From the time of its founding in 1950, St. Joseph Parish in Herndon has been staffed by order priests. Initially the Holy Ghost Fathers served there, followed by the Franciscans who arrived in 1981. Since 1996, Franciscan Father David C. Bonarrigo has been pastor, assisted by three parochial vicars. Franciscan Father David C. Bonarrigo said parishioners appreciate and are comfortable with the Franciscan presence at St. Joseph. "They sense and feel an attachment to the traditions of the Catholic Church," he said. The parish is one of the larger ones that Franciscans staff in the United States.

With a growing western Fairfax County population during the last half-century, St. Joseph Parish has undergone several building expansions. In 1923, it began as an 80-member rural mission of St. James Parish in Falls Church. Now on its third church, it is enlarging again to meet its members’ needs.

The parish enrollment has stabilized at about 4,000 families and eight weekend Masses are celebrated. Father Bonarrigo said the parish is "multi-ethnic. It has a richness of different cultures, which contribute greatly to the parish." The main ethnic groups are Hispanic, Filipino, Korean, Vietnamese and African-American. He described it as a largely young parish and said the elementary school, which has a waiting list, is a drawing card. St. Joseph School, nearly at its 600-student maximum due to town regulations, is being enhanced but not enlarged.

Current changes at the parish include expanding the church hall, kitchen and library, all of which will be used for church and school functions. One of Father Bonarrigo’s goals has been to integrate the church and school communities, so offices from both will be combined into one location.

Additional meeting spaces will be added, including a dozen rooms for the vast number of parish groups. Father Bonarrigo said some examples are men’s, women’s and children’s groups as well as a regional Secular Franciscans Order. He said that once the digging is done, depending on what is encountered, it is hoped that a lot of basement area will become available for much-needed storage space. The complex’s design will be a square building with an interior courtyard.

Father Bonarrigo said that after construction is completed, "front-burner items" include initiating ministry to Herndon’s large Hispanic population and hiring a youth minister to establish a regular youth program.

During the last few years, the parish has become more computerized with the help of Father Christopher Dobson, who is the office manager and master of the parish Web site. Father Bonarrigo said a unique item is a string quartet which plays instrumentals at the earliest Sunday Mass.

Joan Harrington, CCD coordinator for many years, has been a parishioner since 1972. Harrington has seen the parish community grow substantially, acquire a school and broaden the CCD program.

Many parishioners, including Harrington’s grown children, were familiar with the priests assigned to the parish over the years, and are still in contact with a number of the clergy. "We get to know them and they’re so important to us," she said.

Harrington is an usher at the Sunday 7 a.m. Mass and sings in the 10 a.m. choir. Also a eucharistic minister, she said, "I thank God for allowing me to do that; to be able to give Christ to someone." She attends daily Mass at 6:30 a.m. She began after recovering from a serious skiing accident several years ago in which she suffered brain damage. "With the priest’s support I received during that time, I wanted to begin going to Mass every day," she said.

Father Bonarrigo said he is very pleased with Chamberlain Construction Company, who repaired the church roof five years ago and is now working on the facilities expansion, and architect Peter Juanpere. The project has been underway for nearly three years and will be completed within the next 16 months.

"Hopefully, it should fulfill the dreams of the parish," Father Bonarrigo said.

St. Joseph Parish at a Glance

St. Joseph Church

750 Peachtree St.

Herndon, Va. 20170-3798

703/437-3737

Pastor: Franciscan Father David C. Bonarrigo

Parochial Vicars:

Franciscan Father James Angert

Franciscan Father Christopher J. Dobson

Franciscan Father Ronald J. Mohnickey

Mass Schedule:

Mon.-Sat. 6:30, 8 a.m. and during Lent: 12:15 p.m.

First Fri. 7:30 p.m.

Sat. 5, 7:30 p.m.

Sun. 7, 8:30, 10, 11:30 a.m., 1, 5 p.m.

School:

750 Peachtree St.

703/437-3014

Principal: Joan Cargill

DRE: Franciscan Father James Angert

Parish Founded: as mission, 1923; as independent parish, 1950

Parishioners: 11,453

Deanery: III

Parish Boundaries: Beginning at Route 7 on the Loudoun County Line — Southeast on Route 7 to Reston Parkway, Southwest on Reston Parkway to the Dulles Toll Road (Route 267) — West along the Dulles Toll Road to the Loudoun County Line, northeast to Route 7.