Diocese of Virginia Bishop E. Mark Stevenson celebrated the Eucharist and called the Oct. 12 occasion “a glorious celebration of life, and the ministry that has been done in and by generations of faithful disciples in this congregation. One could sense the presence of all who have gone before, and fully anticipate with great joy all who are yet to worship in this holy place. It was a glorious day!”
“We were so happy to have a full church of both guests and parishioners, and the Bishop of Virginia and others from the Diocese of Virginia to worship together on this most special occasion – a truly once-in-a-lifetime event for Christ Church,” said Senior Warden Millie Travis.
Rooting a Local Parish
Gordonsville (pop.1400) is about 20 miles northeast of Charlottesville and 65 miles northwest of Richmond. According to a written history of Christ Church, Bolling Walker Haxall founded the church to serve local Episcopalians who had to travel to Orange or Somerset to worship.
One of Richmond’s wealthiest business owners, Haxall held the first services at Springfields, his Orange County estate. The Rev. Frank Garrett Scott became the congregation’s first priest in 1874, and Christ Church celebrated their new building on Oct. 10, 1875.
Haxall had given almost all the $5500 to construct and furnish the red brick church, considered an example of Gothic revival design. Haxall’s descendants helped sustain it.
After the church sacristy withstood a fire that ruined the organ in 1970, his niece donated a diamond ring that was sold to start the organ endowment fund. Christ Church bounced back from other hardships, like the 1988 embezzlement of endowment funds. Another prominent donor was Marion duPont Scott (1894-1983), the last private owner of Montpelier, James Madison’s home 10 miles north of the church on the Blue Ridge Turnpike.
A Festive Commemoration
The service featured a long title: “The Holy Eucharist with the Order of Reception for the Commemoration of the 150th Anniversary of the Dedication of Christ Church, Scott Parish.”
The day before the service, the celebration began with a gala catered event for the parish and invited guests on the church grounds and churchyard. Historic preservation has long been important at Christ Church: the wall around the churchyard was built in the early 1940s with bricks that dated to 1875.
In the service, the Rev. Dr. Halley Willcox preached, The Rev. Will Dickinson served as the minister of ceremonies and the Rev. Canon d’Rue Hazel as the bishop’s chaplain.
“Almighty God, to whose glory we celebrate the dedication of this house of prayer: we give you thanks for the fellowship of those who have worshiped in this place,” Stevenson prayed.
The service drew two former rectors at Christ Church – the Right Rev. Steven A. Miller and the Rev. Theodore McConnell. Also present was the Rev. Jane Barr, a former priest-in-charge. Supply Priests who served recently included the Rev. John Hogg and the Rev. Rick Lord. Two of Christ Church’s own—the Rev. Canon Loren Lasch, and her sister the Rev. Leslie Hague—were also in attendance. They shared fond remembrances of their years growing up in Christ Church, and received a warm welcome from many who knew them and “were delighted to have them back in our midst.”
The readings in the service reflected the occasion.
“How awesome is this place! This is none other than the house of God, and this is the gate of Heaven.” (Gen. 28:17)
“How dear to me is your dwelling, O Lord of hosts!” (Psalm 84)
“Let yourselves be built into a spiritual house.” (I Peter 2)
“My house shall be called a house of prayer.” (Matthew 21)
“Graciously receive our thanks for this place [and] for the Church universal, of which these visible buildings are the symbol,” the audience prayed in The Litany of Thanksgiving for a Church.
“We thank you Lord, for the faith of those who have gone before us and for our encouragement by their perseverance.”
The offering will be used for ongoing preservation projects for Christ Episcopal Church, and Greta Johnston Shaw and Lorrie Shaw Pollard gave the flowers “in loving memory of those who have given us our history, those who continue our legacy today, and those who will continue to serve God in this place.”
The closing hymn, “For all the saints” by Walsham How, dates to 1864, the era in which Christ Church was founded. Trumpeter Nick Survu highlighted the special music anchored by the choir of 20. Two choir members are in their 90s, and another ninety something is an active parishioner.
“I’m a relative newcomer,” said Travis, who joined 17 years ago.
Blessing the Community
Today, Christ Church has a very active outreach program. Members put on a summer book fair and fall clothing drive for the elementary school across the street, supply gift certificates at Thanksgiving and “Angel Tree” gifts for Christmas. The church also participates in town events including the July Fourth celebration, the Veterans Day parade, and annual Fried Chicken Festival.
Each week for three years, neighbors in need have emptied the provisions in the church’s “blessing box.”
“It’s literally a box on a pedestal near the church’s main entrance, and we fill it with everything from easy-to-eat canned food to personal hygiene items,” Travis said. “We strive to serve anyone in our community with needs that we can help meet as one of our ways of sharing Christ’s love for each one of us.”