“From the Archives” Monsignor Robert Avella
Monsignor Robert E. Avella, pastor of Saint Mary parish from 1999 to 2002, passed away on November 18, 2020, at the age of 71. He was born in Washington, DC, in 1949 to Gennaro and Anne Avella, who moved to Arlington shortly afterward. Growing up in the shadow of Fort Myer and Arlington Cemetery, Monsignor Avella and his family could hear taps played daily. He said he came to believe that the Arlington Diocese “has a special responsibility to men and women in the military, and their souls are entrusted to us, both in times of peace and war.”
As a boy, he attended Saint Charles Borromeo Parochial School in Clarendon. After a year at Bishop Dennis J. O’Connell High School, he completed high school at Saint John Vianney junior seminary near Richmond. He then studied for the priesthood at Saint Mary’s Seminary in Baltimore. Monsignor Avella was ordained a transitional deacon in Richmond by Bishop Walter F. Sullivan in 1974. He served his diaconate assignment at Blessed Sacrament in Alexandria. He was the first priest ordained in the new Diocese of Arlington when he was ordained by Bishop Thomas J. Welch, first bishop of the Diocese of Arlington, on May 10, 1975.
Before coming to Saint Mary in Alexandria, Monsignor Avella served a varied priestly career: parochial vicar at Saint Ambrose in Annandale and the Cathedral of Saint Thomas More, diocesan director of vocations, and assistant principal and chaplain at Bishop O’Connell High School. In 1989, he was appointed pastor of Saint Leo the Great Church in Fairfax, where he served until 2000, when he became pastor of Saint Mary and was named the Bishop’s Delegate for the Clergy.
Commenting on the transient nature of Northern Virginia, Monsignor Avella once noted, “[Virginia] is losing a lot of its southern identity. The Catholic Church in the South has a certain vitality and spirit that I always enjoyed.” He believed that Catholics until recently had faced discrimination in the South, which “really evoked deep faith in the people. There was a cross attached to being a Catholic in the South, and that cross proved victorious.”
When he came to Saint Mary, Monsignor Avella had a number of plans, including major improvements to the cemetery and honoring the Sisters of the Holy Cross, who had served the parish school for more than 125 years. Unfortunately, he had been at Saint Mary less than two years when he fell down the narrow, steep stairs in the 200-year-old Rankin House. His leg was seriously injured and he did not feel he was physically able to continue as pastor. Father Dennis Kleinmann, parochial vicar and administrator of the parish during Monsignor Avella’s recuperation, succeeded him.
After leaving Saint Mary, Monsignor Avella continued to be active, serving as rector of the Cathedral (2003-2006) and pastor of Our Lady of Lourdes Church, near Crystal City in Arlington, until his retirement in the summer of 2020. In 2019, he was honored with the title “Monsignor” and “Chaplain to His Holiness” by Pope Francis.
– Kitty Guy, Parish Historian
Throughout 2020, the Basilica of Saint Mary will present “From the Archives.” It is a weekly feature online and in our bulletin spotlighting the history of the parish. All of our “From the Archives” features are located here.