Catholics in Charlottesville: where can I find a more traditional Novus Ordo Mass?

My husband and I just moved to Virginia from Texas this past Sunday and we are trying to find a more traditional and reverent Catholic parish in the area.

I’m coming from a Dominican parish in Houston where, even though the Mass was Novus Ordo, the atmosphere was very reverent with incense and bells. Every single person in the church knelt to receive the Eucharist in the tongue, and the priests themselves distributed the Body of Christ. If the church was full, additional priests from the parish would even come outside of their scheduled time to help distribute Communion rather than ever once relying on extraordinary ministers like St. Thomas did. That level of reverence is something I’ve always deeply appreciated.

We attended St. Thomas Aquinas University parish here this past Sunday and while the church itself was beautiful and the community seemed welcoming, the liturgy felt much more casual than what I’m used to. The priest also spent about 3–5 minutes during Mass right before the offertory talking about the church’s financial situation, scheduling, and other logistical matters, which honestly caught me off guard and felt like something that would have been more appropriate for announcements after Mass.

So I wanted to ask: are there any Catholic parishes in the Charlottesville or surrounding area that celebrate a more traditional and reverent Novus Ordo Mass? I’m not necessarily looking for Latin Mass right now, just something that maintains that same sense of reverence for the Eucharist.

Also adding in case it helps with recommendations: I’m definitely willing to drive up to about an hour outside of Charlottesville if anyone knows of a particularly reverent Catholic parish nearby.

Thank you!

Posted Mar 4, 2026, 10:35 PM UTC · edited

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