The Episcopal Church of the Holy Cross sits on Gallows Road in Dunn Loring, a small Northern Virginia community in Fairfax County. Part of the Diocese of Virginia and the worldwide Anglican Communion, the parish describes itself as "an inclusive, supportive, Christ-centered community that celebrates the diversity and dignity of all God’s people." Its tagline, "Sharing Christ’s light in the world," sums up a faith that aims to extend well beyond the walls of the church building.
The parish life is centered on a 10am celebration that fills the sanctuary with choir, organ, and piano, and on an earlier 8am contemplative service that begins the day in prayer. Children of every age belong in worship here, and the entire rhythm of the parish is built around making sure they - and their families - feel at home.
Two Sunday Services, One Welcoming Community
Sunday morning begins with a Contemplative Holy Eucharist at 8am. Quiet, reflective, and spoken without music, it offers a peaceful start to the day. At 10am, the larger congregation gathers for a Holy Eucharist with choir, organ, and piano - and with the addition of Children’s Chapel. The 10am service is livestreamed on Zoom each week (Meeting ID 894 7878 4149, Passcode 760947), and recordings are available afterward on the church’s YouTube channel. Coffee and fellowship follow each service.
Periodically, the parish offers short adult formation classes between services or after the 10am gathering. Topics range from Scripture study and Episcopal practices to visits from ministry partners. Throughout the year, a weekly Bible Study, weeknight classes, and book groups round out the formation offerings.
The church building is designed to be easy to enter. The office entrance is through a red door facing the parking lot. For Sunday mornings, an accessible route runs past the porch, down a ramp alongside Holly Brook Montessori School, through the glass doors, and up an elevator to the sanctuary. Accessible parking is available at the top of the ramp. Inside, every chair in the sanctuary is movable, so ushers can make more room for mobility devices at any worshipper’s request.
Children and Youth at the Center
The parish teaches that children and young people are "a beloved and essential part of the Church right now," and the Sunday morning rhythm is built around them. During the 10am service, just before the Gospel reading, children ages three through fifth grade - or any child for whom it is appropriate - follow the children’s cross to the Parish Hall for Children’s Chapel. There, in a worship experience created especially for them, they explore the great stories of the Bible, the life and teachings of Jesus, the seasons of the church year, Baptism, Holy Communion, prayer, and the many ways people live out their faith, through Scripture, music, conversation, and creative activity. They return to the sanctuary in time for Holy Communion.
For younger children and those who would rather stay with their families, a Soft Space sits at the entrance to the sanctuary. Stocked with books, quiet toys, comfortable places to sit, and speakers connected to the service audio, it lets parents and little ones stay part of the worshiping community while wiggling, whispering, or watching from a slightly different angle. Wiggles, whispers, and the sounds of children are welcomed, the parish says, as "a sign of the Spirit’s joyful and playful presence among us."
Children can also serve in worship as crucifers, choir singers, Scripture readers, leaders of Children’s Chapel, or by sharing their music and art. The parish hosts a Christmas Pageant, an Easter Egg Hunt, a Trunk or Treat, a parish picnic, and other intergenerational events throughout the year. A Newcomer Class for Littles introduces children to the sanctuary, the sacristy, the symbols of worship, and the people who help lead the parish. Communion Enrichment gives children who already receive the sacrament - or are beginning to ask about it - a chance to go deeper into the meaning of the bread, the wine, and the gathering at God’s table. Every adult who works or volunteers with children completes the Episcopal Church’s Safe Church training, as do all staff and Vestry members.
For older youth, the Holy Cross Youth Group welcomes young people in grades six through twelve for friendship, formation, service, and fun. Gatherings include meals, games, honest conversation, Scripture and prayer, creative activities, movies, outings, seasonal celebrations, and service projects. Middle and high schoolers sometimes meet together, sometimes separately. There is no attendance requirement, and friends are welcome. The current youth ministry theme is "A Place at the Table," exploring belonging, identity, finding God in daily life, making room for others, and discovering the gifts each young person brings.
Confirmation Class runs over five engaging sessions and is built for curiosity rather than certainty. Young people explore Scripture, prayer, worship, Baptism, Holy Communion, the Episcopal tradition, the Baptismal Covenant, service and Christian vocation, and the questions of Confirmation. Taking the class does not commit a young person to being confirmed.
Each summer, older youth can sign up for Moving Mountains, a weeklong service trip in southwest Virginia that combines home repair, accessibility improvements, and community ministry in Appalachia with shared meals, prayer, laughter, and reflection. Throughout the year, Holy Cross youth also gather regionally with young people from other Episcopal congregations in the North Fairfax Region. A College Care Package Ministry keeps the connection alive after high school graduation.
The parish has also partnered with Holly Brook Montessori School, a preschool located on its campus, for nearly thirty years. While Holly Brook is a separate institution, the parish counts its community as part of its extended family.
Beliefs, Sacraments, and Inclusion
Holy Cross belongs to the Episcopal Church, the Anglican Communion, and the Diocese of Virginia. The parish summarizes its identity with a line adapted from the Book of Common Prayer: "The mission of the Church is to restore all people to unity with God and each other in Christ," pursued through prayer and worship, proclamation of the gospel, and the promotion of justice, peace, and love.
