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PARISH PROFILE
 St. Edward’s, Pulaski: Used to taking care of themselves
By Jean Denton
Special to The Catholic Virginian
The parishioners of St. Edward’s Catholic Church in Pulaski are perfectly happy having one weekend Mass at 11 a.m. every Sunday.
That might make it difficult to hold any Christian formation programs afterward because by the time the recessional is sung it’s lunchtime. But as longtime parishioner Katy Kirk points out, for the small faith community that for years was a “mission church,” Catholics in Pulaski “are just so appreciative that we’ve been able to have a priest here every Sunday. We try to make it easy for the priest to come.”
Indeed Father Charles Faul, who is pastor, makes a hasty exit from St. Mary’s in Wytheville on Sunday mornings to get there. But he appears relaxed and at home when he processes up the aisle to begin Mass in Pulaski with Deacon Barney Jennings who also serves both parishes.
As for being made easy, apparently it is enough that Father Faul offers special adult formation series at St. Edward’s each Advent and Lent. In fact, he’s enthusiastic about the sessions.
 “Attendance is tremendous,” he said noting that sometime there are up to 20 participants, a sizable number for a parish of only 70 households.
Yes, St. Edward’s was a mission church for many years, variously connected to St. Jude’s in Radford, St. Mary’s in Blacksburg and St. Mary’s in Wytheville.
But it always has had its own identity and long has paid its own way—to the extent that nobody knows for sure when it actually shed its so-called “mission” status.
Three families made up the Catholic community in Pulaski in 1939, but after World War II the construction of the Radford Army Ammunition Plant nearby brought more Catholics to the area.
In the 1950s the Catholic population had grown to 25 families who met in various buildings in town and was served by the pastor from Blacksburg. While Father Leo Fohl was pastor, land was purchased and construction begun on St. Edward’s which was completed and dedicated in 1964.
A new sanctuary was added — the previous worship space became the social hall — in 1998. The building is completely paid for, including the latest renovations to the social hall made in 2004.
Father Faul, who has been there for two and a half years, pointed out that the facilities available in the church are outstanding for a congregation of such small size.
 “The people here are extraordinarily generous,” he said. “They are into sacrificial giving, whether it’s time, talent or treasure.”
Parishioner Linda McGee, who serves on the finance council and is church bookkeeper, added, “We are also conservative in our spending and doing what work we can on our own.”
She explained that, for example, church members handle all the cleaning, maintenance and groundskeeping chores. And this year parishioner Stan Stanley will publish a “homemade” pictorial parish directory, she said.
“We’re used to taking care of ourselves,” Ms. Kirk said, explaining that it comes with the territory of being a small parish where every member, by necessity, must have an active hand in more than one ministry. Training for liturgical and catechetical ministry comes largely through Region 10 programs.
Being free of debt and self-sufficient is a good thing for a church in Pulaski, a town currently in the throes of an economic downturn, punctuated in recent months by the closing of a key manufacturing company.
The town, incorporated in 1886, has a slowly ebbing population of about 9,000. Built on the textile and furniture manufacturing industries, it was well-known as the home of Pulaski Furniture Company, a thriving major employer since 1955.
 But in April the firm announced it was closing the bulk of its operations in Pulaski at a cost of nearly 400 jobs.
Noting that Pulaski is situated among the scenic mountains in the New River Valley, parishioner Peggy Jarrells said church members hope the area will draw a portion of the influx of retirees into the valley. But so far that hasn’t been the case.
She added that the community’s young people rarely return to live in their hometown after going away to college.
Parish leaders noted that while membership numbers have dipped slightly, St. Edward’s parishioners haven’t been directly affected by the local economic plight. But the church community has responded to the growing needs of their neighbors who have been hard hit, through generous, continuing outreach.
Ms. McGee explained that much of St. Edward’s social ministry is done in ecumenical collaboration with other Pulaski church congregations. Notable is the community’s “Daily Bread” ministry which provides a hot meal everyday to more than 100 people in need.
While St. Edward’s Parish is responsible for the meal once a month — cooking, serving and cleanup — many members participate individually in the ministry more often.
 Also, the parish has budgeted monthly contributions to the area Women’s Resource Center, for battered and abused women; New River Community Action, which provides emergency financial assistance, and the local Free Clinic. St. Edward’s extremely active Women’s Club also donates proceeds from much of its work to Beulah House, a hospice for the terminally ill in Dublin.
Ms. Jarrells, who leads parish care ministry and is active with the Women’s Club, pointed out that the club raises a lot of funds by participating with other Pulaski churches in the “Lord’s Acre Association.”
She said the organization offers the work of members’ hands — through their crafts, gardens and baked goods — at a sale every September to benefit local charities. Through it, the St. Edward’s Women have supported Beulah House as well as providing for important parish needs such as the renovation of the social hall kitchen.
Chris Smith, one offive parish youth who graduated from Pulaski High School this year, said that the church’s young people also collaborate with other local congregations in ministry of service.
 Asked about the St. Edward’s “youth group” he shrugged, “There just aren’t that many of us, so we do things with other groups here or once in a while we’ll do something with other Catholic youth in the region.”
Ms. Kirk, who leads the parish Christian formation program, said Chris’ class was unusually large. After they were confirmed a year ago, she noted, the entire K–12 faith formation program now has three children.
“People in larger parishes can’t understand how we can do this,” Fr. Faul laughed, “but in small parishes we’re used to it — you just remain very fluid in your program.”
Ms. Kirk added that sometimes when Confirmation or RCIA class numbers are very small, candidates join with neighboring parishes for instruction.
While St. Edward’s practices cooperation and collaboration with other church communities, Ms. McGee emphasized that the parish also is “very cohesive.”
 Pastoral council chair John Balconi agreed. “Everybody knows everybody and we help each other out,” he said.
Notable among parish traditions are their potluck dinners after Mass on the second Sunday of every month. Called “S.A.M.” for “social after Mass,” the dinners are popular and well attended.
Maybe that’s a benefit of Mass ending at lunchtime, but Ms. Jarrells, who has been a St. Edward’s parishioner since 1964, said the community meal has been a mainstay from those very earliest years when the dinners were held in members’ homes.
“We love to eat together at St. Edward’s,” she said.
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Copyright © 2006 The Catholic Virginian Press. Articles from Catholic News Services, including Fr. Dietzen’s column, may not be reproduced here due to copyright considerations.
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