St. Thomas a Becket Parish: An Evolving Community

By Mary Frances McCarthy
HERALD Staff Writer
(From the issue of 1/30/03)

St. Thomas á Becket Parish in Reston is definitely smaller than other parishes Father Kevin Larsen, administrator, has served. Because the parish is part of a planned community, it has experienced a different evolution than many other churches in the diocese. Father Larsen said that in its recent growth, St. Thomas á Becket Parish is experiencing "an expansion of new possibilities."

The town of Reston began as a planned community in the late 1950s and early ’60s.

St. Thomas á Becket Parish began as a small group of Catholics in the newly developed Reston. The first Mass was celebrated by Holy Ghost Father Charles F. Trotter of St. Joseph Church in Herndon on Nov. 10, 1968, in the cafeteria of the Lake Anne School in Reston.

St. Thomas á Becket was given the status of a parish and Father Harris Findlay was appointed the first pastor in September 1970.

In the 1970s, Mass was celebrated on Saturday nights at the Hunters Woods School, and four times on Sundays in the Newton Square cafeteria.

In an effort to increase the diversity in Reston, six Reston churches, including St. Thomas á Becket, organized the Reston Interfaith Housing Corporation in 1970, dedicated to the promotion of social justice in Reston.

Ground was broken in June 1972 for the church building. It was dedicated on Sept. 9, 1973, by Bishop John J. Russell of Richmond.

At the time of its completion, the church was the first large religious building in the area, and other denominations used the church for meetings. Movable chairs and a movable altar were used in the multi-purpose area so that it could be used for other community purposes when not needed for Sunday Mass.

By 1983, the parish was beginning to realize that due to the growth of the Reston area, a one-room building was no longer large enough for parish needs. Unfortunately fundraising efforts did not begin until the fall of 1991.

The groundbreaking for the new parish center took place in September 1998, and the parish center was dedicated on Saturday, Sept. 7, 2002. The facility offers 10 classrooms for religious education, a choir room, religious education and administrative office space, meeting rooms and a social hall named after founding pastor Father Findlay, and a commercial kitchen for receptions, dinner, large classes, lectures or meetings.

Mike Power was hired in September, and he became the first full time youth minister to work at the parish for three or four years. In the past, volunteers had led the youth ministry program, but Father Larsen has seen changes occurring over the last few months with the addition of a staff member dedicated solely to the youth.

Father Larsen came to St. Thomas á Becket Parish 19 months ago, taking the place of Father Pat Holroyd who was pastor for about 12 years. Father Holroyd now serves as pastor of St. Mark Parish in Vienna. Father Larsen will celebrate the 10th anniversary of his ordination this year. Before coming to St. Thomas á Becket he was at the Church of the Nativity in Burke for four years.

Now that the parish center has been completed, Father Larsen is focusing on renovating the original church space. There are plans to install permanent pews, kneelers and a permanent altar.

Since coming to the parish, Father Larsen has installed a tabernacle, baptismal font and crucifix in the sanctuary. After building the addition to the church, it was also possible to renovate office space into a crying room, and the old kitchen and some closet space became a sacristy.

Because the church previously consisted only of the one multi-purpose room, people grew accustomed to gathering there as a community, as well as worshiping there. Father Larsen is on a mission to distinguish the "sacred space" from the "social space." He tries to encourage people to gather after Mass in the hall outside the sanctuary, so that the sanctuary can be reserved for prayer.

Father Larsen’s changes not only ensure that the worship space follows Church teachings, but he also wants to enhance the aesthetics of the church. Eventually, he would like to see stained-glass windows installed and more liturgical art displayed throughout the parish facilities. Father Larsen wants to see more "things that speak to people about their faith."

Rectory:

1418 Greenmont Ct.

Web site: www.st.thomasabecketreston.org

Administrator: Father Kevin J. Larsen

Mass Schedule:

Weekdays: Monday: 9 a.m. (Communion Service); Tuesday-Friday: 9 a.m.

Saturday: 9 a.m.; 5 p.m. (vigil Mass)

Sunday: 7:45, 9, 10:30 a.m.; 12 noon

Confessions: Saturday: 3:30-4:30 p.m.

DRE: Clem Gross

703/689-3816

Youth Minister: Mike Power

703/437-7113

Parishioners: 4,491

Boundaries: Beginning at Leesburg Pike (Rt. 7) and Reston Pkwy. — Southeast on Leesburg Pike to Towlston Rd. — follow Towlston Rd. south to Trap Rd. (Rt.676) — follow Trap Rd. south to Dulles Access Rd. — West on Dulles Access Rd. to Reston Pkwy. — North on Reston Pkwy. (Rt. 602) to Rt. 7.

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