About Good Shepherd · Lebanon, Virginia
Good Shepherd Catholic Church is a Roman Rite parish in Lebanon, Virginia, in the heart of the Appalachian coalfields, and one of three parishes that make up the Spirit of the Mountain Cluster of the Catholic Diocese of Richmond. The parish traces its origins to a Christmas Day Mass celebrated by Father Roland Hautz in 1957 from a trailer chapel parked next to the local elementary school, and it was formally erected in the early 1960s, becoming a permanent spiritual home for Catholics in Russell County. Today Good Shepherd offers Sunday Mass at 11:00 AM and Wednesday Mass at 6:00 PM, and shares pastoral care with neighboring St. Therese in St. Paul and St. Mary in Coeburn under Father Emmanuel D. Appah.
- Established
- 1959
- Patron
- The Good Shepherd (Jesus Christ as the Good Shepherd)
- Rector
- Rev. Emmanuel Darfour Appah
- Diocese
- Catholic Diocese of Richmond
Why belong here
Good Shepherd is a small, tight-knit Catholic community in Lebanon, Virginia, where every member of the parish is invited to live out their baptismal call through service, prayer, and fellowship. The cluster offers the full rhythm of parish life — Sunday and weekday Mass, the Sacrament of Reconciliation before every weekend liturgy, RCIA for those seeking to become Catholic, and active liturgical, parish-life, and social-justice ministries (including a fuel and hunger assistance program). Worshiping here means joining a generations-old mission church that built itself with its own hands in the Appalachian mountains, and continuing that same spirit of hospitality today.
Mass times at Good Shepherd
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- 30 minutes before weekend Masses
- By appointment
Welcome to Good Shepherd Catholic Church
Good Shepherd Catholic Church, located at 890 W Main Street in Lebanon, Virginia, is one of three parishes of the Spirit of the Mountain Cluster in the Catholic Diocese of Richmond. Father Emmanuel D. Appah and the parishioners of Good Shepherd invite you and your family to join them for worship. Sunday Mass is celebrated at 11:00 AM and Wednesday Mass at 6:00 PM (when the priest is available); Holy Day Mass is at 6:00 PM. The parish office is open Wednesday and Friday, 9:00 AM to 12:00 Noon, and can be reached at (276) 889-1690 or [email protected].
- Sunday Mass: 11:00 AM
- Wednesday Mass: 6:00 PM
- Holy Day Mass: 6:00 PM
- Office hours: Wed & Fri 9:00 AM – 12:00 Noon
- Phone: (276) 889-1690
Parish History
Good Shepherd began as a mission of St. Therese Catholic Church in St. Paul. Father Roland Hautz celebrated the first Mass in Lebanon on Christmas Day 1957 inside a trailer chapel dedicated to St. Vivian — the first of its kind in the Diocese of Wheeling — which had been donated by Larry Welsch of Cincinnati, Ohio. After the Diocese purchased a lot on West Main Street in 1960, parishioners and Glenmary brothers hauled fill dirt by hand, dug utility trenches, and, with the help of Father Hautz's retired father Raymond Hautz, built the present church. It was dedicated on August 28, 1966.
- 1957 – First Mass on Christmas Day in a trailer chapel
- 1960 – Diocese buys lot on West Main Street for $7,000
- 1962–65 – Present-day church constructed; dedicated August 28, 1966
- 1973–74 – Parish transferred from Diocese of Wheeling to Diocese of Richmond
- Mid-1980s – Legacy from Dr. Albert delCostillo enables purchase of a rectory house
- August 28, 2016 – Outdoor Good Shepherd statue dedicated by Monsignor Mark R. Lane at 50th anniversary jubilee
Cluster Configuration: Spirit of the Mountain
Good Shepherd shares its pastor with two neighboring parishes to form the Spirit of the Mountain Cluster: St. Therese Catholic Church in St. Paul, Virginia (erected and dedicated August 12, 1951) and St. Mary Catholic Church in Coeburn, Virginia (erected and dedicated August 7, 1955). The cluster name was chosen by parishioners during the pastorate of Father Mike Herbert, after Father Robert Krenik had reorganized the cluster configuration in 2003 to assign one priest to all three parishes.
