The Groveton parish in Alexandria is known for being welcoming, traditional, diverse and offering a robust Catholic education.
The pastor, Father Keith M. O’Hare, summarized the past 75 years of parish life in these four key characteristics at an Aug. 24 Mass celebrated by Bishop Michael F. Burbidge.
Father O’Hare described the parish history in his homily. “I don’t mean the four pages of photos and dates in the program that you have today,” he clarified.
The legacy of St. Louis is rooted in the parish’s missionary spirit, going back to its founding pastor, Father O’Hare said. In 1925, Father Louis Smet, who was then pastor of St. Mary Church in Alexandria, identified a growing Catholic population in Groveton.
“Father Louis purchased a one-room schoolhouse so that the good news could be celebrated in the form of the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass. It was a monthly Mass, at first,” Father O’Hare said. “The mission chapel eventually took Father Louis’ name posthumously and became St. Louis Parish.”
Father O’Hare said parishes are God’s gifts to a growing church over the last two millennia. “But friends, we’re not here to celebrate a building today. We’re not here to celebrate brick and mortar,” he said. “We’re here to turn and look through the years; when we look through the 75 years, all the years that preceded it, what do you see? Jesus.”
Parishioners might notice something new in the church, he added. “When you leave the Mass today, you’re going to see something new on the doors.” On the insides of the entrance and side doors to the church were small brass plaques that read, “These doors open to a mission field,” a nod to Jesus’ charge at the end of Matthew’s Gospel to “make disciples of all nations.”
“My friends, the doors of a church don’t just open to let people in … the doors of the church also open in the outer direction, to let us out into a world that is hungry and hurting for good news in a world that is hurting because of sin,” Father O’Hare said. “You and I received this priceless gift of faith, and we dare not hoard this faith. We dare not hide this faith as disciples of Jesus Christ, as parishioners of St. Louis.”
Each and every parishioner has an obligation to share their faith, or “pay it forward,” said Father O’Hare. “Your personal faith individually exists because of countless souls who came before you to hand on the gift of faith you have now. And so how can we not happily, joyfully, eagerly pay it forward? ‘These doors open to a mission field,’ and you are the missionary,” he said.
Father O’Hare then repeated a portion of his homily in Spanish.
Among the many concelebrants — which included former pastors, parochial vicars, and even Father Robert C. Cilinski, pastor of Nativity Catholic Church in Burke, who was baptized at the parish — was Auxiliary Bishop of Atlanta Bernard “Ned” E. Shlesinger III, who attended St. Louis as a child.
Following Mass, parishioners and clergy congregated outdoors for a parish “Feast-ival.” Parish groups and ministries set up tables with a variety of food and drink for purchase. As Knights of Columbus cooked up burgers and hot dogs, kids bounced on inflatables, enjoyed train rides, and danced to live music from Noble Soul, a Lake Ridge-based band. Young and old alike lined up for a cool treat from an ice cream truck.
“St. Louis really is a beautiful reflection of multicultural community, people coming from various backgrounds,” said Bishop Burbidge. “We see in St. Louis the importance of bringing people together to enjoy each other’s company, to get to know one another, to meet the new parishioners.”
Nellie Hiebert, 99, who has been a parishioner since 1963, attended the anniversary Mass with one of her daughters. Hiebert and her husband moved to Northern Virginia after he was assigned to a military base in Washington. “It’s just a wonderful parish. I’ve seen many changes. My children went to school at St. Louis,” she said. “It’s a great place for families, and they do everything they can to accommodate our needs.”
Jim McCracken, a parishioner since 1978, said that over the years, he and his family have occupied nearly every niche of parish life. He and his wife, JoAnn, served as CCD instructors, sacristans and extraordinary ministers of holy Communion. Several of their children attended St. Louis School and participated in scouting and were altar servers. “We’ve all been involved in the things that make up parish life at St. Louis,” he said.
McCracken added that the parish welcomes those of all abilities, including his son, Joseph, who has Down syndrome. McCracken said that the parish welcomed Joseph as an active parishioner and trained him to be an altar server.
“Like I say to people, this is our garden, this is our vineyard,” McCracken said. “As the vineyard keeper, we have to make sure that everything grows and prospers.”