Scripture, the parish teaches, is the foundation of all it does. "We call the Bible the ‘Word of God’ because we believe that God inspired human authors to write it," and the parish reads it through reason and tradition together. The Book of Common Prayer shapes what the parish believes by shaping how it prays together. The Baptismal Covenant, a question-and-answer version of the Apostles’ Creed followed by five questions about Christian life, repentance, sharing the Good News, loving neighbors, and pursuing justice and peace, is central to how discipleship is understood here. The Apostles’ Creed and the Nicene Creed anchor the parish in the wider Christian tradition.
The two great sacraments are Baptism and Holy Eucharist, which all Christians are called to share in. Confirmation, Ordination, Holy Matrimony, Reconciliation of a Penitent (individual confession with a priest), and Unction (laying on of hands for healing) are sacramental rites some Christians may also be called to. The parish welcomes all who wish to be baptized, regardless of age, and treats baptism as bringing full membership in the universal Church.
Inclusion is named directly. The parish celebrates weddings for any couple, "regardless of the sex or gender of the partners." Children and youth of every ability, background, identity, and family structure are welcomed. The parish writes plainly: "Different brains, bodies, backgrounds, identities, abilities, family structures, and ways of participating are welcome."
Music That Shapes Worship
Music has been central to Holy Cross’s worship for more than a decade under the leadership of Nick Lodico-Keirstead, the parish’s Minister of Music, Choir Director, and Organist. Drawing on the Anglican musical tradition, Nick works with singers, clergy, and parishioners to build prayerful, joyful experiences of worship. He also sings with Voce Chamber Singers, a semi-professional ensemble based in Vienna, Virginia, and is a member of the Association of Anglican Musicians. The 10am service is grounded in organ, piano, and choir, while the 8am service is spoken without music.
Life Events Together
The parish marks life’s milestones as a community. Baptism preparation typically involves the Newcomer Class, a conversation with the clergy, and a meeting with the person being baptized if they are old enough to ask their own questions. Confirmation and Reception preparation begins months before the annual bishop’s visitation (the next is expected in spring 2028). Wedding preparation includes the Newcomer Class, several meetings with a member of the clergy, and several meetings with a trained couples therapist or pastoral counselor.
Funerals are treated as Easter services, the parish teaches, a celebration of life for those we have loved but see no longer. Holy Cross also maintains a Memorial Garden on its grounds, a peaceful space where the ashes of former members of the congregation are interred.
Outreach: Nine Mission Partners
Outside its walls, Holy Cross lives out its faith through a wide circle of mission partners. Every other month, parishioners gather between services to make about 120 sandwiches for the Embry Rucker Community Shelter. Each year, the parish collects personal care items and backpacks for Comfort Cases, which delivers them to children entering foster care. During Lent, donations provide meals for students at St. Augustine’s Primary School in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania.
Throughout the year, a Red Wagon in the church collects shelf-stable food for the pantry of a local Title 1 school. The Lamb Center, a day shelter in Fairfax County, receives donated shampoo, soap, and other personal care items. Each Thanksgiving, the parish fills grocery boxes for Second Story’s work with teens in crisis. Between Mother’s Day and Father’s Day, parishioners assemble baby boxes of newborn necessities for Fairfax County families in need. At Christmas, an Angel Tree lets the parish purchase gifts for local families, and the Youth Group shops for the Community for Helping Others (CHO) Christmas Store.
Stewardship and Giving
The parish frames stewardship as "a year-round spiritual practice rooted in gratitude, generosity, and our shared life in Christ." Members are invited to consider giving of their time, talent, and treasure. Plate giving during services, annual pledges, one-time gifts marking baptisms, weddings, anniversaries, or other milestones, and planned giving through wills, trusts, retirement accounts, or other legacy arrangements are all part of how the parish sustains its ministries. Gifts may be made by check, by automatic bank transfer, by texting "HCPAY" to 73256, through the parish’s Realm online giving portal, or in the offering plate during worship.
Parish Leadership and Community
The parish is led by the Rev. Kelly Moughty, Rector, who has served Holy Cross since 2020. A graduate of George Washington University and Yale Divinity School, she previously served congregations in Connecticut, Maine, DC, and Virginia. The Rev. Crystal Hardin joined the staff as Associate Rector in the summer of 2024. A graduate of Virginia Theological Seminary and the University of Alabama School of Law, she previously served at Saint George’s, Arlington, and Christ Church, Georgetown. Her ministry focuses on stewardship, children and youth formation, and the parish’s "good vibes."
The Vestry - Kaitlin O’Leary as Senior Warden, John Blakeley as Junior Warden, and members Alison Crane, Elizabeth Spinney, Alice Wilson, Laura Miskimins, and Eileen Sloyan - shares in parish leadership along with the clergy. Members are elected at the Annual Meeting for three-year terms.
Outside the Sunday rhythm, fellowship is woven into parish life through the Holy Cross Day picnic, an Epiphany Game Night, a Youth-hosted Pancake Supper, retreats to Shrine Mont in the Shenandoah Valley, the OWLS (Older, Wiser, Laughing Souls) senior ministry, and the Women’s Ministry, which gathers for an annual fall retreat at Shrine Mont.
For newcomers, a Newcomer Class meets in the weeks leading up to joining the parish. The church office is open Tuesday through Thursday from 10am to 2pm, and clergy and staff are available outside those hours by appointment. Sunday bulletins, announcements, sermon archives from Rev. Kelly, Rev. Crystal, and guest preachers, and the full church calendar are all available online.