The oldest Catholic church in West Virginia still in use will be the setting of the Mass of the Feast of the Assumption on Aug. 15 at 6 p.m. Music for the Mass will be lead by the Hymns and Hers, the choir of St. Catherine of Siena Church in Ronceverte, along with members of the choir of St. Charles Borromeo Church in White Sulphur Springs.
Located in Sweet Springs, Monroe County, the St. John, the Evangelist, Catholic Chapel, was built by Governor John Floyd of Virginia for his daughters who had converted to the Catholic religion after attending Catholic schools in Washington, DC, while he worked for the national government and in Richmond, VA, while he was Governor of the state. His wife also converted and was a strong leader for the faith in the Sweet Springs area and the Sweet Springs resort at that time.
The Bishop of the Diocese of Richmond made certain that the Church was supplied regularly by the priest from the Wytheville, VA, parish, the nearest Catholic parish to Sweet Springs. The Church was in use by 1839 and was built by slaves on the Lynnside Plantation which was owned by the Governor.
The public is invited to the Mass on Aug. 15 and tours of the Church will be given, starting at 4:30 p.m. An ice cream social will be held on the grounds following the Mass.
The Church is located at the intersection of WV/VA 311 and WV 3.
From the west, take I-64 East to Exit 181 Crows VA RT. 311 to Sweet Springs; From the East, take I-64 to Exit 10 Callaghan then south on VA 159 to VA 311 and continue south to the intersection with WV 3 which is where the Church is located.
From the south, take US 219 north from Rich Creek, VA, to Union and WV 3 East to Sweet Springs.
Msgr. Kevin Quirk, pastor of St. Catherine of Siena and St. Charles Borromeo parishes, will officiate at the Mass along with any visiting priests from western Virginia or West Virginia. He urges those attending the service to “dress casually” as there is no air conditioning in the Church.
The community of Sweet Springs is only one mile from the Virginia border and the Church played a role in the history of both states and with the Catholic parish in Wytheville and the community of Burke’s Garden which was the home of relatives of the Floyd family.
The ice cream social will be hosted by members of St. Catherine of Siena and St. Charles Borromeo, along with members of the Greenbrier Valley Council 8689 of the Knights of Columbus.
For further information, telephone the office of the Catholic Churches of the Greenbrier Valley 304-536-1813 or the Knights of Columbus 304-645-1373.
