Pat O’Donnell remembers being warmly welcomed when he and his family first arrived at St. Ann Church in Arlington 22 years ago. “It’s especially notable at Mass — when you have a small kid, your kid is going to be fussing sometimes and I remember being grateful that folks were universally understanding,” said O’Donnell. He got involved in the parish — he became a Cub Scout den leader, youth group volunteer, lector and CYO basketball coach — “Beat St. Agnes,” he said energetically.
His children attended St. Ann School and his son Tom O’Donnell now teaches fourth grade there. The elder O’Donnell celebrated the community’s 75th anniversary by making pulled pork for the parish jubilee festival. While he fondly remembers the past, he’s looking forward, too.
“We have families who are multigenerational in the parish,” he said. “I like that people feel drawn to come back to the parish they grew up in and in many cases, get married and raise their own families there. I hope for growth and preservation of the sense of warmth that I’ve always found there.”
St. Ann was named a parish Sept. 25, 1947, its boundaries carved out of portions of St. James Church in Falls Church and St. Charles, St. Agnes, and the Cathedral of St. Thomas More.in Arlington. The community commemorated its 75th anniversary on that exact date with a Mass of thanksgiving. Bishop Michael F. Burbidge celebrated the Mass with Missionhurst Father “Mel” O. Portula, pastor; Missionhurst Father Ange Masuta Mafuta, parochial vicar; Father William B. Schardt, former pastor of St. Ann and current pastor of St. Thomas à Becket Church in Reston; and Jesuit Father David Collins, who grew up in the parish.
“Thanks so much for the gift you have been and continue to be to our diocese,” said Bishop Burbidge. “We celebrate in knowing the number of people these past 75 years who have encountered the love and mercy of God right here at St. Ann through the effective preaching of the Gospel, the celebration of the sacraments and the very generous charitable ministries and outreach programs for which you are known.”
Father Portula, at a Mass earlier that day, spoke about continuing the good work of the parish. “Let us participate and do our part to spread God’s love to others. Let us invite the many others to return to the Mass, to love the Mass, and to find and meet the Lord in the sacraments,” he said. Both Father Portula and Bishop Burbidge spoke about the World Day of Migrants and Refugees in their homilies and the parish held a linen drive for immigrants served by diocesan Catholic Charities.
Jim Schellman, a parishioner for 37 years, was part of the committee that oversaw the construction of the new church, which was dedicated in 2005. “The music reverberates in the space well, but I think more than anything (there’s) a sense of a community gathered,” he said about the new church. “I feel so grateful that we can see each other, we’re not just looking at each other’s backs,” he said. “The other thing is just the sheer light that comes in through the clear windows, it feels uplifting just to walk in there.”
Since the Missionhurst or Congregation of the Immaculate Heart of Mary priests began administering the parish in 2013, there’s been a renewed focus on the poor, said Schellman. “We’re supporting a community in Mali where the CICMs have a new mission and we’ve helped them purchase two mills for grinding grain. We’re helping them build a church now,” he said. “The consciousness that we’re not just supposed to be taking care of ourselves but we’re supposed to be looking to the needs of God’s people, that’s very strong in our community.”
Parishioner Mary Melendez started the Spanish-language religious education at the parish several years ago and has been involved in the Hispanic community in numerous ways. Melendez and her late husband, Angel, prepared couples for marriage convalidation and they renewed their own vows there on their 25th anniversary. When then pastor Father Donald C. Greenhalgh needed help translating, he turned to them. “When Father Greenhalgh needed to say the Spanish Mass, my husband was standing beside him translating his homily just instantly and I felt very proud (that) Father Greenhalgh trusted him and me so much,” she said.
When her husband was dying, the parish she had served for decades was there for her. “Father Mel gave me so much support when my husband was very, very sick, on his last day, (and) I cannot forget that. That will be in my heart forever,” she said. “Even though it is hard for me now to be going to St. Ann everyday, I still go on Sundays because it is my church.”
Fun facts from St Ann’s history
An unexpected neighbor: Route 66
In 1978, the State Highway and Transportation Commission took 1,628 square feet of land from St. Ann at the rear corner of the property for the construction of Route 66. In late 1979, the new highway ran right alongside the school playground. Displaced critters, such as turtles and possums, found their way to the church. That corner is now the ramp to Harrison Street from the Custis Trail.
A cemetery preserved
In 1941, the Diocese of Richmond purchased land for a future parish. When St. Ann was founded in 1947, the descendants of those buried in a family cemetery agreed that the parish could use the lawn area around the cemetery for parish and school purposes in exchange for care of the cemetery, and that agreement still stands.
A historical marker from Arlington County marks the spot. Five generations of Southern, Shreve, Donaldson and related families are buried here and 20 gravestones are in fairly good condition.
A home for Vietnamese refugees
In 1975, the Nguyen family were aboard one of the last airlifts out of Saigon. The parents and seven children lived first at Camp Pendleton, Calif., before the parish sponsored them and allowed the family to live in Joachim Hall for several years. The father became the parish custodian and all of the school-aged children attended St. Ann School.
A green space
St. Ann has two gardens. The St. Ann Community Garden is a “Plot Against Hunger” garden. The freshly harvested produce feeds clients of Arlington Food Assistance Center (AFAC) and the food pantry at Our Lady, Queen of Peace Church in Arlington. A rosary garden near the school was designed as a place to meditate on the Luminous Mysteries The garden uses native plants to attract pollinators and a rain barrel was added to store water for irrigation.
Credit union
In 1949, the parish opened St. Ann’s Arlington Federal Credit Union as a way to address the needs of parishioners unable to secure commercial banking services for various reasons. As of September 2022, the credit union has assets totaling $3.73 Million and provides banking services to more than 500 members. Membership is open to parishioners, parents of St. Ann School students, church and school employees and immediate family members. It offers several types of installment loans including home equity loans and car loans.
— Source: parish history
