The uniqueness of St. John Church in McLean, the "church in the round," as Pastor Father Edward Hathaway calls it, is first noticed in its architecture, he said.

Father Hathaway believes that the completely circular church is one of the only of its kind in the United States, and the structure ensures that attendees are never more than seven pews away from the sanctuary. The architecture also means that the Eucharist is literally central in the church, according to Joan Eklund, administrative assistant at the parish. Eklund attended St. John Parish as a child, and has returned after living elsewhere for a time. "I always felt special as a child belonging to the ‘round church’; there is definitely a focus on Christ," she said.

While for liturgical reasons no church would be designed like that today, said Father Hathaway, permission was granted at the time of its construction, which began in 1956. The church was built during the pastorate of Missionhurst Father Paul R. Cauwe, first pastor of St. John, who served there from 1951-1964. It was designed after the pagoda style of the Orient, familiar to Father Cauwe because of his travels as a missionary.

The parish life at St. John is a reflection of its diverse, educated parishioners, who include lobbyists, diplomats and occasional foreign dignitaries, giving the parish an international, European flavor, said Father Hathaway. Lecture series by well-known authors and theologians are important at the parish because the parishioners, many of whom hold doctorates in their fields, are usually well-educated and seek the same level of knowledge about their Faith that they have in their professions. Recent lecture series were given by H. W. Crocker III, author of Triumph: The Power and Glory of the Catholic Church; and by Deal W. Hudson, editor of Crisis magazine. There is also a book club, led by Director of Religious Education (DRE) Laura Pennefather that meets monthly at a coffee shop to discuss literature.

According to Pennefather, who is in her sixth year as DRE at the parish, a unique aspect of the religious education program is the large amount of adult education, beyond the customary RCIA program. "Since the parish is in a highly educated area, there is a need to balance what they’re getting in their professional lives with content in their spiritual formation," she said. There are 275 students in pre-K to 9th grade, as well as the high school students. There are 35 lay teachers, including doctors and engineers, who are "excellent," she said.

In the RCIA program, which brought 16 people into the Church this Easter, the classes are taught by two priests and three lay persons. Each session is taped so that anyone who is traveling or unable to attend may watch the tapes upon their return.

A religious education program is planned for the summer, for children in pre-K to fifth grade. It will be a weeklong, Bible-based session, and there are still some spaces left, said Pennefather.

The parish has a sizeable retired population, although a turnover has begun, said Father Hathaway, and there are also many young families, as the active Mother’s Group proves. Sally Crocker, who leads the group, said that their purpose is to "support each other as we work to become holy wives and mothers." The group meets once a month for study, fellowship and apostolate. Their apostolate includes a meals-for-new-mothers program, Holy Family Rosary and Holy Hour. The rosary is prayed by at least one family every day for the dignity of life and the integrity of the family. During the Holy Hour, several mothers take turns babysitting all the children so that the other mothers can get to Adoration. There are 80 mothers registered in the group; a rotating selection of about 20-25 attends each month.

Father Hathaway said parishioners enjoy the campus-like atmosphere of the parish facilities. The buildings are arranged circularly, with a "green space" in the center. All are within an easy walk, and lovely tall trees provide shade in the center of the circular set-up.

During the parish’s recently completed Building for the Third Millennium campaign (1997-2001), a new gym was built, the church was beautified and the church offices and rectory were renovated.

Shortly after the completion of that campaign, St. John became a pilot parish for the diocese’s current Rooted in Faith — Forward in Hope capital campaign. This has kept the parish quite busy, said Father Hathaway, but in a good way. Through the personal visits, which are a part of the campaign process, parishioners are coming together for a cause, he said.

"St. John parishioners are historically very generous to the diocese, thinking beyond parish boundaries," he said.

There are hopes to build a parish activity center, with space for a youth office, and a hall for receptions and lectures. Currently, there is no parish hall; the school cafeteria is employed for lectures and meetings. Additionally, Father Hathaway hopes to build an outdoor grotto of Our Lady in the central green space with monies from the campaign, as a reminder that the parish is under the mantle of the Blessed Mother, he said. To date, the parish has raised $2,040,400 for the campaign.

The spiritual life thrives at St. John Parish, where morning adoration is a daily, 7 a.m.-9 a.m. event. First Friday Adoration lasts until 5 pm., followed by benediction. First Saturday devotions are also well-attended, he noted.

The church has a weekly, perpetual Miraculous Medal Novena that includes confessions, the novena and Benediction. Dubbed the "milkshake novena" by parish children, whose parents often take them out for milkshakes after the novena in the summer, the novena incorporates children and strengthens their prayer lives, according to Eklund.

Spirituality at St. John is centered on Eucharistic adoration, worship of Christ in the Blessed Sacrament and on devotion to Our Lady, said Father Hathaway. The parish, he said, is faithful to the magisterium, the teaching authority of the Church.

St. John School is thriving, thanks in part to support from the parish families, who help with scholarship funds and the wish list. The senior citizens of the parish are especially involved in helping the school, said Father Hathaway, lending to the "energized" parish community.

The youth group, which was in the early days of the parish well-known for its dances, is being revived and will benefit from the new parish multipurpose room when it is built.

The parish Thrift Shop is run by senior citizens of the parish and is located in the basement of the old church, which is now used for parish offices.

The Word Book Store, located in a small room off the church vestibule, is a new part of the parish. The store carries religious items, including books, crosses and rosaries, for the convenience of parishioners who may live some distance from a religious goods store.

The energetic parish community at St. John Parish is a wonderful thing to be part of, said Father Hathaway, who credits the parish’s success to devotion to the Blessed Mother.

At a Glance

St. John Parish

6420 Linway Terrace

McLean, Va. 22101

Pastor: Fr. Edward C. Hathaway

Parochial Vicar: Fr. Wilhelm J. Ettner

In Residence: Fr. Cosmas Rhagot K’Otienoh

Mass Schedule: Saturday: 8:15 a.m.; 5 p.m. (Vigil) Sunday:7:30. 9, 10:45 a.m.; 12:45 p.m. Weekdays: 6:30, 9 a.m.

Confessions: Wednesday: 6:30-7:30 p.m. Saturday: 3:30-4:30 p.m. and 7:30 p.m.

Parish Founded: 1951

Parishioners: 4,836