The origin of Gabriel Homes came from a simple but powerful belief:
that adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) could live independent, dignified lives.
The Impact 43 Years Later:
Since 1982, this mission has shaped countless lives in our community. At the heart of our vision was Father Gerry Creedon, one of the organization’s founders and a member of the Gabriel Homes Hall of Fame.
The Origin of Gabriel Homes
In the 1980s, Fr. Gerry was the director of Catholic Charities, a faith-based organization that provides social services to those in need. Fran Campbell, a mother of a person with IDD, met with him to see how he could help people like her child live independently. Catholic Charities laid the financial and structural groundwork, and Gabriel Homes was founded in 1982.
Once Gabriel Homes started operating smoothly, Fr. Gerry stepped down from the board. However, his commitment to our residents never faded. Fr. Gerry attended every annual Gabriel Homes golf tournament since its inception. He was such a talented golfer that those who didn’t know him mistook him for a professional. “No — a priest!” Fr. Gerry would reply.
Fr. Gerry’s devotion to speaking up for others earned the respect of public servants. His relationship with the Kennedy family helped give those he supported a voice with leaders who could shape policy for them. Fr. Gerry led baptisms, marriages, and christenings for much of the family. Notably, he was close to Senator Ted Kennedy. After Mass, he and the senator talked about political and cultural issues.
When Sen. Kennedy died, Fr. Gerry said the opening prayer at his funeral.
His friendship with Sen. Kennedy was grounded in shared values the family championed for decades. In the early 1960s, President Kennedy advanced rights for people with IDD through national plans and programs that helped them live independently.
“We must promote — to the best of our ability and by all possible and appropriate means — the mental and physical health of all our citizens.”
After Fr. Gerry Creedon died in 2017, the Virginia Senate passed a resolution celebrating his life. The text included his advocacy for housing and IDD rights as a founder of Gabriel Homes.
“Fr. Gerry was a terrific man,” says Chris (right), a resident at Gabriel Homes. “I’d call him my friend and best buddy. We talked about faith and the news, and he helped me feel connected to God. There was no other priest like Fr. Gerry.”