THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Thursday, June 6, 1996 TAG: 9606040099
SECTION: NORFOLK COMPASS PAGE: 16 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY JOAN C. STANUS, STAFF WRITER
LENGTH: 126 lines
THIS MONTH, parishioners at Holy Trinity Catholic Church are celebrating the 75th anniversary of the church's founding. The congregation gathered Sunday for Mass celebrated by Bishop Walter F. Sullivan, followed by a picnic on the grounds. But despite the nature of anniversaries, parishoners cannot afford to merely reflect on their past.
Strapped with a debt of almost $100,000, the Ocean View parish has mounted a $375,000 fund-raising campaign as an investment in its future.
If secured, the money will be used to eliminate the lingering costs incurred from extensive 1985 renovations and to cover needed repairs and upgrades to the aging church and its adjoining grade school. Many of the church's ministries that have been ``short-changed'' in recent years also would receive additional allocations.
Parishioners admit raising the money will be tough, especially in a parish that has experienced a decline in numbers and prosperity in recent decades. During its peak in the 1970s and early '80s, some 1,500 families attended the church.
Today, Holy Trinity's numbers have shrunk by almost half. About 850 families now attend the church, and the school's enrollment is down as well. Roughly 200 children attend kindergarten through eighth grade.
But the parishioners' faith in the future of their church and its school is as strong as ever. Although only about $50,000 has been raised so far, some $265,000 has been pledged.
``We're a vibrant community as far as what we believe,'' said Father Lou Ruoff, the church's pastor. ``What we believe, we want our children to believe in, too. We realize raising this money will take a concerted effort . in our footsteps.''
Covering nearly half a block of Government Avenue, the church, its school and parish house for generations have served as the spiritual center of the Ocean View neighborhood. Many of the city's most prominent civic and community leaders have been parishioners, including city treasurer Joseph Fitzpatrick, who raised his family on nearby Cherry Street, nicknamed ``Vatican Row.'' Located several blocks from the church, the row of homes got its name because of the abundance of Catholic families who lived there.
Holy Trinity was established in 1917 as a mission of Saint Mary's Church. Catholics moving into the burgeoning resort neighborhoods along the Chesapeake Bay soon grew weary of traveling all the way downtown - a distance of 10 miles - to attend mass. So priests from the downtown church began holding services on alternate Sundays in the old Casino Theater, and later the dance hall, at Ocean View Park.
By 1919, the Catholics had moved their services to a vacant store on A View Avenue. That same year, the diocese named Father Robert Kealey parish pastor.
A year later, with a $7,500 donation, parishioners purchased property on the corner of First View Street and Government Avenue to build a church. In June 1921, construction was completed and the new sanctuary was dedicated.
Almost at once, Kealey began to make plans for a school and search for nuns to staff it. Eventually, four sisters of the Holy Cross Order agreed to run the school. In 1924, the school opened with 103 students.
After that, the church and its school grew rapidly, eventually gobbling up property along the street to expand the school, build a convent and erect offices. By 1927, a parish high school was opened, although it eventually closed in the late '50s. A gymnasium was built in 1939.
During and after World War II, Ocean View swelled in population and so did Holy Trinity. In the '50s, parishioners built a new church and rectory, constructed parking lots and made more changes in the school.
Like so many Catholic churches, Holy Trinity, too, suffered ``difficult times'' during the '60s and '70s, when faced with changes in society and Vatican edicts. The 1985 renovations, in fact, were made to comply with changes made in the practice of Catholicism.
But a core of dedicated parishioners - many of whom have attended the church for decades - have remained. Today, they operate such outreach programs as a food pantry that feeds some 2,500 hungry people a year and a day-care center for pre-schoolers. Volunteers from Holy Trinity also have been instrumental in founding and funding the nearby Haven Family Shelter for the homeless.
The parishioners received national attention in 1991 for a 24-hour peace vigil. After President Bush announced the initiation of Desert Storm, they kept dozens of candles lit in the church throughout the night.
Later that spring, Holy Trinity families created a Peace Garden next to the church. Children buried toy guns, battle photographs and other symbols of war, then planted 1,000 flowers in the shape of a peace sign over top of them. A memorial marks the site today.
``Part of our concern with peace is that we have a real connection to the military here,'' said Kay Fleetwood, a 30-year member of the church who serves as its minister of religious education. ``We have a large number of families who are active-duty or retired military. There's not anybody in the parish who doesn't have some connection to a war or later conflict.
``We feel as though peace is our most important project. At mass, we give the peace symbol. Peace is connected with everything else we do - reaching out to the homeless, lessening crime, violence and hunger. With peace comes prosperity.''
That's exactly what the parishioners are hoping will happen within their parish. As the city's planned revitalization of Ocean View begins to take shape, the church leadership is poised for an upswing in numbers and funding.
``The makeup of this church follows very closely the makeup of the Ocean View area,'' Fleetwood said. ``As the neighborhood declined, more people moved to Virginia Beach and Chesapeake. Now, with all the renovation going on, more families with children are moving back in. It's not at all uncommon for young couples to come in to register and say, `I went to school here.' The strong family connection in this parish is still in place. . . . We've definitely reached our lowest level because of the fluctuations in neighborhood.''
Hopes are high that settling the debt and making necessary repairs will help the church get back on a sound footing. New roofs are desperately needed for the church, school and parish house. Church leaders also would like to install central air conditioning and computer technology into classrooms.
``Our goal is for the school to be self-sufficient,'' Father Ruoff explained. ``It's not, right now. With buildings that are 45- and 50-years- old, a lot of work is needed.''
As a way to help raise funds to pay for repairs and improvements, a ``Living Tree'' was mounted on the sanctuary wall earlier this year. The wooden structure contains brass leaves engraved with the names of donors who contribute $150.
Even if the money is slow in coming, parishioners contend Holy Trinity will continue to thrive in spirit because of its strong legacy.
``This is a homey and loving parish,'' said Vera Hartig, a member since 1931. ``It's like family.'' ILLUSTRATION: Staff photo by JIM WALKER
``What we believe, we want our children to believe in, too,'' says
Father Lou Ruoff, pastor of Holy Trinity.
SPECIAL SERVICE
Holy Trinity Catholic Church will continue to celebrate its 75th
anniversary with a special musical program and evening prayer
service at 5 p.m. Sunday. The church is at 175 W. Government Avenue
in Ocean View. by CNB