The sanctuary of St. Charles Borromeo Catholic Church in White Sulphur Springs will remain open for prayer and meditation by the general public on the night of June 23, the first anniversary of the flood of 2016 which claimed the lives of 27 West Virginians, including 15 Greenbrier County residents.
“Through the cooperation of the congregation of St. Charles Borromeo parish and the Alleghany Highlands Council 8689 Knights of Columbus, the sanctuary will be open 9 p.m., June 23, until 8 a.m. June 24,” Perk Berry of White Sulphur Springs, grand knight of the Alleghany Highlands Council and a member of the St. Charles Borromeo parish, announced.
The church is located on US 60 at the western entrance to the city.
“This is for those who have memories of that night one year ago, who wish to remember loved ones in prayer and those who are looking forward with praise and thanksgiving for the future,” Berry added.
The residents from throughout the area affected by the flood are invited, regardless of religious affiliation, or hometown. There will be no formal service or prayer, only private prayer and meditation.
Meantime, the Knights of the Alleghany Highlands Council will be leading the recitation of the Holy Rosary on Sundays, June 11, 18, and 25 at 5 p.m. in St. John, the Evangelist, Catholic Chapel in Sweet Springs, Monroe County. This is the oldest standing Catholic church in West Virginia and is a chapel in the Parish of St. Charles Borromeo in White Sulphur Springs.
The Alleghany Highlands Council serves the Pocahontas, Greenbrier, Monroe, eastern Fayette, counties of West Virginia and Alleghany and Bath counties of Virginia, and meets on the second and fourth Sundays at 6 p.m. and 3 p.m. EST at St. Louis, King of France, Catholic Church in Lewisburg.
