Crowds gathered on the lawn of St. Mary of Sorrows' historic church in Fairfax Station on Monday, Sept. 5 for the traditional Labor Day picnic. The celebration, which is in its 130th year, began with a Catholic morning mass and featured tours of the church, a Clara Barton reenactor, rides, climbing wall, dunk tank, live music and food.
The historic church at St. Mary's was built in 1859, said Jack French, who guided tours of the building. It was a country mission of an Alexandria church. Today, 3,400 families belong to the parish, said French.