Part 8: Major Growth and Construction (1995-2005)
Building Plans Begin and a New Catholic School is Founded
During 1995, the sesquicentennial year of St. Francis Parish, a number of events occurred that continued to play a part in the parish’s life for years to come: On June 3 a religious goods and bookstore, Sacred Page, opened on the parish grounds; it was in operation until 2019. Plans for enlarging the space used for the various ministries at St. Francis began in earnest during 1995; a parish building committee began discussions in January of that year, and the results of those discussions are visible today in the complex that includes Assisi Hall. Another significant event of the year was the opening of Guardian Angel Academy, a private Catholic school for students from elementary grades through high school. Mary Thompson was named the administrator, and the academy opened in September, temporarily using the parish hall of St. Francis for classrooms.
Assisi Hall, dedicated January 11, 2004, the fruit of eight years of planning, discussion, and hard work
On October 1, 1995, to conclude the Jubilee Year celebrations, Bishop Walter Sullivan of the Diocese of Richmond visited St. Francis to celebrate Mass commemorating multiple anniversaries: the 175th anniversary of the diocese, his 25th year as bishop of the diocese, the 150th anniversary of the founding of the parish of St. Francis, and the 100th anniversary of the present church building. St. Francis is notable for the fact that it was instrumental in establishing many parishes in the vicinity, including St. Patrick, Lexington; Blessed Sacrament, Harrisonburg; St. Joseph, Clifton Forge; Holy Comforter, Charlottesville; St. John the Evangelist, Waynesboro; and Holy Infant, Elkton.
In January 1996 the parish learned that Father Anthony Justs, pastor from 1971 to 1973, had been consecrated a bishop (by Pope John Paul II) of Latvia, his native country. In that same year Guardian Angel Academy, overflowing its accommodations at St. Francis, purchased property at 410 West Beverley Street in Staunton (the former St. Paul’s United Methodist Church). Also that year the St. Francis parish library opened on the second floor of the Ministry Center; it was dedicated to Stapleton C. Deitrick, who had been instrumental in the renovation of the center.
During the next year St. Francis strengthened its outreach to the young people of the area with the appointment of Rob Laird, whose duties were to organize the junior youth ministry, assist with the senior youth ministry, and work with Mary Baldwin College students; he also taught at Guardian Angel Academy. Rob energized the youth ministry until his departure from the position in 2000. It was during 1998 that building plans for the parish began to take shape; in November of that year adults in the parish were invited to participate in a discussion of the “present state of the parish and ideas for the near- and long-term future.”
In 1999 a new group, called “Young at Heart” and aimed at seniors in the parish, was formed; members held brown-bag lunches and other social events. A senior group continues to the present with monthly lunches following Mass. And building plans moved forward when the parish hired architect Bruce Wardell (and later landscape architect Gregg Bleam) to conceptualize ideas for the use of the parish space; parishioners were invited to offer their input for the project. Five years later, when Assisi Hall had been completed, Bruce Wardell received an award from the American Institute of Architects “for design excellence in his work at St. Francis.” Another notable event of 1999 was the launch of the St. Francis website in August of that year. Meanwhile Guardian Angel Academy continued to attract increasing numbers of students and had to use the St. Francis parish hall as overflow space for classes for grades 9-12.
Completion of Expansion of Facilities
In 2000 St. Francis Parish purchased the property at 207 North Augusta Street, later named St. Clare House
Parish records reveal that the first pledge for the buildings and grounds renovation was received in the year 2000 from the Knights of Columbus for $10,000; fundraising began in earnest in March of that year for what came to be called the “Jubilee Renovation and Expansion Fund.” By July 2000 pledges amounted to $974,665, with 336 families participating. Meanwhile, in September of that year, St. Francis acquired the property at 207 North Augusta Street, used for CCD classes. And Guardian Angel Academy moved once more, this time to spacious quarters at 300 Churchville Avenue (the former Robert E. Lee High School).
