Nativity Parish on Georgia Avenue in the Brightwood neighborhood in Washington, D.C., is marking its 125th anniversary this year.
One of the ways the parish is celebrating this milestone is with the installation of a lift/elevator to make Nativity Catholic Church accessible to parishioners with disabilities who normally do not attend Mass there because they cannot negotiate the steps at every entrance.
On May 11, Father Pawel Sass, Nativity’s pastor, joined parishioners in breaking ground for the new lift/elevator.
Father Sass noted that several parishioners worked over the past 35 years to bring the lift/elevator to fruition.
Doris Crosson, a parishioner since 1983, worked alongside her now-deceased husband, Everette Crosson, for many years to get an approved ramp, stair lift or an elevator there, but the projects were out of reach with the age and structure of the church.
“The lift is greatly needed to assist visitors and parishioners with mobility issues coming to Mass and funerals at the church,” Crosson said.
Dr. Thomas Simpson, the former principal of the now-defunct Nativity Academy and a parishioner for 55 years, spoke at the groundbreaking and noted that both of his parents had severe disabilities, and he has always felt a need for the lift/elevator at Nativity.
He recalled how he and others worked on the project for many years, and added that he is thrilled he can come back to Mass once the lift/elevator is installed.
Marie Hall, a parishioner since 1964, worked with her now-deceased husband, Gerald, to get something installed to help people get into the church. Hall said she was happy “that day has finally come.” Kitty Borris, a Nativity parishioner since the early 1960s, said of the groundbreaking that “today is amazing.”
“I am happy to be able to make this long-awaited dream of Nativity come true,” Father Sass said. “The problem that others have had is the age of the building, and survey after survey indicated there is only one location for the elevator to be built. We worked with the D.C. government and several engineering firms to arrive at a viable solution for the lift/elevator.”
He added that while people with disabilities were able to watch Mass on television or stream it over the Internet, “it is critical that we get our parishioners back to in-person worship.”
The lift/elevator will arrive for installation within the next six to eight weeks.
