The Catholic Church of Mary Immaculate near the Greenbrier County village of Williamsburg will be featured in the “Country Church Salute” on the US Farm Report, a nationally syndicated television show, on the weekend of July 11.
Nominated for the honor by the Alleghany Highlands Council 8689 Knights of Columbus, the church was constructed in 1901 to replace two previous structures which had burnt in the late 1800’s. When there was no church building, the predominately Irish and German Catholics in the area would gather at Corkrean’s Store in Williamsburg at midnight on Saturday night and walk the 18 miles to the nearest church for early Mass.
While the church was never a parish of its own, it serves as a chapel for St. Catherine of Siena Catholic Church in Ronceverte and is used May through October for First Saturday devotions and daily Mass at 10:30 a.m., including July 4th, with a covered dish lunch on the grounds following the service.
The Church was renovated under the direction of Dr. and Mrs. Larry Mussleman of Renick in the 1990’s and the Catholics in the area maintain the grounds of the church and the cemetery nearby.
West Virginians watch the US Farm Report on Fox 60 WVNS, Beckley, Saturdays 6 a.m.; WOAY, Oak Hill, Sundays 6 a.m.; WVFX, Clarksburg/Weston, Saturdays 6 a.m.; WTAP, Parkersburg, Saturdays 6 a.m.; WQCW, Charleston, Saturdays and Sundays 5 a.m.; WTRF, Wheeling, Saturdays 6 a.m.; and from neighboring Virginia television stations, WDBJ, Roanoke, Sundays 7 a.m. and WHSV, Harrisonburg, Saturdays 5 a.m.
The church is located off US 219 in Frankford five miles on the Williamsburg/Frankford Road to the Catholic Church Road. Frankford is nine miles north of the Interstate 64 Lewisburg Exit.
For further information, telephone the office of the Catholic Churches of the Greenbrier Valley, 304-536-1813 or the Alleghany Highlands Council Knights of Columbus 304-645-1373.
