In 1997, St. Rose of Lima celebrated its 25th Anniversary as a parish in the Archdiocese of Washington. Under the direction of Fr. Robert Duggan, a 25-year Master Plan was developed. It set forth a vision that would take our growing faith community into the future. The highlight of the Master Plan was the construction of a new parish church.
By mid-2000, funds were raised to make improvements to the Parish Centre and Historic Chapel and expand both the cemetery and parking lots. Fund raising continued towards new church construction and improvements to facilities. A lovely new Meditation Garden adjacent to the Historic Church became a long-awaited reality.
In 2004, Kerns Group Architects, P.C. completed plans for the new church. Unfortunately, there were insufficient funds to include both the Gathering Space/Narthex and the basement classrooms. Fr. Duggan and the Master Plan Committee made the difficult decision to finish the basement, providing much needed meeting and classroom space. The infrastructure for the Gathering Space was part of final church construction.
A prayerful, multicultural groundbreaking celebration took place on June 26, 2004 and construction by Kirby and Sons began in the fall of that year.
In 2005, Msgr. Paul Dudziak became the pastor of St. Rose. Construction continued into 2006 and on the weekend of June 3-4, 2006, the Solemn Rite of Dedication of a Church and Altar was celebrated in our new, sun-filled church.
During the last 10 years, St. Rose has experienced two more pastoral changes and undergone significant staff re-organization. Long-time parishioners have been joined by parishioners from around the globe forming a rich, multicultural faith community.
As a community, we have completed the St. Rose House, a residence which allows adults with challenges to live with dignity and support. The Parish Centre Woodlands Room was refurbished to host both parish events and outside-the-parish rental events. Most recently, the Historic Chapel has a beautifully renewed worship space.
In this very active congregation, our faith ministries now number nearly one hundred and the need for the Gathering Space to be joined to our church has become urgent.
Since 2012, serious fund raising and carefully managed debt reduction measures have been undertaken. Thanks to this brighter financial position, and the tireless efforts of our current pastor, Fr. Agustin Mateo, working with the St. Rose community and the Archdiocese of Washington, the completion of our Gathering Space is finally moving forward. Building plans are already drawn and approved. It is now our turn to fulfill the dream envisioned by so many St. Rose parishioners so many years ago. We will put the finishing touches on our Lord’s house.