Amid 60th Anniversary, Bishop Ireton High School Finishes Chapel Renovations

ALEXANDRIA, VA — As Bishop Ireton High School in Alexandria celebrates its 60th anniversary, the Catholic school celebrated the blessing of its renovated chapel with the bishop last Friday.

Bishop Michael F. Burbidge, who leads the Catholic Diocese of Arlington, provided a blessing of the altar and a Catholic Mass at the renovated St. Francis de Sales Chapel at Bishop Ireton High School.

In remarks, Burbidge called the chapel the heartbeat of the school.

"Here, in the midst of the noise, busyness, and demands of a typical school day, we can be still and quiet in the Lord’s presence," said Burbidge.

Head of School Kathleen McNutt said chapel is a "sacred space" for prayer, sacraments and other religious reflections.

"This renovated chapel will serve future generations of students and thousands of Bishop Ireton stakeholders as a spiritual center and a home of prayer for all who visit," said McNutt in a statement. "How blessed we are to celebrate our Catholic identity in such a profound and tangible way, and how grateful I am to be a part of it."

Originally dedicated in 1967, the St. Francis de Sales Chapel has expanded capacity from 70 to 125 people. According to the school's website, the renovation project provided a new gabled roof featuring crosses on the east and west sides, a bell tower visible throughout the campus, a main entrance off the circle drive, an updated vestibule area, new furnishings including an altar, new stained-glass windows, new shrines and more. The school held a fundraising campaign to help support the renovations.

According to the diocese, enrollment at Bishop Ireton High School stands at 945, with 80 percent of students identifying as Catholic. Originally open to young men, the school has been co-ed since 1990 when the Alexandria-based girls school St. Mary’s Academy closed. The school offers more than 20 Advanced Placement courses and dual enrollment with Marymount University and Northern Virginia Community College. The school is known for being the site of a private concert by Taylor Swift during her rise to fame in 2009.