About Ascension · Hurricane, West Virginia
Ascension Catholic Church is a welcoming Roman Catholic parish serving the Teays Valley area of Hurricane, West Virginia, in the Diocese of Wheeling–Charleston. Founded in 1980 from a mission established by Bishop Joseph H. Hodges, the parish has grown from a small handful of faithful into a community of roughly 500 families. Located at 905 Hickory Mill Road, Ascension offers daily and Sunday Mass, perpetual Eucharistic Adoration, a full faith formation program for children and teens (PSR, EDGE, Life Teen), and a wide range of lay-led ministries organized around worship, education, and service.
- Established
- 1980
- Patron
- The Ascension of the Lord
- Rector
- Rev. Shaji Thomas
- Diocese
- Diocese of Wheeling–Charleston (West Virginia)
Why belong here
Ascension is a mid-sized family parish where nearly every parishioner can find a way to serve: from perpetual Eucharistic Adoration and a thriving OCIA process, to PSR, EDGE, and Life Teen faith formation for every age, to outreach through the Knights of Columbus, Health Care Ministers, Eucharistic Shut-in Ministry, and the All Life Ascension pro-life group. With daily Mass, multiple Sunday Masses, and perpetual Adoration, Ascension offers the full rhythms of Catholic devotional life in a close-knit Putnam County community.
Mass times at Ascension
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Saturday 4:00–4:45 PM
- 1st Saturday after 9:00 AM Mass
- By appointment
Adoration times
- Perpetual Eucharistic Adoration — sign up for an hour by contacting Becky Dunn at (304) 389-8504
Welcome & Mission
Ascension Catholic Church describes itself as "a welcoming and caring family who come together in Christ's name, actively sharing our faith through worship, education and ministry to one another, and the community." Parish leadership is provided by the Pastor together with two advisory councils — the Pastoral Council and the Finance Council — whose work is carried out by laypeople organized into ministries and teams. The parish staff believes every person has a gift or talent that can be used to help the parish fulfill its mission, and parishioners are invited to complete an annual Time and Talent Survey to match volunteers with ministries.
- Mission: actively sharing faith through worship, education, and ministry
- Led by Pastor with the Pastoral Council and Finance Council
- Annual Time and Talent Survey connects parishioners with ministries
History of Ascension Parish
Before 1980, Catholics in the Teays Valley belonged to St. Francis in St. Albans or Holy Trinity in Nitro. Bishop Joseph H. Hodges established a mission in Hurricane in 1979, with Fr. Laurence Wrenn tasked with nurturing it. In spring 1980 a Church Advisory Council was formed, an architect was hired, and on September 14, 1980 the mission was elevated to parish status with Fr. Wrenn as first pastor. The first Mass was celebrated on May 28, 1981, the Feast of the Ascension — the parish's namesake. The community has since grown from a small handful of families to approximately 500.
- Mission established 1979 by Bishop Joseph H. Hodges
- Elevated to parish September 14, 1980
- First pastor: Fr. Laurence Wrenn
- First Mass: May 28, 1981, the Feast of the Ascension
- Now roughly 500 families
Parish Staff
The parish staff combines ordained, lay, and volunteer leadership. Rev. Shaji Thomas serves as Pastor. Day-to-day operations and ministry coordination are handled by a team including the Director of Religious Education, Music Director, OCIA Director, Bookkeeper, Facility Coordinator, and Secretary.
- Rev. Shaji Thomas — Pastor ([email protected])
- Daniel Ardoin — Director of Religious Education ([email protected])
- Ilyana Owens — Music Director ([email protected])
- Cheryl Williams — OCIA Director ([email protected])
- Michele Bays — Bookkeeper ([email protected])
- Nate Lucas — Facility Coordinator / Maintenance ([email protected])
- Sonya Santangelo — Secretary ([email protected])
Faith Formation for Children & Teens
Ascension runs a year-round faith formation program for every age. Children in PK–5 attend PSR (Parish School of Religion), middle-schoolers meet through EDGE, and high-schoolers are served by Life Teen. A Confirmation team of adults and teens guides families through the preparation for the Sacrament of Confirmation each year.
