From a Boxcar Mass to Two Churches
Saint Mary of Sorrows Catholic Church sits in two places at once in Fairfax, Virginia. The new worship church and parish center are about two and a half miles apart from the original mission chapel at Fairfax Station, and both belong to the same parish. The story begins in 1838, when the Hamill and Cunningham families donated land to the Diocese of Richmond for a Catholic cemetery. In the late 1850s, Irish railroad workers from the Orange and Alexandria line settled at Fairfax Station, and the pastor and assistant from St. Mary's in Alexandria began saying Mass for them in boxcars standing at the depot. Those immigrants became the nucleus of a new parish, and their names still appear on tombstones in the cemetery.
Bishop John McGill of Richmond laid the cornerstone for the first church in 1858 and designated it a mission of St. Mary's in Alexandria. The men of the parish built the chapel on a slight hill overlooking the main road into Fairfax, using rough-hewn lumber from the surrounding woods and a steeple bell bought from a Baltimore firm. The little wooden church was dedicated in 1860.
Clara Barton and the Civil War
Just two years after the dedication, the churchyard became a Civil War field hospital. After the Battle of Second Manassas in August 1862, wounded Union soldiers were laid out on the pews inside the church and on the surrounding ground while they waited for trains to carry them east to Alexandria. Clara Barton arrived with a small group of volunteers and nursed the wounded for three days and nights as doctors operated in the only dry place available, the church itself. She watched from the window of the last train as Confederate troops captured the depot and set it on fire. The experience helped shape her plan for a civilian relief organization, later known as the American Red Cross. A plaque on the Route 123 side of the church grounds honors her service. Most of the soldiers buried in the churchyard were later moved to Arlington National Cemetery; one Confederate grave, that of a man named Kidwell whose family asked that he remain on Catholic ground, is still there.
The 1860 Chapel and Its Clues to the Past
The Historic Church changed little in physical appearance over the decades. A vestibule, choir loft, and new steeple were added in the late nineteenth century, along with a two-story sacristy and priest's room. The original wood pews were destroyed during the Civil War, and tradition holds that the present pews were installed at the order of President Ulysses S. Grant, who often passed through on the train to a Clifton resort and ordered restitution when he learned of the damage. The interior was originally lit by glass-reservoir oil lamps at each window; electric power came about 1927. In 1988 the entire interior was refurbished, and new cypress clapboards and shutters were added outside in 1995. The elaborate white metal baptismal font is in storage awaiting restoration. The steeple bell, a replacement, was cast in Baltimore in the mid-1880s. In 1972, Fairfax County declared the site a historic district and imposed strict zoning around it to preserve its character.
The Historic Church continues to host weddings, baptisms, funeral Masses, and special outdoor Masses, and is one of the most sought-after church sites in the Diocese of Arlington for those occasions. A Memorial Day Mass at the Grotto on the grounds, with the blessing of graves, has long been a fixture of the parish calendar.
Growing West: From Robinson Secondary to a New Church
As Northern Virginia grew, the parish expanded west. The Claretian Fathers arrived in 1969, and the need for a larger worship space led Bishop Russell of Richmond to authorize the purchase of land on Sideburn Road in 1973. A larger worship center was built there, about two and a half miles from the Historic Church, and dedicated on December 19, 1979. The 800-seat Worship Center included the Blessed Sacrament Chapel, Farrell Hall (named for Rev. Richard J. Farrell, CMF, pastor from 1969 to 1981), and parish offices. A two-story south annex added in 1990 brought meeting rooms, religious education offices, and a youth room.
By 1995, the adjacent Mack property on the corner of Sideburn and Zion Roads became available. Bishop John R. Keating of Arlington authorized its purchase, and the parking lot was expanded in 2005. Ground was broken in June 2019 for a new church, designed to be unmistakably traditional Roman Catholic while echoing the historic architecture of Northern Virginia. The new St. Mary of Sorrows Church was dedicated on November 15, 2020.
Mass and Confession Schedules
Daily Mass is celebrated in the new church on Monday through Friday at 6:30 am and 9:15 am. Saturday Masses are at 9:15 am and 5:00 pm (Vigil). Sunday Masses are at 7:30 am, 9:30 am, 11:30 am, and 5:00 pm. Livestreamed and recorded Masses are available on the parish Facebook page, and selected videos are posted on the parish YouTube channel.
Confessions are heard in the new church on Saturday from 3:30 to 4:30 pm, on Monday from 10:00 am until the line ends, and on Wednesday from 6:30 to 7:00 pm.
