St. Charles Borromeo Catholic Church
In 1909, the Bishop of Richmond instructed Father Frederick P. Lackey to establish the parish of St. Charles Borromeo which would "embrace the village of Clarendon and the surrounding country of Alexandria County.
In 1909, the Bishop of Richmond instructed Father Frederick P. Lackey to establish the parish of St. Charles Borromeo which would "embrace the village of Clarendon and the surrounding country of Alexandria County. In 1910, ground was broken for the new church on donated land. Plans called for a brick structure in gothic style, with seating for 350, and at a cost of $7,000. On March 26, 1911, St. Charles Borromeo Catholic Church was dedicated by the Apostolic Delegate to the United States, assisted by the Bishop of Richmond.
In addition to being the founding parish priest, Father Lackey said weekly Mass at Fort Myer. He also established a mission church in Cherrydale, where weekly Mass was said in a grocery store. By 1922 Father Lackey had convinced the Bishop of Richmond of the need to build a Catholic school in Clarendon. The Benedictine Sisters of Virginia staffed the new school and Sister Rose Stengel was its first principal.
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