When Bishop Barry C. Knestout visited Crozet on Sunday, Oct. 4, to celebrate Mass and officially name the Catholic community Our Lady of the Rosary mission, the event marked the fruition of years of planning and hope.

On Sunday, Oct. 4, Bishop Knestout traveled to Crozet, where he officially named the existing Crozet Catholic Community to Our Lady of the Rosary in honor of the upcoming feast of Our Lady of the Rosary on Oct. 7. He celebrated 1:30 p.m. Mass at the Crozet Baptist Church, which the community has been using the building since March due to COVID-19 restrictions. Following Mass, Bishop Knestout and about 40 members of the community walked to a site where they hope they will one day purchase land to build a church.

Crozet’s young Catholic Parish, Our Lady of the Rosary, has made what its pastor, Monsignor Timothy Keeney, calls “a first step” toward realizing the long-held dream of building a church in Crozet. The parish has signed a contract to purchase more than 19 acres of undeveloped land on Buck Road just north of its intersection with Railroad Avenue. Keeney said the final purchase depends on appropriate approvals from Albemarle County. (Scroll to read full store on the Crozet Gazette)