Sacred Heart Parish Has Long History of Faith

By Linda Busetti
HERALD Staff Writer
(From the issue of 7/4/02)

In the simple, modern high-ceilinged sanctuary of Sacred Heart Church in Manassas, music minister Emma Jane Cochrane prepares for the evening’s choir rehearsal. She speaks with emotion about the blending of voices and instruments — guitars and trumpets — that will fill the church.

"The young musicians are so inspiring… I found that this is a wonderful way to minister to others," she said.

Cochrane is just one link in a long chain of faith at Sacred Heart.

It’s a short walk across Purcell Road to a vivid record of parish history. At the top of a newly mown hill is a 65-year-old white, wooden country chapel, where Mass is celebrated each morning and small weddings and funerals take place. In a field a few steps from the chapel doors, well-kept rows of gravestones feature names of parish founders such as the Sholtis family.

What grew to be Sacred Heart Parish began in 1914 with a little church at Old Shop and Spriggs Road in the Minnieville section of Manassas. Father William Jan led a congregation of Austrian and Czech immigrant families — among them, the Bensacks, Sholtises and Cheslocks — who were Roman and Byzantine Catholics.

In 1929, Byzantine Catholics left Sacred Heart to build Annunciation of the Blessed Virgin Church on Hoadly Road. Sacred Heart became a mission of All Saints Church in Manassas. Members of Sacred Heart Mission bought an acre of land in 1937 and incorporated beams and window frames from the old church into a new chapel, the one still standing at the intersection of Hoadly and Purcell Road.

Sacred Heart Mission closed when Our Lady of Angels Parish in nearby Woodbridge was founded in 1959, but reopened as a mission of Holy Family Parish in Dale City in 1970.

Benedictine Sister Anita Sherwood became coordinator of mission ministries in 1981. Youth ministry and RCIA programs at Sacred Heart were established about the same time.

In 1983, the "parish family" signed a Mission Statement, a "covenant" with God in which they promised to "provide an atmosphere of warmth, hospitality and love" in which to share the faith; provide opportunities for religious growth to all members of the community; establish personal relationships among the community; and provide adequate "physical surroundings, financial support and personal commitment" toward the success of the covenant.

Arlington Bishop John R. Keating raised Sacred Heart to the status of independent parish in 1984 and named Father Frank J. Ready, who had served Sacred Heart since June 1983, as founding pastor.

In November 1986, Father Ready announced the Sacred Heart Building Fund Campaign to create larger worship space, conference and gathering areas, classrooms, a nursery, kitchen facilities and additional parking. Father Ready’s dream of a new church and parish center was realized and the facilities were dedicated in January 1994.

Father Thomas Lehning, Sacred Heart’s second pastor, arrived on July 1, 1995. He had served the parish while it was a mission of Holy Family. Father Lehning has seen the new church and parish center space quickly become inadequate to meet growing parish needs. Sacred Heart will need additional facilities for adult activities within the next few years, he said.

"Sacred Heart is a good parish with good people who take their faith seriously and work hard at taking care of their families," Father Lehning said.

At Sunday Mass recently, Father Lehning gave parishioners the opportunity to ask him questions about issues of concern or interest to them. When he said he would repeat the question and answer exercise in the future, parishioners applauded.

Among the parish’s 1,300 households, there are many young families, the pastor said. "We have baptisms, First Communions and confirmations, but not that many marriages or burials," he said. In planning evening parish activities, he takes into account that many two-career couples have an hour commute home from the Pentagon or Crystal City.

The number of Hispanic parishioners is increasing, but there is no Spanish Mass. A significant Portuguese community in the parish celebrates Mass twice a month in the old chapel.

Over the past 15 years, about $1.5 million in profits from Sacred Heart’s long-running, Sunday evening bingo game have helped defray parish expenses. Each week, about 150-250 people come from as far as Culpeper to socialize on bingo night. Sacred Heart parishioners were among five bingo organizations in the state to receive the Jennifer C. Byler Award of Excellence from the Virginia Charitable Gaming Commission for "excellence in financial and administrative controls and service," Father Lehning said.

Although Sacred Heart does not have its own school, parish children attend classes at Holy Family, All Saints or Aquinas School in Woodbridge.

Kathleen Burr, a Sacred Heart parishioner for 17 years, is finishing her first year as director of religious education. About 600 children attend one of the four evening CCD sessions each week. This year about 90 pre-schoolers through fifth-graders attended Vacation Church School in June.

Deacon Thomas Wolter says it is an "absolute pleasure" to serve as parish youth minister. He admits he wouldn’t be able to do it without the assistance of his wife Patricia. About 45 teens actively participate in "scripturally-based" youth group meetings on Monday evenings. Parish youths plan to attend a conference at Franciscan University of Steubenville in Ohio this summer. They also participate in diocesan softball and basketball leagues.

Deacon Wolter also supervises the parish RCIA program which brought five converts into the Church over the past year. People who make the "hard decision" to convert, Wolter says, are often the ones who are eager to participate in parish life as ushers or lectors.

According to Deacon Wolter, the parish is "a busy place" with the Women of the Sacred Heart presenting speakers and hosting receptions after funerals, the Knights of Columbus meeting twice a month and the parish seniors gathering monthly. Scouting, the Legion of Mary and E.J. Cochrane’s choir rehearsals round out the schedule.

Sacred Heart’s faith tradition is alive and well.

At a Glance

Sacred Heart Parish

12975 Purcell Rd.

Manassas, Va. 20112-3217

703/590-0030

Pastor: Father Thomas Lehning

Deacon: Thomas W. Wolter

Mass Schedule:

Sat.: 5 p.m. (Vigil)

Sun.: 7:30, 9, 10:30 a.m., 12 noon

DRE: Kathleen Burr

YM: Deacon Thomas W. Wolter

Parish Founded: 1984

Parishioners: 3,856

Boundaries: Beginning at the intersection of Minnieville Rd. (640) and Dumfries (234) — west to Aden Rd. (646) — west to Cedar Run at the bridge — north on Cedar Run to the Occoquan River through Lake Jackson — continuing on the Occoquan River to a point just west of Lake Ridge Park — south to Old Bridge Rd. (642) — west on Old Bridge/Prince William Parkway to Hoadly — south to Neabsco Creek — south on Neabsco Creek to Lindendale Rd. — west on Lindendale Rd. to Silverdale Rd. (including Sudberry Ln.) — south on Silverdale Rd. to Minnieville Rd. — west on Minnieville Rd. to Dumfries Rd.

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