About Good Shepherd · South Hill, Virginia
Church of the Good Shepherd is a small, multicultural Roman Catholic parish in South Hill, Virginia, serving a congregation of roughly 200 faithful drawn from Hispanic, Filipino, African (including Nigerian), and Anglo-American backgrounds. Founded in 1922 as a mission of St. Richard parish in Emporia and entrusted for decades to the Franciscan Fathers, Good Shepherd was established as an independent parish in 1979. Today it is pastored (with two companion parishes) by Father Emmanuel Ssekamaanya and parochial vicar Father Jude Wamala Kaggwa of the Diocese of Richmond.
- Established
- 1922
- Patron
- The Good Shepherd (Jesus Christ)
- Rector
- Rev. Emmanuel Ssekamaanya
- Diocese
- Roman Catholic Diocese of Richmond
Why belong here
Good Shepherd welcomes everyone to a small but remarkably diverse Catholic family — about 200 parishioners representing Hispanic, Filipino, African, and Anglo-American heritages worshipping side by side. The parish is grounded in the Eucharist (with a Saturday evening Vigil Mass celebrated bilingually and a Sunday morning Mass), food ministry open every Tuesday, active religious education for children, outreach to migrant families, and a global mission partnership with St. Joseph Busibo Church in the Diocese of Masaka, Uganda. If you are looking for a parish where many cultures come together as one body in Christ, Good Shepherd is home.
Mass times at Good Shepherd
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Saturdays 6:30 PM – 7:00 PM (or by appointment)
- Sundays 7:30 AM – 8:00 AM (or by appointment)
- Wednesdays 11:30 AM – 12:00 PM (or by appointment)
- Also by appointment; Reconciliation also offered the 3rd Friday of every month from 6:00 PM – 7:00 PM (per joinmychurch.com)
Parish History
Good Shepherd traces its roots to 1922, when Catherine Rudolph donated an acre of land on State Route 138 (three and a half miles from South Hill) and rallied her neighbors to volunteer their labor and materials to build a small white-frame church. Bishop Denis J. O'Connell formally dedicated it on August 27, 1922, likening it to a mustard seed. Through the mid-20th century the parish grew from a mission of St. Richard in Emporia to an independent parish (1979), and ultimately to its current multicultural identity celebrated at its 2022 centennial.
- 1922 — Church dedicated by Bishop Denis J. O'Connell on land donated by Catherine Rudolph
- 1940 — Bishop Peter Ireton invites the Franciscan Fathers of New York
- 1941 — Father Walter Hammon becomes first Franciscan to celebrate Mass in South Hill
- 1953 — Ground broken for second (red-brick) church by Father Kieran McMahon; Midnight Mass opens it Christmas Eve
- 1979 — Good Shepherd established as an independent parish
- 1995 — Social hall built; bingo nights help fund next building project
- 2006 — Current church built beside and incorporating the 1953 church as a wing
- August 28, 2022 — Centennial Mass concelebrated by Bishop Barry C. Knestout and Father Raner Lucila
Worship & Liturgy
Good Shepherd offers a weekly Vigil Mass in bilingual (English/Spanish) form, a Sunday morning Mass in English, and a Wednesday noon daily Mass. Reconciliation is heard before every Mass, half an hour before Sunday Mass, and by appointment throughout the week, with a parish-Reconciliation hour also held the third Friday of every month.
- Sunday: 8:00 AM (English)
- Saturday Vigil: 7:15 PM (Bilingual — English/Spanish)
- Wednesday (Daily): 12:00 PM (English)
- Reconciliation: Sat 6:30–7:00 PM; Sun 7:30–8:00 AM; Wed 11:30 AM–12:00 PM; or by appointment; 3rd Friday 6:00–7:00 PM
Parish Staff & Clergy
The parish is currently pastored by Father Emmanuel Ssekamaanya, who in August 2024 was named pastor of Good Shepherd along with the companion parishes of St. Catherine of Siena in Clarksville and St. Paschal Baylon in South Boston. He is assisted by parochial vicar Father Jude Wamala Kaggwa. Longtime liturgical minister Laura Bailey and parish-council chairperson Jimmy Walters are also central to day-to-day parish life.
- Rev. Emmanuel Ssekamaanya — Pastor (since August 2024)
- Rev. Jude Wamala Kaggwa — Parochial Vicar
- Laura Bailey — Liturgical Minister / stable parish presence
- Jimmy Walters — Parish Council Chairperson (as of 2022)
- Pastoral-team model: Good Shepherd is one of three parishes served by Father Emmanuel
Faith Formation & Religious Education
Children's religious education classes meet in the historic 1953 church building — the parish's second church, which became a wing of the 2006 church and now continues to 'share in the life of the parish' as classroom space. Programs run through the parish office for First Communion and Confirmation preparation.
- Children's religious education (held in the 1953 church wing)
- First Communion preparation
- Confirmation preparation
- Multicultural catechesis reflecting the parish's Hispanic, Filipino, African, and Anglo-American families
Parish Ministries & Outreach
Despite its size, Good Shepherd runs an unusually broad range of ministries. A weekly Food Ministry opens its doors to the community every Tuesday. The parish has a longstanding (though currently paused) Prison Ministry serving Lunenburg Correctional Center that the staff is working to revive, and an active Migrant Ministry coordinated with the Diocese of Richmond. Internationally, Good Shepherd has raised funds to build a church and two large water-cisterns for St. Joseph Busibo Church in the Diocese of Masaka, Uganda — a partnership that began when Ugandan priest Father John Kazibwe served as pastor (2009–2013).
- Food Ministry — open Tuesdays
- Migrant Ministry (with the Diocese of Richmond)
- Prison Ministry to Lunenburg Correctional Center (being revived)
- Global Outreach to St. Joseph Busibo Church, Diocese of Masaka, Uganda
- Hispanic Mass ministry (Saturday Vigil)
- Liturgical Ministry team
- Parish Council
Sacraments
Mass and Reconciliation are the most visible sacraments celebrated regularly. Sacramental preparation for First Communion and Confirmation takes place through the parish's faith-formation program. Couples should contact the parish office for marriage preparation.
- Eucharist — Sunday 8:00 AM, Vigil Saturday 7:15 PM bilingual, Wednesday 12:00 PM
- Reconciliation — before each Mass and by appointment
- First Communion preparation
- Confirmation preparation
- Marriage preparation (contact parish office)
Facilities & Campus
The present-day campus reflects three generations of growth: the original 1922 frame church (no longer in use), the 1953 red-brick church (now repurposed as the religious-education wing), the 2006 worship church built alongside it, and a social hall added in 1995. Office hours are posted as Monday, Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday from 9:00 AM to 12:00 PM, and Tuesday from 7:30 AM to 1:30 PM.
- 1953 red-brick church (now religious-education classrooms)
- 2006 current worship church
- 1995 social hall
- Parish office hours: Mon/Wed/Thu/Fri 9:00 AM–12:00 PM; Tue 7:30 AM–1:30 PM
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Rev. Walter Hammon, OFM1941
First Franciscan Father to celebrate Mass in South Hill
- Rev. Kieran McMahon1953
Broke ground for the second (red-brick) church
- Rev. John Kazibwe2009–2013
From the Diocese of Masaka, Uganda; sparked the parish's ongoing outreach to St. Joseph Busibo Church
- Rev. Raner Lucila
Pastor at the 2022 centennial celebration