The Twentieth Century

he evolution of the Roman Catholic Church, based in the Vatican in Rome, underwent a massive change in 1965 that is hard to underestimate. The Church had evolved very little over the course of almost two millennia. The Second Ecumenical Council of the Vatican, held in St. Peter’s Basilica in Rome from 1962 to 1965 and commonly called Vatican II, created sixteen papal documents which completely re-shaped the vision and practices of the Roman Catholic Church. Pope John XXIII believed the church needed to reflect post-World War II society. Massive political, social, and economic changes meant, for Pope John, that the Church needed to change, too.

The most significant of these was the evolution towards a more “open” church. Catholics were encouraged to collaborate with other Christian faiths, to recognize and acknowledge non-Christian faiths, and to engage more with everyone outside of the walls of the church. For the layperson (a non-ordained member of the church), a willingness to function in the contemporary world meant that masses no longer had to be celebrated in Latin, but in the vernacular tongue of wherever the church was located. An emphasis on missionary work and Catholic education was also part of Vatican II.

At home in Lynchburg, changes were happening within the Roman Catholic community in the mid-20th century. The influx of Northern families, coming to work at places like General Electric and Babcock and Wilcox, skyrocketed the Catholic population. By 1975 there were three Sunday masses held at Holy Cross, two more at Holy Cross School, and another at Whitten’s Funeral Chapel on Timberlake Road. To accommodate the growing number of worshippers, St. Thomas More parish was founded in 1978 and its church was completed in 1981.

1909–1935

Father McGurk died on December 3, 1909, and was succeeded by Monsignor Edward Tearney who supervised the building of a ten-room school and convent at Ninth and Clay Streets. This has since been demolished.

1935–1953

Father William Meredith followed Monsignor Tearney and is credited with completing the first renovation of the Holy Cross Church interior in 1939.

1953–1967

It was during the pastorate of Monsignor Harold Nott that 27 acres of property were purchased on Langhorne Road for the development of a new school, gymnasium and convent, which were completed by 1963. New classrooms and a chapel were added in 1967. A second renovation of the Church interior was also realized during this time.

1967–1972

The diocesan implementation of Vatican II was begun during the pastorate of Father Carl Naro. Lay participation in parish life was initiated by the establishment of a Parish Council and the hiring of a lay Director of Religious Education.

1972–1980

Father Charles Ferry continued the development of lay participation in parish life. During his pastorate, a portion of Holy Cross Church was divided and a new parish, St. Thomas More, was established.

1980–1992

Under Father Anthony Warner’s pastorate, the Holy Cross Catholic Church witnessed a major renovation. In addition to changes in the Church interior, the incorporation of the former rectory and a new commons area were realized in a $1.5 million project. Started in 1985, work was completed in 1988 with the rededication of the Church by Bishop Walter Sullivan on November 5, 1988.