Local

A ‘firm foundation of faith’

Gretchen R. Crowe | Catholic Herald

At St. William of York Church in Stafford, priests and community work together to create an “authentic Catholic culture.”

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St. William of York Church was dedicated on May 6, 1956, as a mission of St. Mary Church in Fredericksburg.

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The newly renovated interior of St. William of York Church features wooden walls, stone floors and a new altar.

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A statue of St. William of York stands in a side chapel in the church.

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“An authentic Catholic culture.”

It sounds pretty straightforward, but that’s what Father
Robert J. DeMartino, pastor of St. William of York Parish in
Stafford
, is trying to create within his parish
community.

“Everything about St. William of York from the moment you get
on the property should help us all move toward that final end
of union with Christ,” Father DeMartino said in a recent
interview. “We have to be in union with the Holy Father, the
bishop, adhere to all the teachings of the Church. We have to
celebrate the sacraments frequently, reverently and well. We
have to be committed to excellence in preaching. In our
school we have to make sure that we are truly forming our
children for Christ.”

And boy, are people on board.

Parishioners praise their pastor and parochial vicar, Father
Jerome A. Magat, for their in-sync preaching, creation of
parish harmony and continuous formation of parishioners in
the Faith. Rite of Christian Initiation of Adult (RCIA)
classes, geared toward the faith formation of non-Catholics,
are attended widely by cradle Catholics. Every moment is a
teaching moment – either in word or by example.

The priests stress the importance of “the little things,”
said Rich Davis, business administrator. Proper dress for
Mass, arriving and leaving at the appropriate times, and
reverence for the Eucharist make the top of the list.

“Father seems to try to include everything in terms of
forming people,” Davis said.

Father DeMartino said the goal is a “firm, solid foundation”
of faith – a place where “the pope or the saints could walk
in, breathe the air and say, ‘this is what it should be.'”

Faith formation opportunities include Bible studies, adult
education, RCIA classes, religious education and the Rite of
Christian Initiation for Children. Other parish ministries
include a Catholic Youth Organization, altar serving
ministry, Cub, Boy and Girl Scouts, Legion of Mary, music and
pro-life ministries, and young adult and senior ministries.

Though St. William of York was officially founded in 1971,
the history of the Catholic community in Stafford County
began well before then. According to a history of the
Arlington Diocese compiled by Anthony D. Andreassi and a
parish history from the St. William of York website, the
origins of Catholics in the area date to the mid-17th century
and the famed Brent family, “the leading Catholic family of
Virginia during colonial times.”

In 1897, a cemetery dating back to the time of the Brents was
discovered. During the 1920s, then-Richmond Bishop Denis J.
O’Connell bought the land that included that cemetery and
tasked the Richmond Catholic Women’s Club with its
restoration. A wall was built and altar erected, and the
first field Mass, which continues annually to this day, was
celebrated in the cemetery on Oct. 6, 1929. A large crucifix,
which still stands on U.S. Route 1, was raised in 1930.

Without a formal church, Mass was celebrated in family homes
until 1943, when St. Therese Mission church at Midway Island,
near Quantico, was built to serve local military personnel
and their families. Visiting priests from St. Mary of the
Immaculate Conception Church in Fredericksburg celebrated the
sacraments at St. Therese until St. William of York Church
was dedicated on May 6, 1956, as a mission of St. Mary.

Fifteen years later, in 1971, St. William of York was
established as an independent parish with Father John S.
Wysocki as its first pastor. The parish grew from an initial
25 families to its now 7,704 registered parishioners. A
school opened in 1992, which now serves 226 students under
the director of Frank P. Nicely, principal. Sisters from the
Franciscan Missionary Sisters of the Infant Jesus served at
the parish from 1998 to 2010.

(See stories on the sisters’ work
and their departure.)

Fathers DeMartino and Magat both arrived in 2008, replacing
Father David P. Meng, pastor, and Father Andrew J. Heintz,
parochial vicar.

As the only Catholic Church in the 280 square miles of
Stafford County, St. William of York works hard to minister
to three nursing homes, two jails, a hospital and the
constant needs of parishioners. So Father DeMartino doesn’t
have to keep stressing financial needs to the parishioners –
a constant challenge – volunteers help keep the parish
running. The Father Widmer Council of the Knights of Columbus
recently painted the interior of the church for its new
renovations and Arlington Bishop Paul S. Loverde dedicated a
new altar last summer. The ladies auxiliary of the Knights
help with landscaping.

Recent convert Joan Nebel works “wherever they want me.”
Father DeMartino relies heavily on the abilities of Father
Magat and his staff for parish success.

“It’s a recognition that people have different gifts,” he
said.

This staff includes Nicely, who is in his first year as
principal.

There’s a strong connection between the school and the
parish, Nicely said. “It’s one family.”

What the pastors do from the pulpit, Nicely and his crew do
for the school – “promote and build an authentic Catholic
culture.”

“Forming the families in this idea is a big deal,” Nicely
said.

Students celebrated the Blessed Mother’s birthday with
cupcakes. In lieu of attending the March for Life in
Washington, D.C., last month, kindergarteners mini-marched
around the school holding “We Love Life” posters. Nicely
works with the sports director to ensure a Christian sense of
competitiveness in the school’s athletic program.

(See
this story on St. William of York’s participation in a loose
athletic alliance.)

With the proximity of the parish to the U.S. Marine Corps
Base at Quantico, maintaining a stable parish community can
be tricky.

“Just when you think you’ve formed the parish, it seems to
change all over again,” Father DeMartino said.

Ministering to non-English speakers also is a challenge.
Languages don’t come easy to Father DeMartino, he admits, and
he struggles when preparing a Spanish-language homily.

“It takes me weeks to prepare for this one Mass, but I want
to be there for them as their pastor,” he said.

His hope is that the two populations will integrate
successfully at St. William of York.

“I don’t like to use the words ‘(Hispanic) community,’ as if
that’s a community separate from us,” he said. “We are one
body of Christ, so that common identity of ‘Catholic’
includes all of us.”

As a member of the body of Christ, Rita Hagans, who
volunteers with the senior ministry, said St. William of York
is simply “my home.” After her husband’s death in 1999,
Hagans was visited and supported by her parish community.

“It was such relief and such peace,” she said. “We look out
for one another. It’s the love of the parish that keeps us
all together.”

Quick facts

St. William of York Church

3130 Jefferson Davis Hwy.

Stafford, Va. 22554

540/659-1102

Pastor: Fr. Robert J. DeMartino

Parochial vicar: Fr. Jerome A. Magat

DRE: Jim Benisek

School:

St. William of York School

3130 Jefferson Davis Hwy.

540/659-5207

Principal: Frank P. Nicely

Mass Schedule:

Sat: 9 a.m., 5 p.m. vigil, 7 p.m. Spanish vigil

Sun: 7:30 a.m., 9 a.m., 10:30 a.m., 12:15 p.m.

Mon., Tues., Thurs.: 7:30 a.m., 9 a.m.

Wednesday: 9 a.m., 6:30 p.m. (Latin Novus Ordo)

Fri.: 9 a.m., 6:30 p.m.

Parishioners: 7,704

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