About Our Lady of the Blue Ridge · Madison, Virginia
Our Lady of the Blue Ridge is a small, family-oriented Catholic parish serving Madison County, Virginia, from its home on Lonnie Burke Road just northeast of the Madison town center along Route 29. Belonging to the Diocese of Arlington and one of the rural Blue Ridge Mountain parishes of central Virginia, it is known for a vibrant outreach to families in need, Eucharist-centered devotion, and a tightly-knit community where, as parishioners put it, 'everybody wears 10 hats.' The parish's current church was blessed and dedicated by Bishop John Richard Keating on June 11, 1992, replacing earlier worship spaces in the Madison Volunteer Fire Department and the parish rectory.
- Established
- 1977
- Patron
- Our Lady of the Blue Ridge (Blessed Virgin Mary under the Marian title of Our Lady of the Blue Ridge)
- Rector
- Fr. James C. Bruse
- Diocese
- Catholic Diocese of Arlington
Why belong here
Our Lady of the Blue Ridge is a small, tightly-knit rural parish where, as one longtime parishioner put it, 'everybody wears 10 hats.' It offers weekly Mass, Wednesday Eucharistic Adoration, and Saturday confession, along with personal, small-parish sacramental preparation and RCIA. Its outreach to the poor — providing clothes, shoes, monthly food drives, and seasonal help to dozens of local families — is a defining mark of parish life, supported by partnerships with other Arlington-diocese parishes.
Mass times at Our Lady of the Blue Ridge
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Saturday 4:00 p.m. – 4:30 p.m.
Adoration times
- Wednesday 8:30 a.m. – 2:00 p.m. (Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament)
Parish History
Catholic life in Madison County goes back farther than the current building suggests. As early as 1943 local Catholics had inquired about using the Madison Presbyterian Church for Sunday services. The community really began on Easter Sunday, March 31, 1974, when Fr. John Janssen, CICM, celebrated the first Mass in Madison County for 41 people in the Madison Volunteer Fire Department — only 18 days after the Diocese of Arlington was formed. Bishop Thomas J. Welsh designated the new mission 'Our Lady of the Blue Ridge' in 1975, and on November 8, 1977 the parish was formally established with Fr. Eugene G. Neyer as its first pastor. The current church was dedicated on June 11, 1992 by Bishop John Richard Keating, replacing earlier worship in the fire department and the parish rectory basement.
- 1943: Catholics inquire about using Madison Presbyterian Church for Sunday services
- March 31, 1974 (Easter): First Mass in Madison County, celebrated by Fr. John Janssen, CICM, at the Madison Volunteer Fire Department (41 attendees)
- 1975: Bishop Thomas J. Welsh designates the mission 'Our Lady of the Blue Ridge'
- November 8, 1977: Parish formally established; Fr. Eugene G. Neyer named first pastor
- November 25, 1979: Bishop Welsh blesses the house that becomes the rectory and education center; it also serves as the chapel
- May 1981: Missionhurst (CICM) community begins staffing the parish
- August 4, 1991: Groundbreaking for the new church
- June 11, 1992: Bishop John Richard Keating blesses and dedicates the new Our Lady of the Blue Ridge
Clergy & Pastoral Leadership
The parish has been led by a long succession of priests, beginning with its founder Fr. Eugene G. Neyer in 1977. From 1981 to 2002, the Missionhurst (CICM) community supplied pastors — Fr. Paul De Wolf, Fr. Albert Verbeke, Fr. Robert Timperman, and Fr. John Morel — with Fr. Morel serving 13 years and guiding the building campaign for the current church. The parish then transitioned to diocesan clergy with Fr. Michael T. Orlowsky in 2002, followed by the current pastor, Fr. James C. Bruse, in 2012. The Director of Religious Education is Jane Machleit.
- Fr. Eugene G. Neyer — founding pastor (1977)
- Fr. Paul De Wolf, CICM (1981–1984)
- Fr. Albert Verbeke, CICM (1984–1987)
- Fr. Robert Timperman, CICM (1987–1989)
- Fr. John Morel, CICM (1989–2002); led construction of current church
- Fr. Michael T. Orlowsky (2002–2012)
- Fr. James C. Bruse — current pastor (2012–present)
- Jane Machleit — Director of Religious Education
Building, Architecture, and Sacred Art
The current church, dedicated in 1992, is traditional in style with a steepled roof, white walls, and wooden pews. Four locations in the nave and sanctuary — each marked by a wooden cross and matching sconces — recall the spots where Bishop Keating anointed the walls with Holy Oil at the 1992 dedication. In the choir loft, a stained-glass window created by Ronald Dixon depicts the Blessed Virgin Mary holding the infant Jesus as she gazes out at the purple hills of the Blue Ridge Mountains, with a stream and wildflowers at her sandaled feet.
