Bishop O'Connell High School

About Us
About Us
The mission of Bishop O'Connell High School is to provide students an education rooted in the life of Christ and to foster the pursuit of excellence in the whole person.
Admissions
O'Connell Admissions
Find all the information about applying to Bishop O'Connell here, including how and when to visit, deadlines and much more.

Inquiry Form
Academics
Academics
Bishop O'Connell offers a challenging college-prep curriculum that includes 28 AP subjects and 36 honors courses. Our faculty is committed to helping students see their potential and to continue reaching to fulfill God’s plan for them.
Student Life
Student Life
It's always a great day to be a KNIGHT! We yell "D-J-O" which is the full name of our school: Denis J. O'Connell. Our student body of 1,100 is spirited and involved--from our 40+ year tradition of Superdance to find a cure for cystic fibrosis, to our Tuckahoe Elementary School tutors--there's something for everyone.
Campus Ministry
Campus Ministry
Campus Ministry provides opportunities for our students to experience the presence of Jesus in the Blessed Eucharist, to experience His healing power in the sacrament of Reconciliation, and to enter into a relationship with Him in personal prayer.
The Arts
The Arts
Bishop O'Connell has a vibrant and award-winning arts program. Our belief is that the Arts belong to everyone and that our school community will be enriched if every student has the opportunity for self-expression.
Athletics
Sports as a Ministry
The athletics program seeks to use the virtues of fortitude, teamwork, and athletic excellence as a means of drawing students to a personal relationship with Christ, a spirit of service to others, and to develop the habits of mind and body which lead to continued success.
Support DJO
Support O'Connell
The generosity of the Bishop O'Connell community is the difference between a "good" Catholic education and the exceptional experience our students receive during their time here.

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Pro-Life Ministry

Father McShurley and Bishop Burbidge with students at March for Life 2023

Knights for Life

Knights for Life is Bishop O'Connell's student-facilitated pro-life club. The group meets once a week in order to discuss various pro-life topics ranging from abortion to embryonic stem cell research, the death penalty, euthanasia, and any other issue that attacks or otherwise concerns the dignity of human life. They hold various fundraisers throughout the year in order to assist pro-life efforts in the area. In Spring 2023, Knights for Life organized a donation drive on behalf of the MaRiH Center, an Alexandria-based pregnancy care center.

Knights for Life is also very active in the local pro-life community, participating in the annual March for Life and organizing the Pro-Life Assembly every January, and praying monthly outside of a local abortion facility. In 2023, Knights for Life participated for the first time in the Virginia March for Life in Richmond. The club's goal is to be a peaceful and prayerful, pro-life front on campus and in the community.

March For Life

Student participation in the annual March For Life is an O'Connell tradition dating back more than thirty years. Each year, students from Bishop O'Connell make their voices heard in our nation's Capital and stand up for the sanctity of human life.