Saint Bede Catholic Church (Williamsburg, Virginia)

Saint Bede Catholic Church in Williamsburg, Virginia is a Roman Catholic parish in the Diocese of Richmond. The National Shrine of Our Lady of Walsingham, located adjacent to the campus of the College of William and Mary, is a part of the parish.[2] It was the first Catholic church in Williamsburg.

Saint Bede Catholic Church
New church of Saint Bede parish in 2020
37.262107°N 76.755738°W / 37.262107; -76.755738
LocationWilliamsburg, Virginia
CountryUnited States
DenominationRoman Catholic
Websitewww.bedeva.org
History
StatusActive
Founded1932
Founder(s)Bishop Andrew Brennan
DedicationSt. Bede
Our Lady of Walsingham
Architecture
Architect(s)2003 church:
Tom Kerns, Sean Riley[1]
Administration
DioceseDiocese of Richmond
Clergy
Bishop(s)Bishop Barry Knestout

History
Statue of Our Lady of Walsingham on display in Saint Bede Catholic Church after being removed during renovations of the Shrine.

Early Catholicism on the Peninsula

The first Catholics in the Virginia Peninsula were two Dominican friars, accompanied by 37 Spanish and Portuguese troops and guided by a converted Algonquian, in August 1566. Ten Spanish Jesuits founded St. Mary's Mission, known more commonly as the Ajacán Mission, in 1570.[3] One posited location for where they disembarked is present-day College Creek.[4] The entire encampment of Spanish missionaries and Native American converts was massacred by members of the Powhatan people in 1571 with the exception of a single convert boy, who was rescued by Spanish forces from Florida the next year.[5]

Nearby Jamestown colony, the first permanent successful English colony in the Americas, was established in 1607. The English Reformation and the Treasons Act of 1571 meant that Catholic practice was prohibited, as well as banning Catholics from holding military and civic positions. Despite this, archeological evidence uncovered in 2013 shows personal devotion to Catholicism persisted in the Peninsula's English settlements. Among the devotional articles found at Jamestown was a silver reliquary in the coffin of Captain Gabriel Archer.[6]

Saint Bede Parish

In September 1923, Mexican immigrant and professor Carlos Eduardo Castañeda arrived at the College of William and Mary to teach Spanish. As the faculty leader of the Gibbons Club, formed on 11 December 1923, he and thirty students agitated for a priest from Newport News to come to Williamsburg in order to fulfill their Sunday Mass obligations.[7] In 1929, $25,000 was given by Margaret Burns to the Diocese of Richmond for "mission churches in Virginia," with the money going towards two lots purchased with the support of College President J. A. C. Chandler.[7]

Banner for Saint Bede Church depicting Our Lady of Walsingham and coat of arms for the Diocese of Richmond.

In 1932, the Catholic College Chapel was constructed to meet the growing needs of the Catholic students and staff at the College. The chapel was dedicated to Benedictine monk St. Bede the Venerable in October 1932.[7] In 1939, the chapel was dedicated as a parish.[2] On 1 February 1942, Saint Bede's first pastor Fr. Thomas Walsh dedicated the parish to Our Lady of Walsingham. The church was blessed in 1942.[8]

The parish purchased a building originally constructed as a fraternity home adjacent to the original location of Saint Bede, 601 College Terrace, for use as housing by the USO, in which thousands of soldiers and families stayed. On 16 September 1947, the Sisters of Mercy opened Walsingham Academy, a private Catholic school, in this building. After the school's move, the building served as a rectory and is now a privately-owned home.[9]

In 2003, the parish opened a church off of Ironbound Road in Williamsburg, about 1.5 miles from the original chapel. While the title of Saint Bede Catholic Church passed to this new structure, the National Shrine of Our Lady of Walsingham remained a part of and is managed by the parish.[10]

The ordination of Episcopal Diocese of Southern Virginia Bishop Susan Haynes was originally scheduled to take place on 1 February 2020 in Saint Bede.[11] Petitions seeking for Catholic Bishop Barry Knestout to rescind the invitation towards the Episcopalians resulted in international coverage of the controversy.[12] On 17 January 2020, the Episcopal Diocese announced they were moving the ordination to a different church in Williamsburg, citing that the event was "causing dismay and distress" in the Saint Bede community and invoking the warning of St. Paul against "pursuing behavior that might cause problems for others within their community."[11][13]

Like other parishes in the Diocese of Richmond and around the world, the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic forced the cessation of public Masses and the cancellation of other parish activities on 15 March 2020.[14] By July, Sunday Mass was again open to the public, though certain services were still exclusively live-streamed.[15]

Parish

The present location of the Saint Bede parish church is composed of a primary church and three wings, two above ground and one beneath the courtyard. The wings were a 37,000 square feet (3,400 m2) addition for the purpose of providing space for fellowship and community events.[16] The wings were completed in 2016 and also house the parish offices for finances and clergy.[17]