Adoration and Devotions
All-day Adoration runs from 7:00 am to 7:00 pm every day in the Parish Center Chapel. On First Fridays, all-night Adoration continues from 7:00 pm in the church, with First Saturday devotions the next morning. A weekly Friday Holy Hour runs from 7:00 to 8:00 pm in the church, and the third Friday Holy Hour is devoted to the Sacred Heart of Jesus. Family Adoration is offered in the new church on the third Saturday of the month at 10:00 am, except during the summer months.
The parish celebrates the major seasons of the liturgical year with a Eucharistic Holy Hour to ring in the New Year and the Feast of Mary, Holy Mother of God; the full solemnities of Holy Week and Easter; First Holy Communion and Confirmation in the spring; the Memorial Day Mass at the Historic Church Grotto; the Corpus Christi Procession from the Worship Center to the Grotto; the Labor Day Mass and picnic; the Parish Feast Day of Our Lady of Sorrows, anticipated with Forty Hours of Devotion; and the seasons of Advent and Christmas.
Religious Education, OCIA, and Youth Ministry
The Religious Education program, under Director Aida Willis, works in partnership with parents as the primary educators of their children. Sacramental preparation is a two-year process: First Reconciliation and First Holy Communion typically begin in first grade with the sacraments received in second grade; Confirmation preparation begins in seventh grade with Confirmation in eighth grade. The program includes a Christian Service requirement of one Work of Mercy each month from October through April. Older children and teens preparing for Baptism, First Communion, and Confirmation follow the Order of Christian Initiation for Children (OCIC) and the Order of Christian Initiation for Teens (OCIT).
The Order of Christian Initiation of Adults (OCIA) welcomes inquirers and candidates on Wednesday evenings from 7:30 to 9:00 pm in Farrell Hall, with Sunday Scripture reflection during the dismissal Mass. Initiation culminates at the Easter Vigil with the Sacraments of Baptism, Confirmation, and Eucharist. Deacon David Maurer coordinates the program with Ann Hartmann.
Youth Ministry, directed by Jonathan Rosato with assistant Mary Catherine Brooks, meets year-round in St. Joseph Hall with free food at every event. Sunday Night Live gathers high schoolers from 6:00 to 8:00 pm; Middle School Ministry meets Mondays from 6:00 to 8:00 pm for sixth, seventh, and eighth graders; and high school small groups for guys and girls meet separately on Wednesdays from 7:00 to 8:30 pm. Summer Workcamps and mission trips are organized for older students.
Music, the Eucharist, and the Liturgical Year
Music ministry is rooted in the Second Vatican Council's vision that the purpose of sacred music is the glory of God and the sanctification of the faithful. Gregorian chant is given pride of place in the liturgy, with the pipe organ held in high esteem as the traditional instrument of the Roman liturgy. The Music Director (currently vacant) can be reached at music@stmaryofsorrows.org.
Sacraments: Baptism, Weddings, Funerals, and Counseling
Infant baptisms are celebrated in the new church on the second and fourth Saturdays of the month at 10:30 am, in a communal celebration that may include up to six children. Parents must be registered parishioners, attend a baptismal preparation class on the third Monday of the month, and provide a Statement of Eligibility from the Catholic godparent's home parish. The Rite of Baptism is ordinarily celebrated by a parish priest or deacon, though a Catholic priest or deacon who is a family member or friend may be invited as a guest celebrant.
Weddings may be held at either the Historic Church, which seats 100, or the new church, which seats 1,000. Couples participate in a six-month Marriage Preparation Process. Music planning must begin at least two months before the wedding and be finalized one month ahead; the parish provides an organist and cantor for a fee, with outside musicians only by approval of the Music Director. Two St. Mary's Wedding Church Facilitators are required at each ceremony. Photography and videography are permitted during the ceremony without flash, with additional photos allowed in the church for twenty minutes afterward. Aisle runners, bubbles, rice, petals, and birdseed are not allowed; alcohol is not permitted on the church grounds; the minimum age for members of the wedding party is five. Marriage licenses are obtained from the Fairfax County Judicial Center and brought to the Parish Center office at least one month before the ceremony. Administrative fees are $400 for parishioners and $1,000 for non-parishioners, with additional free-will offerings for clergy, music, and facilitators.
Pastoral counseling is offered by Mary Ellen Ruff, PhD, LPC, ATR-BC, BC-TMH, a licensed counselor with more than 25 years of experience in art therapy and psychotherapy. She sees clients in person and virtually, and her practice covers depression, anxiety, marital distress, addictions, grief and loss, trauma, family relations, career counseling, and personal growth.
