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Some Background on Saint Patrick's Church
About Saint Patrick's Church...
Saint Patrick's was
founded in 1953 as a mission church from the Falls Church. Preparations
for the establishment of the new church included the acquisition of a
five and one-half acre parcel of land near the intersection of Graham
Road and Annandale Road. The congregation met for the first time on
January 3, 1954 in the cafeteria of the Graham Road Elementary School,
and continued to hold its services there until the present church
building was completed in 1956. Members of Saint Patrick's
have been long recognized for their involvement in outreach ministries
since the very early days of the parish. In 1995, Saint
Patrick's became an Anglo-Vietnamese church, and since that time has
become increasingly multicultural. Some of us say that Saint
Patrick's is like a window through which we can see God's
love. Other parishioners suggest that Saint Patrick's is a
"safe haven" for all who seek peace; a quiet place for those who want
to find rest. Many in the congregation mention caring is what makes
Saint Patrick's special to them. Our vision statement
reflects what we are in our hearts: Saint Patrick's Episcopal Church is
a community of care called to be Christ-centered and multicultural in
worship, doctrine, and action to proclaim Christ's love to the world.
About the Episcopal
Church...
The Episcopal
Church of the United
States was organized in 1789. It derives its doctrine,
liturgy
and traditions from the Church of England. That Church was
brought to America by the Jamestown colonists in 1607 and established
by law as the Church of Virginia in 1619. After the American
Revolution, the Church reorganized itself as the Diocese of Virginia in
1785. Today's 2.5 million American Episcopalians are part of
the
world- wide Anglican community of 70 million. The Book of
Common
Prayer contains a brief summary of the Church's teaching beginning on
page 844.
About the Diocese...
The Diocese of
Virginia is the oldest
Christian community in Virginia, and is the third largest
diocese
in the Episcopal Church in the United States, with 183 parishes
representing more than 81,000 baptized members and about 400
clergy. Our diocesan headquarters are located in Richmond
with an
additional office at the Virginia Theological Seminary in Alexandria.
The diocesan bishop
is the Right Rev.
Peter James Lee. He is assisted by a suffragan bishop, the
Right
Rev. David Colin Jones, and an assistant bishop, the Right Rev. Francis
Campbell Gray.
About Saint Patrick...
Saint Patrick is
remembered as a
missionary to Ireland, the first person to bring Christianity to the
Irish people. When he was 16 years old, Patrick was captured
by
Irish raiders on the shore of England, and was taken to Ireland, to
shepherd a flock as a slave. Six years later,
Patrick left the
flock as he heard a
voice from God telling him to do so. He fled to a port and
found
his way aboard a ship back home in England. Patrick hoped
never
to return to Ireland. But later, after receiving
his
education and ordination, he heard a voice from God telling him to go
back to Ireland to preach the Good News to the Irish people.
Seeing himself "a slave of Christ," Patrick went
back as
Bishop of Ireland, preaching Christ and called the people of
Ireland to believe in the Savior. His ministry made
a great
impact on the Irish society, and since then Patrick has been Ireland's
national saint. As we think of the saint whom our church is
named
after, we are reminded of our mission of proclaiming Christ's
love to the world. |
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