ST. CHARLES PARISH REDEVELOPMENT
Schematic design of the new St. Charles.
PARISH VISION FOR REDEVELOPMENT
Our parish seeks more effectively to continue our mission to bring the joy of the Gospel to the heart of Arlington, maximizing the extraordinary value of our site by completely redeveloping our campus with a new church and a parish center comprising a variety of gathering spaces, parish offices, and a rectory-residence for the clergy. Our parish will partner with a prominent local developer through a long-term lease to support the financing of the redevelopment.
Four fundamental principles guide our parish’s vision for redevelopment:
a desire for inspiring beauty
the need for functionality
a commitment to welcoming outreach and generosity
a responsibility for sustainability
Beauty.
The parish will replace its bland Mid-Century Modern buildings with Romanesque-inspired architecture, with the façade of the church facing the public square and its belltower calling out: a compelling sign of the presence of God and his Church in the heart of the city, a site which draws people in.
Functionality.
The new parish center will include spaces well suited to host institutional programs, a variety of areas enhanced by advanced media, communications, and security, which include: large and medium event spaces; meeting rooms of different sizes; innovative office space for parish staff; a professional kitchen; a rectory for the priests; a café; and, a cloister–an oasis of calm in the middle of the city.
Outreach and Generosity.
The beauty and functionality of the site–a gorgeous church façade, a pleasant café, a quiet cloister, a variety of gathering spaces–will combine to enable the parish to welcome Catholics and non-Catholics alike, the well-to-do and the needy both, to encounter one another and the Gospel. A capital campaign will enable parishioners to be generous in supporting our effort.
Sustainability.
The parish will replace aging buildings and surface parking with structures built for longevity and efficiency, yielding sustainable energy sources and responsible energy use, effective waste management, and green spaces.
The entire parish redevelopment envisions an initial encounter with beauty (through the magnificent church and parish center exteriors) leading to an encounter with peace (when entering the church and cloister) and to an encounter with people (at liturgies, at different programs and events, at the café) which result in an encounter with community (personal and spiritual bonds formed with others and with God).
St. Charles Parish’s goal in redeveloping our parish site is more effectively to evangelize the faithful, the fallen-away, and the far away, building unity in faith and in charity among all who come to this holy place.