A Church with a Rich, Historical, and Legacy

The Beginning

1923

By the early 20th century, Highland Park had become the community of choice for many immigrants from Italy, Germany, and Poland who settled here and chose Richmond to be their home. Among these immigrants were many Catholic families. At the time, there was no Catholic Church nearby, so these Catholic families attended St. Peter’s on Grace Street in downtown Richmond or other parishes around the city. In the Spring of 1922, an organizational meeting about a prospective new church was held at the Sitterding Estate at 925 Fourqurean Lane.

The official establishment date of St. Elizabeth’s Parish was July 3, 1923. Fr. Louis A. Rowen was appointed the first pastor. Services were originally held in the Sitterding residence, where the first floor had been converted for use as a chapel that included a sacristy. Upstairs were the living quarters for the pastor.

The Church

1925

The Sitterding residence was initially rented, but later was given for use by the Parish for free. It was eventually purchased for St. Elizabeth by the Diocese of Richmond. It did not take long before a building committee was appointed to research the construction of a new church. Frank Newhiser and Fred Allen were elected Chairman and Secretary-Treasurer, respectively. Other committee members included William Brennan, Raphael Oeters, Sr., James Rennie, and Louis Wittkamp. Our new Parish was fortunate to have an architect as a parishioner. William H. Rhodes worked in cooperation with his Richmond firm to design the building. Joseph Heye, another Richmond architect, donated our beloved stained-glass window, depicting St. Elizabeth of Hungary, that has brought joy to so many of our parish members through the years.

In early 1925, the cornerstone of the church was laid. The first Mass in the new church was celebrated on Christmas Day, 1925 by Rev. Louis A. Rowen.

The School

1930 – 1936

The year 1930 saw the establishment of the first school at 925 Fourqurean Lane. This school was staffed by three Daughters of Charity of St. Vincent de Paul. In 1936, during the Great Depression, the school was closed, and the children were transferred to St. Paul’s School, located in nearby Barton Heights. St. Elizabeth Church purchased a school bus that transported the children to and from St. Paul’s School every day.

Re-Opening The School

1947 – 1951

By 1947, St. Paul’s School, which had graciously received the children of the closed St. Elizabeth School reached their capacity and could no longer enroll our new students. It was time for St. Elizabeth’s to reopen a school for its own children. The school again occupied the first floor of the former rectory, with the convent occupying the upstairs. Unfortunately, it soon became apparent that the building was no longer adequate for a school. At length, City authorities notified the Parish that the building was too overcrowded, and conditions were no longer safe or sanitary. Thus, the school was ordered to close at the end of the school year in June 1950. With the approval of Bishop Ireton, Fr. Mitchell initiated a successful campaign to raise sufficient funds to build a new school that would be adequate for our children. The floor plans provided for the nine classrooms necessary for an elementary school, kindergarten through the 8th Grade. In addition, there was a Principal’s Office, a student health clinic, and a cafeteria large enough to seat all the children (which could also be used as an auditorium and a recreation room during bad weather).

St. Elizabeth School was finally completed and dedicated on January 1, 1951, and it opened the next day, January 2, 1951.

The Rectory

1950s

During the efforts to build a new school, the house across the street from the parish at 1301 Victor St. was purchased to be used as the Parish Rectory. To this day the rectory has remained in the same location, now renovated to serve as the Parish Office.

A Changing Community

1960s

During the 1960’s and 1970’s, the Highland Park neighborhood experienced a dramatic change due to the effects of integration. As many residents left Highland Park for the suburbs or other areas of Richmond, the neighborhood became predominantly Black. St. Elizabeth Parish also experienced this change, and we lost many members. Several priests served the Parish as these changes continued.

In 1969, Bishop Russell decided to close St. Joseph’s Church in Jackson Ward due to his desire to promote integration in the Richmond parishes. St. Joseph’s was the preeminent Black Catholic Community in Richmond, and its abrupt closing caused this close-knit community much sadness and hardship. However, it proved to be a blessing to St. Elizabeth’s, as those families who joined our Parish became the backbone of an integrated, social justice-centered community of believers that has lasted and has continued into the next century.

During this period (1962-1965), the Universal Church was also on the move. Pope John XXIII called for and convened a new ecumenical council, Vatican II, to address the Church’s role in the modern world and to affect a spiritual renewal within the Church.

Unity/Umoja

1978 -1980

During 1978, under the pastorship of Fr. Michael Schmied, the sanctuary and the church hall were renovated according to the liturgical restoration called for by Vatican II and new parish ministries began to flourish. The result expressed the needs of a racially and economically diverse Catholic community in an urban neighborhood. Our parish motto of “Unity/Umoja,” which we adopted during this period, expresses our conviction that a multiracial parish family can work together to build God’s Kingdom

Gospel Choir

1978

In May 1978, Fr. Mike Schmied, when he was pastor, encouraged Ed and Brenda Foster to form a gospel choir to enhance our Parish celebrations, and thus the Saint Elizabeth Gospel Choir was started in September of 1978. Our parishioners received gospel music with much joy, and over the years, our choir has become well known beyond our Parish boundaries.

School Closed

1982 – 1983

In 1982, the school closed and the students moved to the newly named All Saints School, formerly St. Paul’s School. The old convent was destroyed by fire in September of 1983 and a year later, the school building was sold.

First Black Pastoral Coordinator

1990 – 2004

St. Elizabeth was one of the first parishes in the Diocese of Richmond to be assigned a Pastoral Coordinator. Sister Cora Marie Billings, RSM. who was also Director of the Office for Black Catholics at the time, served from June 1990 until December 2004. Sr. Cora was the first African-American woman to serve as a Pastoral Coordinator in the United States Catholic Church.

Renovation & Restoration

2006 – 2007

In 2006 – 2007, the church again underwent major renovation and restoration after the ceiling in the sanctuary collapsed, destroying the altar and its surroundings. With monetary help from all over the country and the encouragement and support from our parish family, we were able to overcome the challenges of these daunting repairs and by Holy Week of 2007, we were once more able to worship in our sanctuary. As Scripture continually reminds us: “With God, ALL things are possible.”

PASTORS & PASTORAL COORDINATOR OF ST. ELIZABETH PARISH

  • Rev. Louis Rowen, 1923-1937

  • Rev. Michael J. Cannon, 1937-1947

  • Rev. Thomas A. Mitchell, 1947-1950

  • Rev. Leo J. Massei, 1950-1959

  • Rev. J. Louis Flaherty, 1959-1961

  • Rev. Joseph W. Hirsh, 1961-1966

  • Rev. Robert E. Nudd, 1966-1969

  • Rev. Rev. James L. Rizer, 1969-1972

  • Rev. Robert Howe, 1972-1977

  • Rev. Michael Schmied, 1977-1987

  • Rev. J. Stephen Hickman, 1987

  • Rev. Matthias Newell, 1987-1990

  • Sr. Cora Marie Billings, RSM, 1990-2004, (PC)

  • Rev. James Begley, 2004-2005

  • Rev. Robert Brownell, 2005-2006

  • Rev. Andrew Sagayam, 2006-2007

  • Msgr. Walter Barrett, 2007-2008

  • Rev. Andrew Sagayam, 2008-2010

  • Rev. Francois Babulu, 2010-2012

  • Rev. James Arsenault, 2012-present