- St. Therese (St. Paul) – Sunday 8:30 AM
- St. Mary (Coeburn) – Saturday Vigil 5:00 PM
- Good Shepherd (Lebanon) – Sunday 11:00 AM
Liturgical Ministries
Liturgical ministries at Good Shepherd work in collaboration with the pastor to enhance the Eucharistic celebration and to fulfill parishioners' baptismal call of service. Training and formation sessions are offered throughout the year for those who serve.
- Altar Linens — making and laundering altar linens and baptismal towels
- Altar Servers / Cross Bearers — open to boys and girls who have received First Communion
- Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion — also bring Communion to the homebound, nursing homes, hospitals, and prisons
- Lectors — proclaim the scriptures during the Liturgy of the Word
- Mass Coordinators — prepare liturgical books, vessels, linens, hosts, and wine; oversee sign-in and offertory
- Music Ministry — open to children and adults who enjoy singing or playing an instrument
Parish Life
Parish Life is responsible for promoting Christian community within the cluster and is open to every parishioner. Events need coordinators, volunteers, cooks, servers, and helpers for setup, takedown, and cleanup. The ministry exists to help parishioners serve God and their community in a way that strengthens their faith.
Social Justice & Outreach
The cluster's social-justice ministry reaches out beyond the walls of its three churches to serve the wider community of the Appalachian mountains.
- Fuel & Hunger Grant Program — when funds are available, assists those in need with fuel and food requests
- Virginia Catholic Conference — a political-action coalition of the Richmond and Arlington dioceses, active year-round at the federal level and during the Virginia General Assembly session in January and February
Christian Formation & Becoming Catholic
Because Christ has the power to change lives, Good Shepherd and the Spirit of the Mountain Cluster are committed to the Christian education of adults, children, and youth. The cluster also welcomes those searching for a spiritual home and interested in joining the Catholic Church.
- Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults (RCIA) — normally begins in January, with reception of the Sacraments of Initiation (Baptism, Confirmation, Eucharist) at Easter
- Youth formation — no specific youth classes at this time; requests may be sent to the church office
- Contact: Father Emmanuel D. Appah, Pastor
Sacraments
The parish celebrates the seven sacraments in cooperation with the wider cluster. The Sacrament of Reconciliation is offered 30 minutes before every weekend Mass or by appointment. For emergencies (Anointing of the Sick), a sacramental emergency line is staffed at 1-804-631-9027 or by email at [email protected].
- Reconciliation — 30 minutes before weekend Masses, or by appointment
- Baptism — preparation available; altar linens ministry launders baptismal linens
- Confirmation & First Eucharist — coordinated through Christian Formation
- Marriage — contact the parish office
- Anointing of the Sick — sacramental emergency line 1-804-631-9027
Contact, Location & Office Hours
Good Shepherd Catholic Church is located on West Main Street in the Town of Lebanon, Virginia, with easy access from US Route 19. The mailing address is PO Box 730, Lebanon, VA 24266-0730. The parish office shares staffing and contact information with the Spirit of the Mountain Cluster.
- Physical address: 890 W Main Street, Lebanon, VA 24266
- Mailing address: PO Box 730, Lebanon, VA 24266-0730
- Phone: (276) 889-1690
- Email: [email protected]
- Office hours: Wednesday & Friday, 9:00 AM – 12:00 Noon
- Cluster website: https://www.spiritofthemountain.org
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Rev. Roland (Rollie) Hautz1957–1960s
Pastor of St. Therese in St. Paul who began celebrating Mass in Lebanon on Christmas Day 1957 from a trailer chapel; he and his father Raymond Hautz were central to the founding and construction of Good Shepherd.