaus
51 Lansdale Ave.
Lansdale, PA 19446
http://ststanislaus-lansdale.catholicweb.com/
Source – Excellent Catholic Parishes

Tennessee

Memphis
St. Augustine
1169 Kerr Avenue
Memphis, TN 38106
No website
Source – Excellent Catholic Parishes

Texas

Austin
St. Thomas More
10205 Ranch Road
Austin, TX 78726
http://www.stmaustin.org/
Source – Excellent Catholic Parishes

St. Louis, King of France
7601 Burnet Road
Austin, TX 78757
http://www.st-louis.org/
Source – Excellent Catholic Parishes

Virginia

Richmond
Church of the Epiphany
11000 Smoketree Drive
Richmond, VA 23236
http://www.epiphanychurch.org/
Source – Excellent Catholic Parishes

St. Bridget
6006 Three Chopt Road
Richmond, VA 23226
http://www.stbridgets.org/
Source – Excellent Catholic Parishes

St. Edward the Confessor
2700 Dolfield Drive
Richmond, VA 23235
http://www.stedwardch.org
Source – Excellent Catholic Parishes

St. Mary
9505 Gayton Road
Richmond, VA 23229
http://www.stmarysrichmond.org/
Source – Excellent Catholic Parishes

Virginia Beach
Church of the Ascension
4853 Princess Anne Road
Virginia Beach, VA 23462
http://www.ascensionvb.org
Source – Excellent Catholic Parishes

Church of the Holy Family
1279 Great Neck Road
Virginia Beach, VA 23454
http://holyfamilyvb.org/
Source - OLQP parishioner

Holy Spirit Catholic Church
1396 Lynnhaven Parkway
Virginia Beach, VA 23453
http://www.holyspiritvb.org/
Source – Excellent Catholic Parishes

Washington

Seattle
St. James Cathedral
804 Ninth Avenue
Seattle, WA 98104
http://www.stjames-cathedral.org/main.htm
Source – Excellent Catholic Parishes

St. Therese
3416 East Marion Street
Seattle, WA 98104
http://www.saintthereseparish.org/
Source – Excellent Catholic Parishes

If you know of any exceptional parishes which belong on this list, please email olqp.office@verizon.net.