St. Mary of Sorrows Dedicates New Church
The new St. Mary of Sorrows church features a prominent cruciform shape.
St. Mary of Sorrows recently held a dedication ceremony for their newly constructed church in Fairfax, VA. Coakley & Williams Construction (CWC) served as the general contractor for the new worship space, which features a Cruciform shape and seats 1,200 people. Designed by McCrery Architects, the building also incorporates elements of the historic colonial buildings of Fairfax County.
Considered one of the most solemn liturgical services, the dedication ceremony was led by Bishop of Arlington Michael Francis Burbidge. Bishop Burbidge conveyed his appreciation for all who contributed to the building process:
Blessed objects were buried under the project site during construction.
Continuing a Legacy
The nave of the new church boasts a 45’ ceiling.
The new church consists of 17,341 sf and features a nave with 45’ ceilings, a partial basement and second story choir loft. The project includes a new forecourt leading to the building entry and portico, featuring load-bearing 16’ limestone columns that frame the entrance of the building.
The nave is also lined with 5’ tall pendant light fixtures which hang below an intricately finished coffered ceiling. The sanctuary at the west end of the building features a custom-made altar of sacrifice with marble imported from Italy.
Construction of the new church had been in the works since 2000 and broke ground in June 2019. St. Mary of Sorrows has a longstanding footprint in Fairfax; The original church was built in 1836 and was utilized by Clara Barton, founder of the American Red Cross, as a nursing station during the Civil War.
A Unique Opportunity
The CWC team was grateful for the opportunity to help build the new church. “It's a true honor to have been part of creating such a magnificent place of worship for the St. Mary of Sorrows Community, and we are grateful that we had an opportunity to work with partners like the parish, the Diocese of Arlington, and McCrery Architects. All the members of the project team should be very proud of this spectacular example of craftsmanship,” said Senior Vice President Terrence Caulfield.
Members of the CWC team attended the dedication service.
Project Team
Congratulations to the project team for all of their hard work on this project: William Simons (Project Executive), Jon Fox (Project Manager), Lauren Desiderio (Project Manager), Tyler Morris (Assistant Project Manager), Kenny Myers (Superintendent), Matt Taylor (Assistant Superintendent), Mei Shen (Project Accountant), Chris Harris (Safety Manager) and all partners involved.