Thirty-Five Years on the Move

People of faith - like all human beings - mark their lives by events, which gather the community to celebrate and realize who they are. This year, Christ the Redeemer Parish celebrates thirty-five years since its beginnings.

Anniversaries such as these allow us a present moment to take a look backward where we come from. From the present vantage point, we can also peer into the future with hope. In February of 1972, a small community of parishioners gathered for the first time to celebrate the Eucharist together. The parish was new in the newly developing area of Sterling Park.

Stories from original parishioners would lead us to believe that the early community was very much the People of God. They were a cross between what Vatican Council II would freshly name “Pilgrim People” or vagabond. Just like the early Christian community, Christ the Redeemer met in their homes, in bank basements, and in local schools. They were people on the move, with lots of enthusiasm for the tasks of worship, religious education, and outreach within their newly-built community. The hub of this activity was two houses on N. York Road, where the Friars came to live and minister, and where the parish offices/chapel allowed at least for a centralized address.

From the beginning, Christ the Redeemer was the people. Religious Education was in neighborhood homes and groupings. Only on Sunday was the whole parish visible when the parishioners gathered to worship. Sometimes, the community met at the First Baptist Church of Sterling for Saturday night Mass. Other times, the worshipping community met at the Sterling Middle School or later at Park View High School. Some would lead us to believe that these were utopian times, somewhat like the idyllic community of the Acts of the Apostles. The reality was lots of hard working and generous people, serving the community, carrying

books and altars, and sharing the faith with the many young families of the parish.

Taking Shape
In 1980, the community managed to get a church and office structure up out of the ground. The invisible had taken shape and the community became a bit less pilgrim and vagabond. The church had a place to work out of, but religious education and outreach to the community continued with enthusiasm. The parish was still the people.

As Sterling Park and Eastern Loudoun continued to emerge as a very visible and very active place, Christ the Redeemer grew with the community and within the people. Again, people came forward with ideas, finances, and enthusiasm to take on further construction. In February 2000, the shape of Christ the Redeemer rose with numerous roof lines, under which was the present large sanctuary, a chapel, offices, educational and social space. The parish, however, continued to be a welcoming place for God’s People.

In the Present
Anniversaries are more than nostalgia. Christ the Redeemer, in celebrating thirty-five years, can be thankful in remembering what God accomplished with us for those years. As we gather for worship next weekend, for the dinner, and for our parish picnic, we are very much in the present moment. Anniversaries are for gathering people. Take a look around – who is praying with you, who is eating and drinking with you, who are our families and friends with a shared heart and story. Christ the Redeemer was a blessed naming of our community, for among all of us we find Christ himself.

Remember the Easter Candle which we bless at the Great Vigil with the words: “Christ yesterday and today, Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end, yours are the times and seasons, now and forever.” Let the People of CTR say: “Amen.”

CDH