One hundred years ago, a group of Czech Catholic families near Colonial Heights decided to build a chapel.
Until 1925, priests from Sacred Heart, Prince George, were traveling to the homes of individual families to offer Mass. When these families decided to build a church of their own, St. Ann, South Chesterfield, was born.
On Saturday, Nov. 23, the centennial celebration at St. Ann began with a Mass offered by Bishop Barry C. Knestout, concelebrated by the pastor, Father Ernest Bulinda. The special Mass was the second parish event of the weekend – the previous evening, the community gathered for a big Thanksgiving meal in the parish hall.
Perhaps nobody knows more about the parish community at St. Ann than Betty Michalek, who has been a parishioner since her baptism 84 years ago.
“Oh my word, the church has grown immensely,” said Michalek. “At the beginning, it was just a couple of Czech families that had the mission going.”
In 1954, the parish broke ground on a new building on Route 1. In 1991, an addition was added where Mass is currently celebrated.
Locally, the parish is known for its service projects – during the biannual Pass It On event, the parish gives away essential items to those in need, and the food pantry is open five days a week.
“Our church is very, very active,” said Evelyn Keesler, who worked in the food pantry for twenty years. “Service is a big part of parish life at St. Ann.”
Jackie Otieno, who came to St. Ann in 2022, said the parish is “one big family.”
“The community is great. That’s what I like most about St. Ann,” said Otieno. “People are generally concerned – not nosy – but concerned. They ask me, ‘Jackie, how are the kids?’ For me, it’s home away from home.”
Involvement in the parish community impacted Michalek in more ways than one: in 1957, she married her husband in the new church building after meeting him in the St. Ann bell choir.
“That was ancient, years ago,” said Michalek. “And all four of my children were baptized there. My history is all at St. Ann.”
Father Bulinda, originally from Kenya, has been pastor of St. Ann for three years, and calls it a wonderful experience.
‘Do you need anything?’
Starting at 1 p.m., Monday to Friday, appointments at the food pantry are open to families in need.
“We serve from 10-12 families each day … and we stay until we’re finished,” said Keesler, who said a family can have anywhere up to 15 people. “We serve approximately 850 people a month.”
To staff such a big operation, there are 72 volunteers from St. Ann working nine teams on different shifts. Certain volunteers pick up butter, eggs, cheese and other items from Food Lion each week at their own expense.
“When we started out, it was a little closet under a staircase in the rectory,” Keesler recounted. “In about 2000, they moved it over to the church, and we had a little room off the kitchen for non-perishable items. In 2002, a group of us got together and renovated an old garage, built the shelves, and turned it into a food pantry.”
“We bought refrigerators and freezers, and we’re able to give anything people need, from groceries to cleaning supplies to toilet paper,” she added.
The Pass It On event, held once in the spring and once in the fall, transforms the parish hall into a free one-stop-shop with essential items for those in need, especially those with children. Clothing, toys, diapers, and shoes are all available.
“It started off as just a little weekend where you gave away clothes, and now it’s very involved, with weeklong preparations,” said Michalek. “It’s immense. It is a huge event.”
While the parish outreach programs are a lifeline for many, the parish community itself was a lifeline for Otieno.
When she arrived at St. Ann in 2022, she was recently divorced, new to Virginia, and essentially alone – she had immigrated to the United States from Kenya in 2019, and her children were in Ohio with their father.
“In all aspects, I was lost,” Otieno said.
Years ago, while still in Africa, Otieno said she had a dream that she was wandering alone in the desert. In the dream, she cried out for help, saying, “If you find me a Catholic church, I will find my bearing.” In the dream, a gazelle appeared, and she mounted it and set off for an unknown destination.
“Looking back, I think St. Ann is the church I was heading to,” said Otieno.
Now, her three children live with her in Colonial Heights, and Otieno is a lector and a catechist at St. Ann.
“Find a church community that will hold you in prayer,” said Otieno. “In the morning, I hear, ‘Jackie, we are here praying for you, and we hope everything goes well.’ I found that at St. Ann.”
“We’re a pretty small church, and I know who is new,” she continued. “I walk to them, I greet them, and I tell them, ‘Welcome to St. Ann.’ I introduce myself. I say, ‘Do you need anything?’ Because people want to be seen.”
Katie Johnson, pastoral associate at St. Ann, also had a welcoming experience when she arrived in 2014.
“I’ve found it to be a really wonderful community,” said Johnson. “We’re always celebrating with meals, with get-togethers; the Knights of Columbus do pancake breakfasts every month. It’s a place a lot of people can find a really comfortable home.”
Close-knit community
Father Bulinda said that the St. Ann community has a bright future due to “a vibrant youth ministry.” He also noted the blend of cultures in the parish.
“We have people from everywhere,” said Father Bulinda. “We have a lot of African families, African-Americans, Koreans, Vietnamese, we have everybody.”
The liturgy, said Johnson, is a mix of both traditional and contemporary, and English and international.
“One of the things I love about St. Ann’s is that it’s a really wonderful blend,” said Johnson. “We have a really diverse community, and we try to bring all that together and appreciate one another’s cultures in a wide variety of ways.”
In her 84 years at St. Ann, Michalek sees a few key reasons for 100 years of success.
“We’ve had quite a few outstanding priests,” said Michalek. “And as a community, we’re very involved in each other. We always try to look out for others. If any need comes up, we’re always there to help.”