“From the Archives” — Saint Mary of Sorrows Mission Church

Father Peter Kroes, SJ, became pastor at Alexandria’s Saint Mary church in 1857, not long before the nation became embroiled in the Civil War (1861-1865). After only a year as Saint Mary’s pastor, Father Kroes built a mission church at Fairfax Station – Saint Mary, Our Lady of Sorrows – to serve Irish railroad workers living in that area.

Fairfax Station was very close to several major Civil War battles, including Manassas (Bull Run) and Chantilly. On August 30, 1862, General Robert E. Lee and his forces met the Union army at the Second Battle of Manassas. The fierce battle lasted three days; 1,744 Union men were killed and 8,452 wounded. A train of 88 cars stood at the railroad station in Fairfax Station. Until it could be loaded with the wounded and carry them back to Washington, DC, the men were laid out on the ground outside Saint Mary of Sorrows Church.

Among those tending to the suffering soldiers there was Clara Barton, whose war experience led her to found the American Red Cross. As violent rain fell in the area, doctors were forced to operate inside the church. The men were wet, hungry and miserable. Despite the desperate situation, Nurse Barton offered untold comfort to the injured. Although the train carried over a thousand wounded back to Washington at a time, many of the wounded at Fairfax Station died and were buried in the church cemetery. They were later moved to Arlington Cemetery. The grave of one Confederate soldier remains in Saint Mary of Sorrows churchyard. During the conflict, the pews of the church were destroyed for firewood. After Father Kroes wrote to General Grant, asking for payment for the damage, Grant eventually ordered that they be replaced.

Saint Mary of Sorrows remained a mission of Saint Mary of Alexandria until 1918. In 1972, Fairfax County declared Saint Mary of Sorrows to be part of a historic district and imposed strict zoning limitations on the land surrounding it to preserve its character and dignity.

— Kitty Guy, Parish Historian

 

In 2020, to commemorate the 225th anniversary of our parish, we started “From the Archives” as a weekly feature online and in our bulletin to spotlight the history of Saint Mary’s. Due to its popularity, we are continuing the series in 2022. An archive of the features is located here.