- PSR (Grades PK–5) — Sundays 9:45 AM–10:45 AM, September–May
- EDGE (Grades 6–8) — Catholic middle-school youth ministry
- Life Teen (Grades 9–12) — Eucharist-centered movement
- Confirmation Team — sessions and a retreat each year
- Children's Liturgy of the Word
- VIRTUS safe-environment training (Coordinator: Brittany Neville, [email protected])
Adult Faith Formation & OCIA
Adults seeking full initiation into the Catholic Church enter through the OCIA (Order of Christian Initiation of Adults), directed by Cheryl Williams. The parish also offers ongoing Adult Religious Education and access to Formed for at-home study.
- OCIA — contact Cheryl Williams ([email protected])
- Adult Religious Education
- Formed digital subscription
Liturgical & Music Ministries
Music Ministry is led by Music Director Ilyana Owens. Liturgical roles are filled by trained lay volunteers — altar servers, lectors and cross bearers, extraordinary ministers of Holy Communion, and ushers/greeters — all coordinated through the parish office.
- Music Ministry — Ilyana Owens ([email protected])
- Altar Servers — Pete Robusto
- Lectors & Cross Bearers
- Eucharistic Ministers — Joan Zappitelli (304) 757-8927 / (304) 545-6195
- Ushers/Greeters — Tim Jones via the Parish Office
Prayer & Devotional Life
Ascension places a strong emphasis on prayer. Perpetual Eucharistic Adoration is the devotional centerpiece, with parishioners signing up for hourly watches. The Ascension Prayer Chain, Our Lady's Prayer Group, and Rosary for Peace round out the parish's prayer life.
- Perpetual Eucharistic Adoration — Becky Dunn (304) 389-8504
- Ascension Prayer Chain (online) — Ellen Siebel (304) 389-5637
- Our Lady's Prayer Group
- Rosary for Peace
Outreach, Charity & Parish Life
Parish Life, led by Terry Williams, promotes Christian stewardship and discipleship as a way of life. Ministries reach outward through the Knights of Columbus, All Life Ascension (pro-life), Health Care Ministers, the Care Team, Eucharistic Shut-in Ministry, the Funeral Lunch Ministry, and the Coffee and Donut Ministry.
- Parish Life — Terry Williams (304) 546-8379
- Knights of Columbus
- All Life Ascension (pro-life) — Sonya Santangelo
- Health Care Ministers — monthly blood pressure screenings; CPR / first aid / babysitting classes
- Care Team — support for elderly, ill, recovering, and hospice
- Eucharistic Shut-in Ministry — Communion to the sick, elderly, and homebound
- Funeral Lunch Ministry
- Coffee and Donut Ministry — Terry Williams
Sacraments
Ascension celebrates the seven Catholic sacraments. Information pages on the parish website cover Baptism, Reconciliation, Eucharist, Confirmation, Marriage, Anointing of the Sick, and Holy Orders, with details on preparation and how to begin the process through the parish office.
- Baptism
- Reconciliation (Confession)
- Eucharist
- Confirmation
- Marriage
- Anointing of the Sick
- Holy Orders
Contact & Visiting
Ascension Catholic Church is located at 905 Hickory Mill Road in Hurricane, West Virginia 25526, in Putnam County. The parish office can be reached at (304) 562-5816 or by email at [email protected]. The parish maintains an active presence on Facebook at facebook.com/ascensionwv for news, events, and updates.
- Address: 905 Hickory Mill Road, Hurricane, WV 25526
- Phone: (304) 562-5816
- Email: [email protected]
- Website: http://www.ascensionhurricane.org
- Facebook: facebook.com/ascensionwv
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Rev. Laurence Wrenn1980–
First pastor. Assigned in 1979 to establish the Hurricane mission while Associate Pastor at St. Francis, St. Albans; named pastor when the mission was elevated to a parish on September 14, 1980.
- Rev. Shaji Thomas
Current pastor (as of parish website listing).