When the faithful gathered Oct. 1 to celebrate the 100th anniversary of a small chapel at Fort Story, Virginia Beach, it reflected the “Little Way” of St. Thérèse of Lisieux, which encourages us to find God in the simple details of ordinary life.
“It was the belief of St. Thérèse that every flower in God’s garden is beautiful,” said Kyle Cottrell, one of the principal organizers of the celebration. “Not everyone is a rose, and she saw herself as the smallest, tiniest wildflower.”
The patronage of St. Thérèse is appropriate, then, for the little stone chapel by the sea that was consecrated on her feast day, Oct. 1, 1924, then a mission of Star of the Sea, Virginia Beach. A century later, the chapel is not used regularly, but it remains an inspiring place for the faithful at Fort Story, who now gather for Sunday Mass at the nearby First Landing Chapel.
Natalie Kotara, who attends the First Landing Chapel, used to pass the Chapel of St. Thérèse of Lisieux – often called “St. Theresa’s Chapel” by locals – on her daily walk. One day, she met Cottrell, who was cleaning up the site.
After the chapel had been cleaned up, Kotara and Cottrell decided to renovate the garden in front of the chapel. Along with a few other community members, they ripped out the weeds and planted, fittingly, little flowers.
“We put more hardy plants out here with small flowers to get ground cover,” said Kotara. “There’s oregano, which will spread and sprout little flowers. The ice plant will do the same, as will the lamb’s ear. The blanket flowers are new – they represent modesty, charm, bravery and joy, all of which were exemplified by St. Thérèse.”
A century of history
The First Landing Chapel, which falls under the Archdiocese for Military Services, USA, is a second home for many in our diocese. Benedictine Father Dominic Leo, administrator of St. Gregory the Great, Virginia Beach, says Mass at the chapel every Sunday at 9 a.m. The military archdiocese has contracted with the Benedictines at St. Gregory the Great for over 35 years.
“Basically, like any defense contractor, they provide services to Fort Story,” said Bob Larned, president of the pastoral council at Fort Story and retired Naval officer. “In this case, that means Mass every week, on holy days, and special days like Ash Wednesday, Holy Thursday, and Good Friday.”
Until 1939, the Chapel of St. Thérèse of Lisieux was administered by the Diocese of Richmond, until Fort Story expanded and took over the chapel, which was closed during World War II but reopened in 1946.
“Fort Story used to be an open base, so you didn’t need a military ID to get here,” said Larned. “We have people in our community who have been coming to Mass here for their whole lives. There’s one gal who is 90 who’s been going to Mass on Fort Story since she was 19.”
Cottrell, who lives in Chesapeake, started cleaning up the Chapel of St. Thérèse of Lisieux three years ago. Though the First Landing Chapel will continue to be the primary site for Catholics on base, she hopes that the Chapel of St. Thérèse of Lisieux could someday be used for weddings, baptisms and other events.
“Today doesn’t mark an end of an era,” said Capt. David Gray, commanding officer at Fort Story. “It still continues on.”
Other speakers at the event included Religious Program Specialist Seaman Apprentice Summer Sadberry, stationed at Fort Story, who spoke about the life of St. Thérèse of Lisieux, and Rachel Balderson, who works for Preservation Virginia at the Cape Henry Lighthouse.
“St. Thérèse, known as the Little Flower, is one of the great saints of the modern era,” said Sadberry. “She reminded us that God is in every situation and person, and in the ordinary details of life, and that simple heartfelt prayers are heard by him.”
Balderson gave a short history lesson on the surrounding area. When the Chapel of St. Thérèse of Lisieux was built, it was outside of the fort, part of the resort town of Cape Henry.
“St. Thérèse stands as a beautiful time capsule of a small seaside village that once prospered on the shores of Cape Henry,” said Balderson. “It’s one of the many beacons of hope you’ll find nestled into Fort Story.”
‘God cannot be contained’
In addition to fellowship, a history lesson, and jazz music at the reception, attendees at the ceremony paused several times for reflection.
Navy chaplain Jon Settlemoir read from the Gospel of Mark, Chapter 10, in which Jesus says, “Let the children come to me.” Father Carl Spishak, who is 90 years old, drove down from Altoona to offer his memories of saying Mass every day in the chapel during the 1970s. And Navy chaplain Brandy Brown encouraged participants to write prayers on flower-shaped notes, asking for the intercession of St. Thérèse, which were collected in a basket in the chapel doorway.
“We all know that God cannot be contained, but we humans have a need to find a place to meet God,” said Father Cristiano Brito, parochial vicar of St. Gregory the Great. “Today, we have the commemoration of this beautiful chapel, and we are going to thank God for the gift he gave to each one of us – the gift of our faith and the gift of our community.”