On This Date in Nativity History

26 April 1980

On 26 April 1980, the new church building of Nativity was formally dedicated in a Mass celebrated by Arlington Bishop Thomas Welsh. As seen in this photo from the Arlington Catholic Herald, the church was configured with the sanctuary (on a movable platform) in its current location, this to accommodate the expected large attendance. The back wall was bare except for the “JOY” banner. Usually, however, the church was configured for Mass by moving the sanctuary to what is today the left rear corner of the building, near the window where the St. Anthony altar is located. Notice the movable chairs instead of permanent pews. This arrangement was designed by Pastor Father Frank Ready to make the space usable for different purposes, including classes of religious education held during the week.

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