A Wide Web of Outreach
Parish Outreach, coordinated by Christina Benedi, is one of the largest ministries of the parish. The St. Mary's Food Pantry, the parish's signature service to the local community, packs bags of fresh and non-perishable food for individuals and families in need and partners with other faith communities and nonprofits serving low-income areas of Alexandria, Lorton, and Washington, DC. Food is available every four weeks by appointment, and donations of canned tuna, chicken, oil, dry beans, rice, pasta, peanut butter, diapers, and other non-perishables can be left in a shopping cart in the Parish Center foyer. A monthly parish food collection takes place on the second Sunday of the month.
The food ministry extends in many directions. The parish's Food for Others team supports the Burke Centre community with five teams of monthly volunteers who pack and deliver food; the St. Lucy Project supports Catholic Charities' food drive across the Diocese; and the Martha's Table ministry collects hundreds of sandwiches on the fourth Sunday of each month and sends a team of adults and teens to deliver warm meals and snacks through McKenna's Wagon in Washington, DC. The Car Ministry accepts donated vehicles for those in need; the Clothing and Coat Drive supports the House of Mercy in Manassas; and the Easter Basket and Christmas Giving programs bring holiday joy to children, families, seniors, and the homeless through local partner organizations.
Other outreach arms include the Gabriel Project for women in crisis pregnancies, Project Rachel for post-abortion healing, the Knights of Columbus holiday food baskets and Lenten Fish Fry suppers, the Hypothermia Shelter, FACETS hot meals, Fairfax Fish, the Lamb Center, SOME (So Others Might Eat), Britepaths, the Respect Life ministries (including the March for Life and 40 Days for Life), the Italian Heritage Society, the Amigos en Cristo Friends in Christ group, the Ancient Order of Hibernians, the Legion of Mary, and the Logs of Fire Charismatic Prayer Group, which meets Wednesdays from 12:00 to 1:00 pm in St. Joseph Hall.
The Knights of Columbus Council 8600 is a longstanding presence in the parish, and the parish's Grief Support Group, which meets weekly for twelve weeks, offers a structured time of prayer and sharing. Consoling Hearts Prayer Ministry prays for the faithful departed and their families. Prayer Shawls are knitted or crocheted by members of the parish and blessed by the priests. Mother's Group, Women's Group, and the Women's Bible Study and Fellowship (Walking with Purpose) gather throughout the year, while a Men's Ministry meets under the name That Man is You!.
Parish Preschool and the Catechesis Atrium
The St. Mary of Sorrows Preschool serves children in a Catholic, play-based, child-centered environment. A new offering this year is Catechesis of the Good Shepherd Level 1 for three- to six-year-olds, a peaceful, hands-on, Montessori-based faith formation experience held in the Atrium. All classes attend monthly adoration of the Blessed Sacrament, and the four-year-old classes attend Mass monthly. The preschool is a Diocesan school under the Office of Catholic Schools, licensed by the Commonwealth of Virginia as a religiously exempt child day center, with a maximum enrollment of 54 children and a 10-to-1 child-to-adult ratio. Parents may request a tour through the parish office.
The Historic Cemetery
The Historic Church sits beside an active cemetery with graves and cremation units available to parishioners of at least one year. The Cemeterian, Kathy Coleman, oversees the grounds, which are open from dawn to dusk every day of the year. Memorials are required to be of gray, white, charcoal, or black natural stone in keeping with the cemetery's character, and all installations must be approved in advance. A virtual cemetery map lets families search for loved ones by name.
Joining the Parish
Catholics living within parish boundaries are invited to register using the Family Registration Form, which can be emailed to registrars@stmaryofsorrows.org or returned to the Parish Center office. The Parish Center reception desk is open Monday through Friday from 8:30 am to 5:00 pm. The mailing address is 5222 Sideburn Rd, Fairfax, VA 22032. The new church is at 10500 Zion Drive, Fairfax, VA 22032, and the Historic Church and cemetery are at Ox Road and Fairfax Station Road in Fairfax Station, VA 22039. The main phone line is (703) 978-4141, with a separate line for after-hours sacramental emergencies.
Pastor Father Thomas P. Vander Woude, Parochial Vicars Father Keith D. Cummings and Father Edwin Seh, and Deacons Nicholas LaDuca, David Maurer, and Jeffrey Meyers form the clergy team. The parish's mission, in the words of its welcome page, is summed up simply: In Christ Through Mary.