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By LISA G. CURRIE
Rappahannock Nm Staff Writer
Sunday morning, with pomp and circumstance, the dedication of St. Peter’s Catholic Church officially opens the new building for worship.
The dedication of the 7,000-plus square-feet of sanctuary, reception hall and living quarters for Father Albert Verbeke, located on U.S. 211, just west of Washington, ends a long campaign for the congregation in Rappahannock.
And it begins a new life for the Catholic family.
The 10 a.m. dedication is open to the public with reception following. Both are followed by an open house from 3 to 5 p.m.
The morning service is a mass with Bishop Keating sprinkling holy water and giving the sermon, or homily. Master of ceremonies is Rev. James Verrechia with celebrants Rev. Joe Giordano and Father Verbeke.
Readers are Richard Viguerie, Pamela Lynn and Charles Hibl. Ushers are Don Carroll, Paul Bachi, George Bain, Jim Ryan and Leo Wharton. Music is provided by Kathy Tester with vocalists Scott Tester and Kristin Hibl.
The 90-minute service, coming during the austerity of the season of Lent, opens a new chapter in the history of the Catholic Church in Rappahannock County.
Mass was first held in Rappahannock in 1979 with Father Maurice du Castillon officiating.
The congregation met in the two small rooms, one serving as chapel, one as classrooms, in the building known as the school annex on the Carrigan property on Washington’s Mount Salem Avenue.
Over the years, the congregation grew and space become more limited.
Father Verbeke joined the congregation in 1987, forming a building committee to search for a new site.
The 25-acre plot was donated to the church by Mr. and Mrs. Ted Chapman of Washington.
Stephen L. Biegel of Lawrence and Lawrence Architects was awarded the contract for design.
Now, the bishop orders that “with the dedication of the new church, our former temporary authorization of the school annex, the Carrigan property, as a designated place for public worship, will terminate and will be transferred to the new site on a permanent basis.”
The Catholic congregation has a new home.
The elegance of the church is displayed in its simple design and tasteful decoration.
From the outside, the board-and-batten white exterior and pointed steeple illuminate the skyline and mountain view. Inside, the spacious lobby and parish office provide space for visitors and classrooms.
More classroom space, a reception hall, storage areas, bathroom and kitchen services are found to the rear of the sanctuary.
The wall dividing the sanctuary and the reception area iB an addition that can be removed if the nave, or congregation space, needs to be enlarged in years to come.
The reception area has an entrance of its own, to
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