A Brief History of Saint James Parish

• 1795: St. Mary's at Alexandria is established.
• 1820: Diocese of Richmond established by Pope Pius VII.
• 1830: St. Peter's at Harper's Ferry, WV is established.
• 1874: Catholic Mission at West Falls Church and served by Fr. O'Kane from St. Mary's in Alexandria.
• 1880: A wooden clapboard chapel is erected at the intersection of West and Fowler Street, the current site of the St. James Cemetary.
• 1892: St. James Parish established by Bishop Augustine Van de Vyver, the sixth Bishop of Richmond, becoming the second Catholic parish in Northern Virginia.
• 1892: Original wooden clapboard chapel becomes St. James Church.
• 1892: St. James given two missions, one in Leesburg and the other at St. Mary's in Fairfax Station.
• 1902: Original stone church is built at the present location at the interection of Park Avenue and Spring Street.
• 1904: The number or parishioners at St. James reached 325.
• 1905: First school building erected and staffed by the Sisters of Perpetual Adoration from New Orleans.
• 1907: Convent and chapel built on Spring Street for the Sisters of the Presentation of the Blessed Virgin Mary who had come to assist in teaching at the school.
• 1913: Mission church added in McLean- St. John's (then known as El Nido).
• 1917: Mission church added in Purcellville.
• 1923: Mission church added in Herndon.
• 1923: The Sister Servants of the Immaculate Heart of Mary come to St. James and assumed responsibilities for the school.
• 1948: A new school was built.
• 1952: Bishop Peter L. Ireton, the ninth Bishop of Richmond presided over the dedication of an extensively enlarged and remodeled church.
• 1974: The Diocese of Arlington is established.

Pastors of Saint James Parish

• Edward M. Tierney, 1892-1897
• John J. Bowler, 1897-1899
• Edward M. Tierney, 1899-1910
• A.J. Van Ingelgem, 1910-1931
• Edward V. Mullarkey, 1931-1953
• Paul Heller, 1953-1977
• Justin D. McClunn, 1977-1980
• Robert C. Brooks, 1980-1990
• Msgr. William T. Reinecke, 1990-1992
• Msgr. R. Roy Cosby, 1993-1999
• Fr. Cornelius O'Brien, 1999-2006
• Fr. Patrick L. Posey, 2006 -