Welcome to our Queen of Apostles Catholic School website.
At Queen of Apostles, we strive to partner with parents to help each
student grow academically and spiritually. As Bishop John Carroll
said in his pastoral letter in 1792: “Who can have so great
an interest and special duty in the forming of youthful minds to habits
of virtue and religion, as parents themselves?” Queen of Apostles
is an active faith community where students, parents, teachers, and
administration are linked to achieve these lofty goals. It is my privilege
as Pastor to be part of this vision and to instruct, visit, and offer
the sacraments to our children. Our children need to have the academic
and technical tools necessary to be successful, but they have an equal need for a firm
foundation in our faith to be able to build a more just world, one which is rooted
in the teachings of Christ. Pope John Paul II expressed this concept very well when
he said that “the future of the world and of the Church belongs
to the younger generation…”
Fr. Vander Woude was born March 26, 1966 in Meridian, Mississippi. He attended school in Marietta, Georgia, until his parents moved to Nokesville so that their seven sons could attend Seton High School in Manassas, Virginia
After graduating from Seton High School in 1984 he went on to graduate from Christendom College in Front Royal, Virginia in 1988. Fr. Vander Woude's priestly formation was begun at Mount Saint Mary's Seminary in Emmitsburg, Maryland. His deaconate year was served as Saint Joseph's Parish in Herndon, Virginia and he was ordained by Bishop Keating in 1992.
Within the diocese of Arlington, Fr. Vander Woude began his priestly assignments by being named the parochial vicar at Saint Mary's Parish in Alexandria from 1992-1994 and was then assigned as parochial vicar at Saint Catherine of Sienna Parish in Great Falls from 1994-1998; Saint Agnes in Arlington from 1998-2001 when he was named Administrator of Saint Elizabeth Parish in Colonial Beach and the Mission of Saint Anthony in Kind George. He was named Pastor of the parish and mission in 2003.
Fr. Vander Woude, an avid sportsman, has been an integral member of "Earthen Vessels", our diocesan priests' basketball team. He also enjoyed kayaking the Potomac River while living in Colonial Beach Virginia.
Bishop Loverde named Fr. Vander Woude pastor of Queen of Apostles Parish in Alexandria in June of 2006.
