“...it is really lovely to be in a company, to journey on in a large company of all the centuries, to have friends in Heaven and on earth and to be aware of the beauty of this Body, to be happy that the Lord has called us in a Body and has given us friends."

Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI
4 March 2011

Holy Family was established as a parish on November 14, 1952, when the Quonset building on the parking lot behind the Dollar Store on 23rd Parkway was dedicated as a temporary church by Cardinal O’Boyle. On November 24, 1956, on a nearby hill up the road, the highest point in Hillcrest Heights, on land given by William Carrigan to the Archdiocese of Washington, ground was broken for the construction of a church. One year later, on Novemeber 27, 1957, the church and parish building were completed and dedicated by Archbishop O’Boyle. 

Eleven years later, on March 7, 1967, a fire of unknown origin destroyed the roof and did extensive damage to the interior of the church.  After investigation, it was decided that a complete rebuilding was necessary.  Nearby Shugart School (which closed its doors in 2009) was used as a temporary church until renovations were completed in October of 1967.

The pastor and council began discussing plans for building another church, since this was the original plan that was decided upon when the parish was established.  Some parishioners felt the rebuilt church was adequate and others felt that a new church should be built according to the prior agreement of earlier members.  After many meetings and much discussion a parish opinion pool was taken and by majority vote a plan was submitted to the Cardinal for approval.

On April 5, 1970, ground was broken for the new church.  The early parishioners were so happy that the permanent church was going to be built on the site of the property where one could view the Nation’s capital.

The new church was dedicated by Cardinal O’Boyle on May 16, 1971.

St Padre Pio, a Franciscan priest and miracle-worker, was born in Italy in 1887. He entered the Capuchin Order at the age of 15, and at the age of 30, received the stigmata, just as St Francis had, the wounds of Christ miraculously present in his very flesh, on his hands, feet and side. These wounds could be seen underneath bloody bandages as he celebrated public Mass at the Capuchin convent at St Giovanni Rotondo, in southern Italy. Padre Pio soon became known as someone who could read souls in the confessional, who could heal the sick and combat demons -- almost like a figure out of the pages of Scripture!

So what is his connection with Holy Family?

In the summer of I944, William Carrigan, a young Irish-American from Maryland, serving with the Red Cross in Italy, survived the Battle of Anzio -- where the Allies had landed in Italy and defeated the Fascist Italian forces. Carrigan believed that God had spared and saved him. He heard of a wonder-worker priest in southern Italy, a certain Padre Pio, and resolved to go visit him and ask him what he should do for God.

Carrigan found his way there and met with St. Pio. After Carrigan told him the thoughts in his heart, Padre Pio asked him if there was something he could give to the Church. Carrigan mentioned that he owned some beautiful property in rural Maryland, just outside of Washington, on a hilltop overlooking the city. He had thought before of how wonderful it would be if this property could be a place where people could come together to adore Christ in the Blessed Sacrament -- like that Biblical image of the shining city on a hill. Padre Pio told Carrigan that this was indeed what he should do. He then gave him a Miraculous Medal of Mary, and told him to bury it on the property, and to ask the Blessed Mother for her prayers that God would bring this dream about -- and he told Carrigan that he would pray for this intention too.

After the war ended, Carrigan returned home and buried the miraculous medal he had received from Padre Pio on the hilltop property. And he prayed. Carrigan then contacted the Archdiocese of Washington and spoke of his desire to have the property become a place for a new church. In 1948, Archbishop O'Boyle visited the hilltop to survey the area. There Carrigan told the Archbishop of his dream. Archbishop O'Boyle was moved by his request, accepted the gift, and soon after designated the property for the building of a new parish church. In 1952, the Archbishop directed Fr. Joseph Gedra, our first pastor, to establish the parish of Holy Family on the property, just as a new neighborhood called Hillcrest Heights was being built in the surrounding area. On November 14th, 1952, the parish was canonically established and Masses began to be regularly celebrated in a local Quonset nearby on the 23rd Parkway. Finally, on November 27th, 1957, the first church, rectory, school, and convent were finished and Holy Family officially opened its doors and celebrated its first Mass on the hilltop property -- in no small part, thanks to the generosity of William Carrigan and the prayers of St Pio, our patrons!