by Steve Neill
of The Catholic Virginian

Like many older parishioners of St. Gabriel Parish in Chesterfield, Tecla Curcio moved to Virginia from the Northeast to be with her daughter who had taken a job in Richmond.

She expected life would be different for her from what she left in Long Island, N.Y., but she says she was really amazed at what she found when she first came to Mass at St. Gabriel’s.

“I remember the first day I came here,” she told The Catholic Virginian. “When I arrived, I knew I had found my home.

“Everyone was so friendly and people who didn’t know me said ‘hello,’” she added.

Mrs. Curcio, who had retired as assistant director of Human Resources at Hofstra University before moving to Chesterfield, said she went to church every Sunday in New York but parishioners there immediately left the church when Mass was over because a new group of worshippers were waiting to come in. Nobody lingered.

“I’ve found not only a home, but I’ve found a new family,” she said of her family at St. Gabriel’s.

Father Pasquale “Pat” Apuzzo, pastor of St. Gabriel’s which has about 900 households, smiled when he heard Mrs. Curcio’s comments.

“The beauty of the parish is that it is very mixed in regard to age,” he said. “There are a lot of retired people who move here largely from the Northeast to be with their children.

“But there are also lots of children — 80 are making their first Communion this year.”

In addition, Father Apuzzo says St. Gabriel’s is a “very ethnic parish” since many parishioners are grandchildren of immigrants from Europe. Hispanics come largely from Puerto Rico, Mexico and Cuba. There are also a number of Filipino families. The receptionist is Elena Varela, originally from Uruguay.

During a visit to St. Gabriel’s on March 14 Blake Cooksey, a 16-year-old student at Cosby High School in Chesterfield, approached The Catholic Virginian after Mass to express why he wants to be confirmed this spring. A member of St. Gabriel’s since it was established in 1997, he asserted he is being confirmed of his own free will and not because of pressure from the parish or his family.

“I want to be confirmed because I love being a Catholic,” Blake said. “I want to extend my faith with God and Jesus and let them guide me through my entire life.”

Blake says he often reads the Bible.

“I think the Bible is a great book,” he said. “I can open up the Bible and just start reading.

“I actually take whatever the moral of the story is and apply it to my life and make it a part of me.” One of four children, Blake has two brothers and a sister. They and his parents form his nuclear family, but he is quick to point out that he considers fellow parishioners part of his extended family.

“They’re fun to talk to because everyone is like a big family,” he said. “There are no strangers here.”

Christian formation is a key component of parish life.

Returning to the 80 children preparing for first Penance and first Communion, Father Apuzzo said that parents of these youngsters are engaged in their formation.

“Their parents attend with them, they don’t just get dropped off,” he said.

In fact, the period of First Penance lasts through Lent and First Communion lasts throughout the spring and summer.

“We don’t have the one Mass because the kids have a more intimate and more memorable celebration when the group is smaller,” Father Apuzzo explained. “I introduce them by name and the congregation applauds them.”

St. Gabriel’s has a program of whole parish catechesis one part of which an event known as The Feast is just one facet. Families with young children gather several times a year at the church, but single members meet with them as well, often sitting at the same table.

“The Feast is not religious education,” Father Apuzzo said. “It supports it.”

Religious education classes for various grade levels meet in the church in the evenings and in the afternoon. Confirmation candidates also attend separate religious education classes for their grade level and participate in The Feast and Mass.

“When they get together for classes, we encourage them to interact and share their faith,” Father Apuzzo said, adding there are adult facilitators.

Adult-centered formation is also a major strength of St. Gabriel’s.

“Adult formation strengthens the formation of our children and our teens,” Father Apuzzo said. “We encourage parents to bring faith into their homes.”

With this in mind, St. Gabriel’s considers the first Sunday of the month Sabbath Sunday.

“We don’t schedule anything that afternoon because we want the day free for people to do things together as family or as a neighborhood cluster,” Father Apuzzo said. “We suggest activities to focus on their faith at home.”

Lisa Gorton, minister of adult formation, spoke of a pilot program with the Diocese initiated by Emily Filippi, diocesan director of Christian Formation.

“We are interested in extending what we do and how we do it for others and also learn what we can from others,” Ms. Gorton said.

“I know the reason we put such an emphasis on adult formation is because parents are the first catechists of their children,” she asserted.

“We do believe Christian formation is an ongoing process,” she continued. “We don’t graduate, it’s a life-long journey.”

Richard Maume is minister of children’s and youth formation,

Among the many support groups at St. Gabriel’s is SOS, Support Our Service members. Mike and Debbie Miles, whose 28-year-old son, Sean, was killed in Iraq while serving as a squad leader with the U.S. Marine Corps, were asked by Father Apuzzo to head the ministry which supports families with a loved one loved serving in the armed forces.

“We felt that the best way we can do this is to let the service man or woman know that there is somebody in the parish for their family,” Mr. Miles told The Catholic Virginian.

Parishioners connected with SOS might do something as simple as shoveling snow or repairing a leaky pipe at the home of a family whose son or daughter or husband or wife is on duty, he suggested.

“We also wanted to let the parish know we stand in support of these families and show our appreciation of them,” Mr. Miles said.

He recalled that last Memorial Day Father Apuzzo blessed all those who had past or present connections with military service “and a good half of the parish stood up for the blessing.”

Parishioners who want to show support are encouraged to send a card or letter to a service man or woman serving in Iraq or Afghanistan.

Another support group is a group known as WINGS, an acronym for Women in God’s Spirit. The group, which has about 100 members, meets every Wednesday morning right after 9 a.m. Mass with an average of about 75 women each week. There is a nursery for pre-schoolers which allows young mothers to come for fellowship and prayer support.

“We get speakers for each meeting,” said Lois Miles, adding that the speakers are asked to come up with two or three questions people at each table can discuss.

There is another group called GIFTS meant to give similar support for women who work during the day.

Outreach to the community is another part of St. Gabriel’s ministry. Soon after Easter St. Gabriel’s will be hosting a group of homeless people through CARITAS and providing them an evening meal for an entire week. The arrangements are being handled by Bear and Madeline Bryan and Bill and Marge Yanovitch.

This involvement has been an annual event at St. Gabriel’s for at least 10 years, says William “Bear” Bryan, a charter member of the parish, who added the guests will sleep on cots in the sanctuary.

“We’ll take down the chairs and make room available for them,” he said.

Food will be prepared by parishioners and brought in each night for an evening meal. Two volunteers will spend the night at the church with the visitors.

Ecumenism and interfaith relations are under the wing of Bobbie Gerold, a Parish Ecumenical Representative and co-facilitator of the diocese’s Central Vicariate.

“I am blessed with the full support of my pastor which is so important — and that includes a budget,” Mrs. Gerold said.

St. Gabriel’s held a dialogue between Christians and Muslims which involved the youth.

A bereavement ministry is being initiated at St. Gabriel’s.

“It’s a real need in our parish,” Mrs. Gerold said. “There are so many older people who move down here to be with their adult children and grandchildren. Two of these people lost their spouses within two or three months of their coming here.”

In keeping with the family environment at St. Gabriel’s, parishioners celebrated the Feast of the Annunciation (by the Angel Gabriel) on March 25 “with a party to celebrate who we are,” David Modena said.

“There was music, food and a good time for all.”

back to top