St. Patrick is Mother Church for Four Parishes
"For Where Two or Three are Gathered Together for My Sake, There Am
I in the Midst of Them." Matthew 18:20.
Over the years, St. Patrick's has played an important role in the Catholic
religious history of the area. In four cases, this role has been that of a
mother church.
In the pioneer years of the railroad and coal mining Catholic people settled
on Irish Mountain, in Beckley, and Springdale. Their numbers were great
enough to feel the need of an established church. St. Patrick's formed
missions and maintained them until they were either large enough to maintain
themselves (St. Francis de Sales) or had completely died out (St.
Coleman's). Sacred Heart of Springdale is still active and is now a mission
of Sacred Heart in Rainelle due to its nearer proximity.
Our Lady of Mercy Chapel of Alderson Reformatory for Women evolved when it
became apparent that many of the residents and employees of the prison were
Catholic. St. Patrick's assumed the ministership of these Catholics and
still shares its pastors and sisters with the Chapel.
St. Patrick's did not establish the Monastery of Christ on the Mountain, but
she does share an informal bond of dedication to Christ's work on earth with
it.
St. Patrick's has promulgated the Faith of her people for more than 100
years. May she continue to do so for hundreds more years to come.
In 1870 there settled on the mountain above Elton, Green Sulphur District,
Irish families who formed and grew into a thrifty, enterprising and law
abiding community now as Springdale. Among them were Thomas Hurley, Richard
Twohig, Patrick Conley, Terrence Foley, Edward McGuire, Florence Donohue,
John Hurley, and their families. These settlers were faithful Catholics and
in 1876, they erected St. Kerrens.
The first building, planned an built under the supervision of Fr. David
Walsh, was constructed of logs. The log building was later abandoned, and a
frame structure was built during the St. Patrick's pastorship of Fr. J. W.
Werninger from 1897 to 1899. St. Kerrens was dedicated on the same day as
was St. Patrick's Church, April 25, 1899. Around this time a Fr. Deladd
became the pastor of the smaller parish.
Later, the church was rededicated and the name changed to Sacred Heart and
again made a mission of St. Patrick's until 1954, when it was assigned to
East Rainelle. The present Pastor there is Reverend Roy Lombard.
Another Irish settlement was formed at the top of Keeney's Knob. These
settlers are recorded as James Hurley and Patrick O'Leary. They were devout
Catholics and were visited periodically by representatives of the church.
Bridget Hurley married Joseph Dick and their descendants still live on the
old plantation.
An outgrowth of St. Patrick's that people today find difficult to believe is
the church located in Beckley known as St. Francis de Sales. The opening of
coal mines encouraged the growth of population in Blue Jay and Adkinsville,
now known as East Beckley. Among the newcomers were many Catholics. So, it
fell to St Patrick's to establish a mission church there.
Until 1905, Mass was being said by Fr. J. Gormly in the area's homes.
In 1906-1907, Fr. J. J. Swint, later to become Bishop of Wheeling, built the
frame church that was in use until 1950. St. Francis remained under the
guidance of the Hinton church until 1909 when Reverend John Holzmer became
its resident pastor for the next 25 years.
The Catholic population outgrew the frame church and the present edifice of
native stone was erected in 1950. The church has continued to grow and in
1970 a new ell was added to accommodate its people. St. Francis is now under
the ministership of Fr. Thomas Kerrigan, a former pastor of St. Patrick's.
St. Coleman's, located on Irish Mountain, was the first Catholic church
built in Raleigh County. In 1876, Morris Sullivan deeded to the Reverend
Joseph H. Kain, then Bishop of Wheeling, an acre of land in Richmond
District on which to locate the church and an adjacent cemetery. Fr. David
Walsh, the pastor of St. Patrick's supervised the building of a log church
thee in 1877. This was later improved into a frame church which still
stands. St. Coleman's has remained a mission of St. Patrick's though Mass is
celebrated there only on special occasions.
Sullivan, McCarthy, Fitzpatrick, Hurley, Conner, Nee, and Dillion were among
the settlers who had been engaged in building the Hinton division of the C&O
Railroad during the 1870's. The railroad was completed in 1873, and upon
completion these Irish families found themselves out of work and not
particularly welcome in Hinton. So, they gravitated to the flatlands in the
mountains of Raleigh County to try their hands at farming.
Their graves and those of their families may be found behind the church. The
earliest marker is that of a John Quillan born in Ireland who was buried at
St. Coleman's in 1877. Many of these early settlers' descendants still
reside in Hinton and the surrounding area.
Since 1955, St. Patrick's has shared its pastor with the Our Lady of Mercy
Chapel, located at the Federal Reformatory for Women at Alderson, WV.
The chapel was dedicated on November 2, 1957, by the coadjutor Bishop Thomas
McDonnell. Among those is attendance for this glorious occasion were high
prison officials from Washington.
Hand-tooled copper stations of the cross and beautiful religious art works,
done by resident of the Reformatory are some of the interesting features of
the decor of the chapel's interior.
On June 6, 1960, Bishop McDonnell presided over the first confirmation
service pf the chapel. Eleven residents were confirmed with Mrs. Todd Thayer
and Mrs. Charles Henne serving as sponsors.
Frequently, members of St. Patrick's are guest at special occasion functions
at the chapel, and a multi-talented choir from the chapel participates in
services at St. Patrick's and presents an inspiring musical program for the
mass.
The beautiful hills which surround Hinton provide the Carmelite priests the
peace and solitude they search for. The Carmelites are a hermitage order
founded in Palestine.
They fill their time with work and prayer, preaching and giving retreats.
When the priest at St. Patrick's are unable to say Mass, the Carmelite
priests come down from the mountain to fill in for him. The Discalced, or
barefooted, Carmelites settled in the area in 1968. They were first lodged
along the Greenbrier River but, finding the noise more than they wanted,
they purchased the Fred Young farm located on Madams Creek and established
the Monastery of Christ on the Mountain.
Fr. Albert Bourke and Fr. Isadore Dixon are the full time residents of the
desert house. It is called a desert house because its purpose is to provide
other Carmelite members with a place of retreat, silence, and solitude.
These members come from the northeastern United States, and spend their time
working and mediating on the way of the Lord. They may stay as long as they
feel necessary a week or a month. The priest of the diocese are also welcome
for a day of recollection.
There are four hermitages on the 300 acres property and one main building,
which lodges the chapel.
Carmelites all over the world have made praying for mankind's salvation
their life's work. Is it any wonder then that they have chosen our beautiful
mountains for a job such as this?