Our Parish History

Two Churches are One Parish

St. Elizabeth of Hungary Church in Colonial Beach and St. Anthony of Padua Church in King George have an interwoven and storied presence in what is now the Diocese of Arlington.

Presently, the two churches are one parish, but they were in yesteryear both part of a much larger parochial territory. They are located on what is called the Northern Neck of Virginia, which is the peninsula bounded by the Potomac and Rappahannock Rivers and ending at Chesapeake Bay to the East.

The first important historical Catholic presence in this part of our Diocese was in the latter half of the 1600s. The Catholic Brent Family of Aquia Creek in Stafford County had a member named George Brent who became a representative in the Virginia House of Burgesses in 1688.  He was the only Catholic delegate in the colonial parliament.  George Brent was partly responsible for the local defense of Virginia’s Northern Neck, whereat lies our parish.

The current parish territory of St. Elizabeth and St. Anthony is in an historic part of the Arlington Diocese. Within its ecclesiastical boundaries are found the birthplaces of Presidents James Monroe, James Madison, George Washington and Gen. Robert E. Lee.

The parish of St. Elizabeth and St. Anthony has had six pastors from the Diocese of Arlington since 1992: Fr. John Cregan, Fr. William Schopps, Fr. John Melmer, Fr Thomas Vanderwoude, Fr. John Zeigler and Fr. Francis de Rosa.

These two erstwhile fledgling Catholic outposts at Colonial Beach and King George are now grown to over 1,400 souls. Separated by 15 miles of woods and farms, and having their own distinctive characteristics, the two churches maintain a strong bond within one parish. They are felicitously united in sharing and in supporting one another.

The parish has many activities, organizations and groups, along with a high number of converts. Each Sunday we also welcome a number of journeying non-Catholics who have found a spiritual home amongst us. Daily Mass attendance is very robust. And traditional Catholic devotions such as the Holy Rosary and Eucharistic Adoration are strong. The parish is also a significant center of the traditional Latin Mass.

The parish houses the Guadalupe Free Clinic, founded by Father Thomas Vanderwoude and Father Jerome Magat. The clinic has for nigh on 18 years served the poor and uninsured of Westmoreland County.

Our humble country parish is firmly maintaining the Holy Catholic Faith in this far away part of the Diocese of Arlington. Every one of our efforts is caught up in the great mystery of the Church that Jesus Christ founded and is directed toward the salvation of souls and the greater glory of God.

Aerial view of a church surrounded by blooming trees and a graveyard, with a parking lot nearby.

Office Before & After

A white, three-story house with a black roof, front porch, and multiple windows.
A two-story house decorated for a patriotic celebration with American flags, a flag with yellow and white stripes, and red, white, and blue bunting on the front porch, with a white picket fence in front.
An old, two-story house with peeling white paint and broken railing in the front yard, with utility poles and other houses in the background on a cloudy day.

Meeting House Before & After

A two-story building with gray siding and white trim, sign that reads 'W.B. Fox General Merchandise', front porch with a wreath on the door, and several windows on each floor. The sky is clear and trees are in the background.

St. Elizabeth Before & After Renovations

White church building with large triangular windows, a small bell tower topped with a cross, and a large evergreen tree in the background at sunset.
A black-and-white photo of an old wooden church with a bell tower topped by a cross, surrounded by small bushes and trees.
Front view of a church named St. Elizabeth of Hungary, with a triangular glass facade, a bell tower on the left, and surrounding trees and bushes on a clear day.
White church with black roof, prominent cross on steeple, arched windows, and surrounded by trees and a well-kept lawn.
Inside a church, there is a wooden altar with a crucifix, flowers, candles, and religious symbols. Behind the altar is a large stained glass window depicting a religious scene with figures, set against brick walls.