St. Mary's Episcopal Churchstmarysarlington

No figure was more instrumental in founding St. Mary's Church than the Rev. John George Sadtler, who, in 1924, became rector of Langley Parish and its parish church, St. John's, McLean. At that time Langley Parish included parts of both Fairfax and Arlington Counties, and so Fr. Sadtler also ministered part time to the Epiphany Mission Church in Cherrydale, Arlington. Not long after his appointment, he became interested in establishing a new mission church in the rapidly growing section of Arlington near the Washington Golf and Country Club.

St. Mary's was established as a mission church in February 1926, proposed by the Rev. John G. Sadtler who was rector of St. John's Church, McLean. The land for the church was donated by Admiral P.M. Rixey, Surgeon General of the U.S. Navy. The first service in the new church was held on Passion Sunday in 1927. The congregation moved from mission to parish status in 1941.

The past rectors of St. Mary's have been the Rev. John Sadtler, the Rev. Peyton R. Williams, the Rev. George F. Tittman, Dr. Robert O. Kevin, the Rev. John Bartel Reinheimer, the Rev. Paul A. Bankston, the Rev. Kenneth C. Eade, and the Rev. Porter H. Brooks.

St. Mary's has grown physically as well as spiritually. The first major enlargement of the church building was completed in 1952. In the 1960's the church expanded across Glebe Road and ran a day school called St. Mary's Day School (later renamed the Episcopal Academy). In 1981, part of the school land was sold to pay off parish debts. The school site is now occupied by the Rixey View townhouses and St. Mary's parking lot. In 1993, St. Mary's was able to buy a house across 26th Street. The generous bequest of John and Olive Paca at about the same time began a capital campaign completed in 1996 to renovate and build to accommodate St. Mary's growth and new ministries. During the ten-month construction period, the congregation moved to the facilities of the former Christ United Methodist Church on Lee Highway. With gratitude to God, St. Mary's returned to our newly renovated church building on Glebe Road for Easter Services in 1998.