The Catholic Church of Mary Immaculate near Williamsburg in Greenbrier County will be the site of the First Saturday devotions and daily Mass beginning May 7 and held monthly through the first Saturday in October. The devotions begin at 10:30 a.m. with the daily Mass at 11 a.m. and a covered dish luncheon following on the grounds.
Built in 1902, the 120th year old church building is the oldest Catholic church building in Greenbrier County and was the third Catholic Church built to serve the Williamsburg Catholic congregation made up primarily of the Irish and German population of northern Greenbrier County.
Prior to establishing a church building in the early 1880’s, the Irish and German congregation from the Williamsburg area would meet at the Corkrean’s Store in Williamsburg at midnight on Saturday and walk the 18 miles into Lewisburg for the early Sunday Mass in the former Immaculate Conception Catholic Church in Lewisburg. The first two Catholic churches in the Williamsburg Butler Mountain area were destroyed by fire.
The First Saturdays devotions and Masses in 2022 will honor the memory of the late Dr. Larry Musselman and his widow, Frankie Paulin Musselman.
From Frankford, take the Williamsburg Road approximately 4½ miles to the Catholic Church Road and the historic church and cemetery are on the Catholic Church Road in the first quarter of a mile north on Catholic Church Road. For more information contact Mike Williams at 304-645-1373 or Cwilliams1948@frontier.com