St. Ambrose demolition to start in August
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| An illustration of the new St. Ambrose church. |
Demolition of St. Ambrose Catholic Church’s main church building is expected to start in August. It will be replaced by a new church on the same footprint.
The new church, at 3901 Woodburn Road, Annandale, is expected to be completed in winter 2022-23.In a July 18 letter to parishioners, the pastor, Rev. Andrew Fisher, said Bishop Burbridge and the Diocese of Arlington gave final approval for a loan and the start of construction. “After almost 10 years of prayer and hard work, it is time to build!”
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| The existing church will be replaced. |
The church developed a master plan for the project in 2010, conducted a feasibility study in 2013, and began fundraising in 2014.
Initially, St. Ambrose planned to renovate the church, which was built in 1977, says business manager Carla Yaglou, but the building’s in-the-round format “doesn’t fit all the needs of our sacraments.” It’s also built on a slope, the roof has major issues, and the building needs extensive maintenance, so it made more sense to replace it.
On Sunday, July 25, St. Ambrose will celebrate its last mass in the current church, and on July 26, it will begin holding daily mass in the parish hall.
Fr. Fisher does the Sunday Mass at the Shrine of the Immaculate Conception which me and my husband watch and partake since we are seniors and can’t go to our church. He gives great homilies and is a good priest. I had 2 relatives my fathers brother priests at St. Hughes in Greenbelt, MD pastor and Msgr Casimir Losinski pastor of St. John’s in Clinton, MD. I also have a sister in the St. Benedictine Monastery in Bristow, Va. They are completing a new convent soon.