Monsignor Andrew Cassin, who assists with Mass at St. Francis, celebrating Mass during the Easter season
In the spring of 2001, Monsignor Andrew Cassin of Maryland spent several months assisting at St. Francis; he returned to the parish later that year and in time assumed a position as assisting priest, continuing to the present as a valuable member of the staff, celebrating Mass regularly, hearing confessions, and teaching Christian education classes to young people. By 2003 Father William O’Brien, former pastor of St. Francis, had also begun assisting with Masses at St. Francis. Phase I of the construction project began, with pledges from parishioners reaching a total of $1,211,989, with approximately 400 families participating.
The year 2002 saw the retirement of Dan Kalas, who had been Pastoral Associate since 1990; he was replaced by Kimberly Newcomb in July. Meanwhile the planning of Phase II of the construction project moved forward, with a decision to name the new parish center “Assisi Hall.” At the same time the property at 209 North Augusta was formally named “St. Clare House.” It continues to be used for meetings and CCD classes on Sundays. In June 2002 Bishop Walter Sullivan called on each parish in the diocese to complete an assessment of “what we as a parish value, what we do well, how the times impact us, and the challenges we see for the future.” The people of St. Francis responded to this serious task with comments that were printed in the bulletin on an ongoing basis. Among the characteristics that parishioners valued: “the beautiful tradition of worship and liturgy, combining the best of the old with the best of the new”; “our spiritual strength and Eucharistic devotion”; “a well-rounded education and Christian formation for all ages”; “our active social justice and peace ecumenical ministries”; “the involvement of youth with all aspects of parish life.” In August 2002 Phase II of parish construction began, with the groundbreaking for Assisi Hall taking place on September 25.
In the following year, thanks to special gifts the parish received, Phase III of construction began ahead of schedule; this part of the work included renovation of the old parish hall into office space and a conference room (the older Ministry Center, now linked physically to Assisi Hall, became classrooms). Serious delays resulted from the discovery of mold in the old parish hall, but, with the help of experts in such matters, the project moved forward. In June 2003 an important St. Francis ministry to seniors was announced—similar to the earlier “Young at Heart” group and continuing to the present day—namely, lunch after the noon Mass on one Wednesday each month.
January 11, 2004, was the date of the dedication of the new Assisi Hall, and it was a major milestone in the life of the parish; Bishop Sullivan of Richmond celebrated Mass with approximately 600 in the congregation. Thus the renovation and expansion of St. Francis, first contemplated eight years before, reached its conclusion.
The interior of Assisi Hall, which is used for large parish meetings, adult education classes, parish dinners and receptions, and wedding receptions
No one could have known during the planning and construction how useful the space would become, but the parish wasted no time in enjoying its new quarters—CCD and adult education classes, along with other groups that had been using space at Guardian Angel (now known as Guardian Angel Regional Catholic School), moved back to St. Francis in February. The Ministry Center section of the complex (the former convent facing North August Street) is used to house Sacred Page bookstore, the St. Francis library, and various CCD classes on Sundays.
Another current fixture of life at St. Francis began in 2004, the Stewardship Fair, an effort to explain all the ministries in which laypeople can participate in the parish and to encourage all parishioners to become involved. On the feast of the Annunciation (March 25, 2004), an Italian marble statue of the Virgin and Child, located in a prominent place outside the south church wall, was blessed; it had been given in memory of Judy and Bill Fisher. In July of 2004 Kimberly Newcomb, who had been Pastoral Associate for two years, left her position and was replaced by Alexa Kempson, who served on the parish staff until 2012. In 2004 parish records reveal a greater emphais on the Hispanic ministry at St. Francis. As early as 1997, the pastor, Father Abe, had begun celebrating Masses in Spanish on a monthly basis, and in October 2004 the parish began offering classes on English as a second language for its Spanish-speaking members. The year 2004 also saw an updating of the parish website, first developed five years earlier, as well as the arrival of Deacon James Kledzik, who had moved from California to Staunton and became the first permanent deacon to serve at St. Francis. He continued assisting with the parish’s prison and hospital ministries, serving at the liturgy, and preparing parishioners for baptisms, marriages, and annulments until he retired in 2017.
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