In 2005, the church's pipe organ, originally called Opus 31, was completed.[1] It was renamed for a former pastor of Saint Bede, Monsignor William H. Carr.[18] The main organ is 32 feet (9.8 m) tall with 183 keys.[19] The organ features 54 ranks and 43 stops with pontifical trumpets in the separated processional organ. Due to noise-dampening foam, there exist certain peculiarities in the organ's sound, such as the least favorable place to hear the organ being directly in front of it.[1]

In 2019, two mosaics were added to the church, flanking the organ. The mosaics, produced by Italian mosaic studio Ferrari & Bacci, depict the communion of saints.[20] Eventually, there are plans to add further art on the 32 other panels that circle the church.[21][22] The mosaics are constructed by the Italian company Barsanti of Pietrasanta, and the mosaics are made of Venetian glass.[23] They are based on paintings by Venezuelan-Italian realist Ramiro Sanchez, whose work has previously been displayed at the nearby Muscarelle Museum of Art.[24][25]

Ministries and services

There are over 60 ministries, social groups, and organizations that operate in or with the support of the Saint Bede parish, including:[26]

National Shrine of Our Lady of Walsingham
Ecumenical covenant signed by Bishop Walter Francis Sullivan of the Diocese of Richmond and Bishop Coadjutor Charles Vaché of the Diocese of Southern Virginia and representatives from the Catholic Student Association and Canterbury at William & Mary

Fr. Walsh was appointed the first pastor of Saint Bede and the College Chapel in 1939. With the 2 February 1942–Feast of the Presentation of Christ in the Temple–dedication of the Saint Bede parish to Our Lady of Walsingham, Fr. Walsh commissioned a statue depicting the Marian apparition done in the same style of that present at the Slipper Chapel, itself based on that from the Walsingham Priory.[8] The dedication of Saint Bede church to Our Lady of Walsingham is possibly attributable to Fr. Walsh's personal devotion to the apparition and visit to Europe in 1934 and possible pilgrimage to Walsingham that year.[29] In 2016, the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops recognized the Shrine of Our Lady of Walsingham as the first national shrine in the Diocese of Richmond.[30]

The Williamsburg House of Mercy, a social outreach organization, is located on the campus of the Shrine. Formerly called the Saint Bede Outreach Center, it traces it legacy to the 1960s, when Sister Berenice Eltz, R.S.M. left her teaching position at Walsingham Academy to serve in a social ministry role at Saint Bede parish.[28][31] From 2018 to 2020, the House of Mercy was heavily renovated to support the growing need from meal and housing support in the Williamsburg community. The Catholic Student Center is located on the bottom floor of the same building.[32]

Since the opening of the Ironbound church, the Shrine has been referred to as the "Old Saint Bede" and "CCM Chapel" in reference to the Catholic Campus Ministry that operates from it. Several renovations have been undertaken to expand the Shrine and meet ADA compliance standards. In February 2020, the Shrine building was closed for further renovation; however, the adjacent House of Mercy building continued to host Mass for the downtown and college community until the COVID-19 pandemic forced the students off campus and public Masses were cancelled. Renovations were completed during the summer of 2020 before reopening as COVID-related restrictions were lifted.[10]

For the 24 September Feast of Our Lady of Walsingham, congregants of both Saint Bede and Episcopal Bruton Parish–along with their respective student ministries–participate in an rosary procession carrying the Marian statue from Colonial Williamsburg to the Shrine. At the Shrine, there are ecumenical vespers.[30][33]

Campus ministry
The Gibbons Club sponsored the construction of a portion of the brick wall that rings William & Mary's Old Campus in 1927.

In 1865, the College reported a single Catholic student.[34] By 1939, 114 Catholics attended the College or lived in the nearby community.[29] As of 2019, an average of 225 students attend Sunday Mass at the Shrine, with an average of 25 students attending daily masses at the Shrine or in the Wren chapel.[35]

The Gibbons Club was founded in 1923, later renamed the Newman Club after the establishment of the parish.[36] . The Newman Club was later renamed to the Catholic Student Association. Alongside their Episcopalian equivalent, Canterbury, the CSA signed a covenant–committing both organizations to ecumenical actions–in the Wren Chapel on 24 January 1977. The CSA and Canterbury formerly cooperated in running a chapter of Covenant Players.[37] The student ministry was again renamed to its present title, Catholic Campus Ministry, in line with the names of other campus ministries within the Diocese of Richmond.[38][39] The Catholic Student Center, located alongside the Shrine, is colloquially known as the "Catacombs" or "Cats."[32]

