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Spiritual Formation

At Chelsea Academy, the Catholic faith is like the air we breathe.

We are a school steeped in the liberal arts tradition, seeking to promote and cultivate in our students the life of the mind and the love of Truth. And we believe that Catholicism is true.

(For more on Chelsea’s educational philosophy, click here.)

As such, Chelsea Academy takes seriously the spiritual formation of its students, and places liturgical and devotional life at the center of the school.

  • All students and faculty open each day together in prayer at the morning convocation, and classes begin in prayer.
  • Students and faculty attend the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass each week on campus at the St. Thomas More Chapel. 
  • Confession is made available on a regular basis.
  • The school calendar reflects the liturgical calendar, with additional in-school devotions throughout Advent and Lent, celebrations for special saints like St. Thomas More and St. Cecilia, and no classes on major feasts. 
  • Students attend retreats & participate in other faith events throughout the year.

In December 2020, Chelsea reached a significant milestone in the spiritual life of the school. His Excellency Bishop Michael Burbidge, Bishop of the Diocese of Arlington, granted canonical status to the school—a public recognition and approbation of Chelsea Academy as an official Catholic school. While Chelsea Academy remains independently governed—receiving no financial support from the diocese—this recognition ensures the school’s fidelity to the Catholic Church and access to the full Sacramental life on campus. We are proud to be the only K-12 Catholic school in the Arlington Diocese.

At Chelsea, we want our students to be confident, and to think rightly about God, man, and the universe. As importantly, we want our students to live the faith, and develop the virtuous habits necessary to stand firmly for their Catholic faith and witness to the joy of Christ in an increasingly confused world.

The upshot is graduates who are unafraid to engage with secular society, and who will become the Christian leaders our culture and our country so desperately need.