St. Mary of the Immaculate Conception, Fredericksburg – Arlington Catholic Herald

Whats distinctive about your parish? What is your parishs charism? St. Mary of the Immaculate Conception Church and its school, Holy Cross Academy (pre-K-8), are large and dynamic. With more than 18,000 parishioners, its a unique parish with a small-town feel. Located in the historic town of Fredericksburg, the community is vibrant and filled with many programs created to assist folks in the city and the surrounding counties of Stafford and Spotsylvania. The parishs charisms are service and prayer, which are powerfully witnessed by their collaborations with, and support of, the Fredericksburg Regional Food Bank, Thurman Brisben Homeless Shelter, Micah Ecumenical Ministries, Catholic Charities Migration and Refugee Services, Marys Shelter, Birthright of Fredericksburg and St. Vincent de Paul Society, to name a few. Increased adoration and confession hours and opportunities for more frequent reception of Holy Communion add zeal to an already active parish.

Is there a special way your parish encourages and supports faith formation? An intentional emphasis on cultivating and supporting marriages and families, as domestic churches, has begun to grow over the past several years with the creation of new ministries: Marriage Ministries in both English and Spanish; That Man is You (stressing the role of fatherhood/manhood); the Cana Family Group (small communities of families gathering to share the Gospel and encourage family life); and Special Blessings (specific support/activities for families with special needs children). The surge in family ministries has added to the more than 80 ministries that already exist and make St. Marys a place where everyones gifts are needed and welcomed.

Whats the one unique thing visitors to your parish should do or see while there? Our pastor, Father Jon P. Mosimann, has an impressive collection of more than 900 crucifixes from around the world. He began collecting interesting crucifixes from his travels. Over the years, parishioners caught on, gifting him crosses from their homelands and travels. They are displayed in our Courtyard Meeting Room and throughout the parish offices. One can easily spend hours gazing at Our Lord and appreciating the various cultural expressions that depict him.

With 11 Masses celebrated every weekend, and the churchs proximity to I-95, we have many visitors visiting the charming town of Fredericksburg. They often remark how friendly our greeters and parishioners are. We are proud of our southern hospitality.

Is there a standout or longtime staff member or volunteer youd like to tell us about? One of the gems at St. Mary, is Elaine Stanislawski. She has worked at the parish as the business manager for more than 27 years. Her wealth of information is extraordinary and her ability to juggle countless details with such accuracy is a gift to the parish family. Elaine has served under four pastors and worked with more than 28 priests and deacons. When asked how she has served so long and with such goodness, her response was simply, It is all by Gods grace. Elaine is married to Joe, her husband of more than 51 years, and has two sons, Adam and Jason, and four beautiful grandchildren. She is a fully professed member of the Immaculate Heart of Mary Secular Order of Discalced Carmelites.

Parish Information

St. Mary of the Immaculate Conception Catholic Church

1009 Stafford Ave.

Fredericksburg

540/373-6491

Website: stmaryfred.org

Mass Times: Daily M-F: 6:30 a.m., 9 a.m. M/W/F: noon

Saturday: 9 a.m., First Fridays 8 p.m.

Sunday Masses: Saturday Vigil, 5p.m.; Sunday 7 a.m., 8:30 a.m., 10:30 a.m., 12:30 p.m., 2:30 (Spanish), 5 p.m. and 7 p.m., and Holy Cross Academy, 8:30 a.m. and 10:30 a.m.

Confession

Wednesdays 11:30 a.m.-12 p.m., 6:30-8:30 p.m. in the church.

Saturdays 8-8:30 a.m. and 3:30-4:30 p.m. in the Parish Life Center.

Pastor: Fr. John Mosimann

Parochial vicars: Fr. Sean Koehr, Fr. Michael Folmar, Fr. Scott Sina, Fr. Phillip Cozzi,

Deacons: Deacon Alberto Bernaola, Deacon Dick Delio

Parish was originally established in 1858 and moved to its current location in 1971.

Total parishioners: 18,000

Holy Cross Academy

250 Stafford Lakes Pkwy.

Stafford

540/286-1600

Website: holycrossweb.com

PreK-8th grade

Total Students: 480

Principal: Stephen Fry

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St. Mary of the Immaculate Conception, Fredericksburg - Arlington Catholic Herald