- Traditional architecture: steepled roof, white walls, wooden pews
- Four Holy Oil anointing points marked by wooden crosses and sconces in nave and sanctuary
- Ronald Dixon stained-glass window of Mary and Child with Blue Ridge Mountains, stream, and wildflowers
- Memorial Brick Garden with a statue of the Blessed Mother and a prayer bench on the parish grounds
Outreach to the Poor
Service to the poor is a defining mark of Our Lady of the Blue Ridge. The parish's outreach program helps dozens of local families — especially at Christmas — with clothes, shoes, and food, while clients from area social services pick up hundreds of bags of donated clothing. Monthly food drives, partnerships with other Arlington-diocese parishes, and the dedication of longtime volunteers like Ruth Kulick have made this small parish a major safety net in Madison County, where about one in ten residents live below the poverty line.
- Clothing and shoes provided to children and adults; clients choose what they need
- Hundreds of bags of donated clothing distributed each year
- Monthly food drives, often in partnership with the Madison Emergency Services Association
- Christmas assistance for dozens of families
- Partnership with St. Agnes Parish (Arlington) for food assistance
- Partnership with St. Raymond of Peñafort Parish (Springfield) for the Christmas angel tree
- Longtime volunteer Ruth Kulick singled out for her decades of dedication to the poor
Faith Formation and Sacraments
Because the parish is small, sacramental preparation and RCIA receive personal, individualized attention. The parish offers Sunday school for grades K–12, a youth group, adult faith formation, and monthly meetings of a senior group and a women's group. Sacramental preparation is offered for Baptism, First Communion, Confirmation, and Marriage.
- RCIA (Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults)
- Sacramental preparation for Baptism, First Communion, Confirmation, and Marriage
- Sunday school for grades K–12
- Youth group (continues through high school for many parishioners)
- Adult faith formation/educational programs
- Monthly senior group
- Monthly women's group
Parish Life and Community
Our Lady of the Blue Ridge is a small but closely-knit rural community where members describe everyone 'wearing ten hats.' About 65 percent of parishioners are involved in some form of parish life, and a strong volunteer culture underpins the parish's outreach and ministries. By 2024 the parish had nearly doubled its registered families to roughly 200, and Masses were so full that the 10:30 a.m. Sunday Mass was being livestreamed into the vestibule and basement.
- About 150–200 registered families; roughly 411 parishioners
- Pastoral Council (parishioner-led)
- Many parishioners volunteer across multiple ministries — 'everybody wears ten hats'
- Longtime parishioner Priscilla Dugas (parishioner since 1979) has served as pastoral council president, RCIA teacher, and grounds volunteer
Marian Devotion and the Memorial Brick Garden
Devotion to the Blessed Virgin Mary under the title Our Lady of the Blue Ridge is at the heart of the parish's identity. The Diocese of Arlington has named Our Lady of the Blue Ridge a stop on its Marian Mini-Pilgrimages for the Jubilee year, noting how the mountain vistas turn the gaze upward — as Mary turns the gaze upward to her Son. A peaceful Memorial Brick Garden on the grounds holds a statue of Our Lady and a bench for prayer, with views of the Blue Ridge Mountains.
- Parish name honors the Blessed Virgin Mary as Our Lady of the Blue Ridge
- Marian Mini-Pilgrimage stop (Diocese of Arlington Jubilee)
- Memorial Brick Garden with statue of Our Lady and prayer bench
- Views of the Blue Ridge Mountains as a setting for prayer and reflection
Visit, Location, and Contact
Our Lady of the Blue Ridge is located on Lonnie Burke Road along Route 29, just northeast of the Madison town center and about 15 miles southwest of Culpeper. Visitors are encouraged to stop in to see the Memorial Brick Garden, the choir-loft stained-glass window, and the mountain views. The parish office can be reached by phone or email, and news and updates are shared through the parish's Facebook page.
- Address: 692 Lonnie Burke Road, Madison, VA 22727
- Phone: (540) 948-4144
- Email: [email protected]
- Facebook: facebook.com/OLBRCC
- Diocese: Catholic Diocese of Arlington (Deanery 4)
- Visible from Route 29 on both sides of the road; about 15 miles southwest of Culpeper
- Near Skyline Drive, vineyards, breweries, Graves Mountain Lodge, and Civil War sites in Madison County
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Fr. Eugene G. Neyer1977–c.1981
Founding pastor; parish formally established November 8, 1977.
- Fr. Paul De Wolf, CICMMay 1981–July 1984
First of three Missionhurst (CICM) priests assigned to the parish.
- Fr. Albert Verbeke, CICMJuly 1984–January 1987
Missionhurst priest; succeeded Fr. De Wolf.
- Fr. Robert Timperman, CICMJanuary 1987–July 1989
Missionhurst priest.
- Fr. John Morel, CICMJuly 1, 1989–2002
Belgian-born Missionhurst priest; led the planning, financing, and groundbreaking (Aug. 4, 1991) for the current church; retired in 2002 after 13 years.
- Fr. Michael T. OrlowskyJune 2002–2012
Diocesan priest; appointed administrator in 2002; known for emphasis on outreach to the local poor.
- Fr. James C. Bruse2012–present
Current pastor; described by parishioners as a 'dedicated pastor and very much a people person' who loves visiting parishioners' homes.