The Northern Neck might not appear a vacation destination to some. But according to Father Andrew J. Heintz, parochial vicar of St. Paul Mission in Hague, the area is a boomtown of historical sites.
St. Paul is one of eight Holy Year churches designated pilgrimage sites by Bishop Michael F. Burbidge. During the Jubilee Year, parishioners may visit one or multiple holy sites and obtain a plenary indulgence following the usual conditions. The first 50 parishioners to visit all eight Holy Year churches — and scan each church’s QR code to track their visit — will receive a stained-glass suncatcher replica of the rose window in the Cathedral of St. Thomas More in Arlington. So far, 12 parishioners have completed the eight-church tour.
Driving up the gravel road to St. Paul, visitors are greeted by a simple wooden cross, a gift from a local Protestant church. “We’re friends with a lot of the Protestant churches here,” Father Heintz said.
Dedicated in 2022, the whitewashed, country-style church is located about a mile from the site of the original 1890 church, which was demolished in 1982 due to termite damage. The new church’s location is steeped in history as well. The church sits on 36.5 acres of land historically owned by the Lee family — ancestors of Confederate General Robert E. Lee — and today, the church leases some of the land to a neighboring farmer. “We’re in a very historical county,” Father Heintz said, surveying the growing crops around the church.
Behind the church, a small grove of crepe myrtle trees and a plaque honoring a group of esteemed clergy from India who have forged friendships with Father Heintz and return to visit: the Archbishop of Madras and Mylapore, the Archbishop of Delhi, the Bishop of Kumbakonam, and Father M. S. Selva Raj, a missionary priest from the Diocese of Kumbakonam.
Details of the new church reflect both the old and new. A decorative floor medallion graces the entryway with the Chi Rho, the Christian symbol, and the words “In Hoc Signo Vinces” (“In this sign, you will conquer”), as well as a marble slab from a Roman fortress outside Verona, Italy.
Two pews from the original church are in the narthex, with an 18th-century Austrian chandelier hanging above the intricately carved marble baptismal font. At the front of the sanctuary are two side shrines — one for the Infant of Prague and Blessed Karl of Austria and the other for Our Lady of Guadalupe and St. José Sánchez del Río — which honor the Austro-Hungarian immigrants who helped found the parish, and Hispanic immigrants who comprise nearly half of the parish population today.
The parish community preserves the original church location in a special way. On the site of the original church, the 1960s parish hall — which served as a worship space after the 19th-century church’s demolition — now hosts parish events and wedding receptions, with a few physical reminders of the parish’s history. The original 1890 altar is on display along the back wall, along with several old iron molds formerly used to create communion hosts, which Father Heintz enjoys showing visitors.
In an area known as “Historyland,” history buffs will find an abundance of sites to see, according to Father Heintz. A half-hour drive from St. Paul is the George Washington Birthplace National Monument in Colonial Beach, recognized by the National Park Service and marked by a miniature Washington monument. The site contains a plethora of things to do, from visiting Washington family’s burial ground, to touring the Memorial House Museum, to taking a stroll along the quiet Popes Creek Trail by the Potomac River.
Or, if you’re looking for a hidden gem, Father Heintz recommends taking the path less traveled and visiting the burial site of Declaration of Independence Signer Richard Henry Lee in the “Burnt House Field.” While a historical marker along Virginia state Route 612 in Hague honors the burial grounds, no signage directs tourists to the physical burial site, which is located in the middle of a field along Mount Pleasant Road, just off of Coles Point Road and state Route 612.
For those who want to relax and sip, Father Heintz recommends a winery and a brewery, both owned by St. Paul parishioners. The Hague Winery is located next to the parish grounds and offers whites, reds and a rosé. For others who prefer a pint, take a 15-minute drive to the Northern Neck Brewing Company in Montross.
Montross itself smacks of small-town Americana. Old-fashioned, painted brick buildings and historical markers dot the town, with several mom-and-pop businesses. For a bite to eat, Father Heintz suggests Angelo’s Restaurant and Raw Bar for pizza and hearty sub sandwiches, as well as scallops, shrimp, and crabs.
Hague may be in a quiet corner of the diocese, but it never lacks for vitality.
Find out more
For a sneak peek of St. Paul Mission and local sites, go to bit.ly/453QQZJ.
To learn how to obtain an indulgence, go to bit.ly/4lrN3w7.
For directions to Richard Henry Lee’s burial site, go to bit.ly/44ylZWe. For a self-guided tour of George Washington’s birthplace, go to bit.ly/3ZQnP28.
