About Holy Redeemer · Spencer, West Virginia
Holy Redeemer Catholic Church is a small Roman Catholic parish serving Spencer and the surrounding communities of Roane County, West Virginia, within the Diocese of Wheeling–Charleston. Founded in 1957, the parish sits along Parkersburg Road and ministers to an area where Catholics are a small minority in a broadly Protestant region. It is currently twinned with St. Elizabeth of Hungary Mission in Elizabeth and is led by a priest of the H.G.N. religious congregation.
- Established
- 1957
- Patron
- Holy Redeemer
- Rector
- Rev. Ramababu Dakkamadugula, H.G.N.
- Diocese
- Diocese of Wheeling–Charleston
Why belong here
Holy Redeemer offers the Sacramental life of a small-but-faithful Catholic parish in central West Virginia, with multiple weekly Masses, regular Reconciliation, First Friday Adoration and Divine Mercy devotion, and ongoing outreach to neighbors in need through the Holy Redeemer Emergency Care program. As the parish church of the Diocese of Wheeling–Charleston in Roane County, it welcomes both longtime Catholic families and newcomers in a region where the Catholic presence is small but cherished.
Mass times at Holy Redeemer
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Saturday 5:00–5:30 PM
- For 15 minutes after all Masses
- Or by appointment
Adoration times
- Friday 8:30–8:55 AM
- First Friday of the month 8:15–8:30 AM, followed by 8:30 AM Mass at the Shrine
Identity & Patron
Holy Redeemer Catholic Church takes its name from the Most Holy Redeemer (Jesus Christ), a devotion cherished in Catholic tradition and widely used in parish naming, especially in the mid-20th century when this parish was established. As the Catholic presence in Spencer and Roane County, the church represents the ordinary sacraments of the Church for a small community in an otherwise largely Protestant region of West Virginia.
History of Holy Redeemer
Holy Redeemer Parish was formally established in 1957 within the then-Diocese of Wheeling, with Rev. Bernard Quinn appointed by the bishop as its founding pastor. The creation of the parish coincided with the establishment of several other Catholic parishes across the state that same year, including Our Lady of the Blessed Sacrament in Ravenswood and St. Joseph the Worker in Weirton. The parish has since continued unbroken in the diocese — now the Diocese of Wheeling–Charleston — under a succession of pastors and administrators, and currently shares pastoral leadership with St. Elizabeth of Hungary Mission in Elizabeth.
- Founded 1957
- First pastor: Rev. Bernard Quinn
- Same year as Our Lady of the Blessed Sacrament (Ravenswood) and St. Joseph the Worker (Weirton)
- Currently partnered with St. Elizabeth of Hungary Mission, Elizabeth
Mass & Liturgical Schedule
The parish's official website publishes a complete weekly Mass schedule, a sign that even a small, rural parish maintains the Church's full rhythm of daily and Sunday worship. Masses are offered six days a week, and the First Friday of each month is marked by a special devotional sequence combining Adoration, Divine Mercy, and a Shrine Mass.
- Sunday — 9:00 AM
- Saturday — 9:00 AM
- Tuesday — 6:00 PM
- Thursday — 6:00 PM
- Friday — 8:30 AM
- First Friday — 8:15 AM Divine Mercy; 8:30 AM Mass at the Shrine; Adoration 9:00 AM
Parish Outreach: Holy Redeemer Emergency Care (HREC)
One of the parish's most distinctive ministries is the Holy Redeemer Emergency Care (HREC) program, a parish-based outreach committee that provides direct assistance to families facing emergencies. HREC has been recognized for this work through multiple grants from the Sisters Health Foundation (2014, 2016, 2017, 2018), supporting residents of Roane, Calhoun, and Wirt Counties with utility, medical, food, transportation, and lodging expenses. The program reflects the parish's mission to serve the broader central-West Virginia community beyond its own members.
- Holy Redeemer Emergency Care (HREC)
- Assists Roane, Wirt, and Calhoun County residents
- Areas: utilities, medical, food, transportation, lodging
- Multiple Sisters Health Foundation grants (2014, 2016, 2017, 2018)
Twinned Mission: St. Elizabeth of Hungary, Elizabeth
Holy Redeemer's current pastor, Rev. Ramababu Dakkamadugula, H.G.N., was appointed by Bishop Mark Brennan to also serve as pastor of St. Elizabeth of Hungary Mission in Elizabeth — a smaller Catholic community in Wirt County. The mission has its own Mass schedule (Sunday 11:30 AM and Wednesday 6:00 PM) and a separate website (stelizabethhungarywv.org), and is supported by a Diocesan Consecrated Virgin serving as Pastoral Associate, Catherine Shoemaker.
- Parish: Holy Redeemer, Spencer
- Mission: St. Elizabeth of Hungary, Elizabeth, WV
- Pastor: Rev. Ramababu Dakkamadugula, H.G.N. (effective Aug. 15, 2025)
- Mission staff: Catherine Shoemaker, Diocesan Consecrated Virgin (Pastoral Associate)
Leadership & Staff
The parish is currently led by a priest of the H.G.N. religious congregation, appointed by Bishop Mark Brennan to the Spencer–Elizabeth pastoral grouping effective August 15, 2025. Earlier diocesan directories identified Rev. Penumaka Manikyalarao, H.G.N., as the Administrator of Holy Redeemer. Both clergy serve within the Diocese of Wheeling–Charleston.
- Current Pastor: Rev. Ramababu Dakkamadugula, H.G.N. (since Aug. 15, 2025)
- Previous Administrator: Rev. Penumaka Manikyalarao, H.G.N.
- Diocese: Wheeling–Charleston (Bishop Mark Brennan)
Visit & Contact
The parish welcomes visitors and newcomers at its location on Parkersburg Road in Spencer. Mass times, confessions, and appointments can be confirmed by calling the parish office.
- Address: 602 Parkersburg Rd., Spencer, WV 25276
- Phone: (304) 927-2013
- Email: [email protected]
- Website: holyredeemerwv.org
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Rev. Bernard Quinn1957 –
First pastor of Holy Redeemer Parish, appointed at its founding in 1957 per the Diocese of Wheeling–Charleston history page.
- Rev. Penumaka Manikyalarao, H.G.N.
Served as Administrator of Holy Redeemer prior to August 2025 assignment changes.
- Rev. Ramababu Dakkamadugula, H.G.N.Effective August 15, 2025
Appointed Pastor of Holy Redeemer Parish and St. Elizabeth of Hungary Mission by Bishop Mark Brennan.