After 14 years of planning, fundraising and eventually building, St. Ambrose Church in Annandale opened the doors to its new church July 15. More than 800 parishioners and guests attended the Mass of dedication celebrated by Bishop Michael F. Burbidge and concelebrated by Bishop Emeritus Paul S. Loverde and dozens of priests from inside and outside the Arlington diocese. Two pews were reserved for founding parishioners who have worshipped at the church since 1968.
In his homily, Bishop Burbidge thanked Father Andrew J. Fisher, pastor, for his years of loyal service to the parish and remarked on the beauty of the new church.
“We have every reason to rejoice as we dedicate this new church. And as you look upon its beauty and sacredness, we can easily say, ‘How lovely is your dwelling place, Lord, Almighty God,’ ” he said.
Since St. Ambrose is well known for its community outreach, the Bishop added, “Today, dear friends, provides you with a wonderful opportunity to renew your commitment to bring the compassion and the healing love of Jesus to our brothers and sisters and especially those suffering physically, spiritually and emotionally.”
As part of the dedication, Bishop Burbidge sprinkled the church and the congregation with holy water. While the choir chanted the Litany of the Saints, Bishop Burbidge deposited 14 first-class relics of saints into the altar. Each relic was presented by a parishioner who had a special relationship with that saint, either as a confirmation saint or a patron saint.
Bishop Burbidge anointed the altar and the walls with sacred chrism . Father Fisher and Deacon Ted Devlin processed around the church, blessing the walls and worshippers with incense.
Several parishioners then cleaned the altar and vested it with linens, after which Deacon Devlin lit the altar candles. Several priests then lit the consecration candles that mark the places of anointment on the walls, including Father Fisher; Father Joseph M. Rampino, priest in residence at Blessed Sacrament Church in Alexandria; Father Sunny Joseph, priest in residence at St. Timothy Church in Chantilly; and newly ordained Father Michael T. Nugent, parochial vicar of St. Ambrose.
“I’m new to this odyssey that this community has been on, ” Father Nugent said. “It’s a reflection, it’s an echo of the tenacity and the perseverance and the faith of the people of this community. It’s been tremendously edifying to my faith and really inspiring.”
Father Fisher has been pastor since 2009 and ever since has labored to build a new church. With a broken heating and cooling system, poor lighting and no narthex, among other problems, the old 1977 church was cost prohibitive to renovate. Instead, the parish council decided to level the old church and build a new one. The nearly $10 million project was supported by three capital campaigns over the years.
Bishop Burbidge broke ground for the new church Dec. 11, 2021. While the new church was under construction, parish Masses were celebrated in the school gym.
With a vaulted painted ceiling, cherry wood furnishings, a marble altar and an altar rail, the new church blends tradition with modernity. The church is fully wheelchair-accessible and includes a narthex.
Margaret Kelly, a parishioner for 11 years, said that the antique stained-glass windows are her favorite aspect of the church. Crafted in Munich, Germany, in 1890, the windows were removed from a closed church in Philadelphia and installed at St. Ambrose. The “Rose Window” features an image of Mary holding the child Jesus surrounded by petals of stained glass.
“The colors are amazing, and it’s beautiful. And to stop and think they were made over 130 years ago, it’s just incredible that they’re here today,” Kelly said.
The windows aren’t the only historical elements in the church. Father George Lewitt, a Franciscan friar who grew up in the parish and now lives in Nazareth, received permission to obtain stones from various holy sites in Israel, including Bethlehem, Nazareth and the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem. He gifted these stones to St. Ambrose, and they are now embedded in the floor along the main aisle.
“So, when you walk down the aisle from entering the church to the altar, you literally are walking through the life of Christ,” Father Fisher said. “Every visit to St. Ambrose will be a pilgrimage.”
Msgr. Carlo Faccendini, rector of the Basilica of St. Ambrose in Milan, also gifted the parish a first-class relic of St. Ambrose and a brick from his tomb, dubbed “the cornerstone of our new church” by Father Fisher. In the weeks following the dedication Mass, the parish will place the relic and brick behind a stained glass window in the narthex.
Carla Yaglou, parish business manager, has been a parishioner since 1996. While seeing the old church come down was difficult, she said, “As I see the whole process and the beautiful church that we have, it was well worth it. ”