References
  1. "Buzard Opus 31 Williamsburg, Virginia". buzardorgans.com. John Paul Buzard Organ Builders. Archived from the original on 11 February 2020. Retrieved 11 February 2020.
  2. "Our Parish History". bedeva.org. Saint Bede Catholic Church. Retrieved 6 February 2020.
  3. Erickson, Mark (8 May 2013). "A lost Spanish mission on the York River". dailypress.org. Daily Press. Retrieved 6 February 2020.
  4. "The Virginia Martyrs". nationalwalsinghamshrine.org. National Shrine of Our Lady of Walsingham. Retrieved 6 February 2020.
  5. "Colonial Period: Ajacan, The Spanish Jesuit Mission". marinersmuseum.org. Mariners Museum. Retrieved 6 February 2020.
  6. St. John Erickson, Mark (28 July 2015). "Catholic colonists skirted English law in Protestant Jamestown". Daily Press. Retrieved 11 September 2020.
  7. Spike, Michèle (2018). The Holy House: A History of the Shrine of Our Lady of Walsingham Williamsburg, Virginia. Legion of Mary. p. 38.
  8. "History". nationalwalsinghamshrine.org. National Shrine of Our Lady of Walsingham. Retrieved 6 February 2020.
  9. "History". walsingham.org. Walsingham Academy. Retrieved 6 February 2020.
  10. "Restore the Holy House". nationalwalsinghamshrine.org. National Shrine of Our Lady of Walsingham. Archived from the original on 10 February 2020. Retrieved 10 February 2020.
  11. "New location announced for the consecration of the 11th Bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Southern Virginia" (PDF). diosova.org. Episcopal Diocese of Southern Virginia. 17 January 2020. Retrieved 12 February 2020.
  12. Rousselle, Christine (17 January 2020). "Catholic parish will not host Episcopalian consecration". catholicherald.org. Catholic Herald. Retrieved 12 February 2020.
  13. "Southern Virginia moves female bishop's consecration in response to backlash from Roman Catholics". episcopalnewsservice.org. Episcopal News Service. 22 January 2020. Retrieved 12 February 2020.
  14. "COVID-19 Updates". bedeva.org. Saint Bede Catholic Church. 15 March 2020. Archived from the original on 17 March 2020. Retrieved 16 March 2020.
  15. "Saint Bede Catholic Church homepage". bedeva.org. Saint Bede Catholic Church. Archived from the original on 2 September 2020. Retrieved 3 September 2020.
  16. "Saint Bede Catholic Church". GuernseyTingle. Retrieved 7 February 2020.
  17. Neill, Steve (15 August 2016). "Construction moves on at St. Bede's, Williamsburg". catholicvirginian.org. The Catholic Virginian. Retrieved 12 February 2020.
  18. Commonwealth of Virginia Senate (19 February 2019). "SENATE JOINT RESOLUTION NO. 475 Offered February 18, 2019 Commending the Reverend Monsignor William H. Carr". Legislative Information System. Retrieved 1 March 2020.
  19. "Pipe Organ". bedeva.org. Saint Bede Catholic Church. Archived from the original on 11 February 2020. Retrieved 11 February 2020.
  20. "Facebook update 5 March 2020". Ferrari & Bacci Facebook Page. Facebook. 5 March 2020. Retrieved 8 March 2020.
  21. "Sacred Art". bedeva.org. Saint Bede Catholic Church. Archived from the original on 6 February 2020. Retrieved 7 March 2020.
  22. "Sacred Art Announcement" (PDF). Saint Bede Catholic Church. 18 August 2018. Retrieved 7 March 2020.
  23. "About us". Barsanti. Retrieved 17 September 2020.
  24. "29 March Facebook post". Made in Pietrasanta Facebook Page. Facebook. 29 March 2020. Retrieved 16 April 2020.
  25. "Ramiro Sanchez". Florence Academy of Art. Retrieved 16 April 2020.
  26. "Parish Life Groups and Apostolates". bedeva.org. Saint Bede Catholic Church. Retrieved 6 February 2020.
  27. "The Ancient Order of Hibernians present check". catholicvirginian.org. The Catholic Virginian. 29 June 2016. Retrieved 12 February 2020.
  28. "Our History". williamsburghouseofmercy.org. Williamsburg House of Mercy. Retrieved 10 February 2020.
  29. Spike, 40.
  30. Allen, Greg (3 June 2016). "Walsingham in Williamsburg named national shrine". catholicvirginia.org. The Catholic Virginian. Retrieved 12 February 2020.
  31. "Sister of Mercy Mary Berenice Eltz dies at 103". CatholicPhilly.com. 9 September 2019. Retrieved 26 May 2020.
  32. "Catholic Student Center". tribecatholic.org. William & Mary Catholic Campus Ministry. Archived from the original on 19 February 2020. Retrieved 10 February 2020.
  33. "Upcoming Events: Feast of Our Lady of Walsingham". nationalwalsinghamshrine.org. National Shrine of Our Lady of Walsingham. Archived from the original on 11 February 2020. Retrieved 11 February 2020.
  34. "Religious Beliefs of Students". Special Collections Research Center Wiki. William & Mary Libraries. Retrieved 10 February 2020.
  35. "Annual Report". tribecatholic.org. William & Mary Catholic Campus Ministry. Archived from the original on 10 February 2020. Retrieved 10 February 2020.
  36. "Gibbons Club". Special Collections Research Center Wiki. William & Mary Libraries. Retrieved 6 February 2020.
  37. Thompson, Camille. "College of William and Mary: Off the Record". College Prowler. p. 155. Retrieved 10 February 2020.
  38. "Tribe Catholic". tribecatholic.org. William & Mary Catholic Campus Ministry. Retrieved 10 February 2020.
  39. Office of Evangelization. "Find a Campus". evangelizerichmond.org. Diocese of Richmond. Retrieved 11 February 2020.
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