Arlington Bishop Paul S. Loverde recently created a seventh
deanery for the diocese and named Father Francis M. de Rosa,
pastor of St. Elizabeth of Hungary Church in Colonial Beach,
as its dean.
The parishes that form this new deanery previously were part
of Deanery V. The parishes include: St. Anthony Mission, King
George; St. Elizabeth of Hungary, Colonial Beach; St. Francis
de Sales, Kilmarnock; St. Jude, Fredericksburg; St. Mary of
the Immaculate Conception, Fredericksburg; St. Matthew,
Spotsylvania; St. Patrick, Fredericksburg; St. Paul Mission,
Hague; and St. William of York, Stafford.
In addition, St. John the Evangelist Church in Warrenton
moved from Deanery IV to Deanery V.
“In an effort to facilitate pastoral care within each deanery
and to afford our priests increased opportunities for
fraternal gatherings, I have added a seventh deanery and
slightly modified two others,” said Bishop Loverde. “I am
grateful to the priests who have accepted my invitation to
serve as deans.”
A deanery is a section of a diocese made up of several
parishes and other ecclesiastical institutions under the
limited authority of a dean, also known as a vicar forane
(V.F.). Originally, deaneries were set up in the rural areas
of dioceses, but more recently, urban areas or cities have
been divided into deaneries.
The Arlington Diocese, which was established Aug. 13, 1974,
consists of 68 parishes in 21 counties in the northern part
of the state.
In addition to Father de Rosa, the other deans recently
appointed to five-year terms by the bishop are: Father Robert
J. Rippy (Deanery I); Father John C. Cregan (Deanery II);
Father John P. Mosimann (Deanery III); Father Stanley J.
Krempa (Deanery IV); Father Robert C. Cilinski (Deanery V);
and Father John D. Kelly (Deanery VI).
