About Immaculate Conception Church · New Cumberland, West Virginia
Immaculate Conception Church is a small Roman Catholic parish in New Cumberland, Hancock County, West Virginia, part of the Diocese of Wheeling–Charleston. The parish was established in 1904, originally as a mission church built in the nearby Rockyside community under the guidance of its first pastor, Rev. Julius Jaworek, and was relocated to its present site in downtown New Cumberland in 1927. Today the parish serves its community with weekend and weekday Masses, a parish religious education (CCD) program, RCIA, and outreach ministries including a Men's Club, Women's Club, and the Gabriel House (a local expression of the Gabriel Project supporting pregnant women and families with infants).
- Established
- 1904
- Patron
- Immaculate Conception (the Blessed Virgin Mary)
- Rector
- Fr. Bill Matheny
- Diocese
- Diocese of Wheeling–Charleston
Why belong here
Immaculate Conception is a tight-knit small parish in the Northern Panhandle of West Virginia, where Sunday Mass at 8:30 AM is followed by CCD classes and a coffee-and-fellowship rhythm. Members grow in faith through an established religious education program for grades K–12 (including First Communion and two-year Confirmation preparation), adult faith formation through RCIA, weekly confession before Sunday Mass, and active parish organizations. Outreach is a visible part of parish life — the Men's Club and Women's Club run parish fundraisers and social events, while the Gabriel House (a local Gabriel Project) supplies diapers, baby clothing, cribs, pack-n-plays, and car seats to needy pregnant women and families with children under two.
Mass times at Immaculate Conception Church
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Sunday 7:30–8:15 AM
- By appointment
Parish History
Immaculate Conception Parish was established in 1904 in Hancock County, West Virginia, when the Diocese of Wheeling–Charleston sent Rev. Julius Jaworek to found a mission church in the Rockyside mining settlement near New Cumberland. The original frame church was raised in roughly two to three months, with Christmas Eve Mass celebrated there that same year. In 1927 the congregation relocated the church from Rockyside to its present home at 1016 Ridge Avenue in downtown New Cumberland, where it has served local Catholics ever since.
- Founded 1904, first pastor Rev. Julius Jaworek
- Original mission church built in Rockyside beginning September 1904
- Christmas Eve services held in 1904 — construction completed in ~2–3 months
- Relocated from Rockyside to downtown New Cumberland in 1927
- Current home: 1016 Ridge Avenue, New Cumberland, WV 26047
Parish Staff & Clergy
The parish is currently served by Father Jeeson Stephan as pastor, supported by a small staff of lay ministers and volunteers. Staff include parish office, financial, music, and sound personnel, along with a Director of Religious Education (DRE) who coordinates the parish's CCD program.
- Janice Juszczak — Secretary
- Pam Riggi — Financial Secretary
- Beth Dicks — DRE (Director of Religious Education)
- Theresa Vidas — Director of Music
- Tom Sobel — Sound Engineer
Religious Education & Faith Formation
The parish operates a CCD (Confraternity of Christian Doctrine) religious education program for children in Grades K–12, held on Sundays from 9:30 to 10:45 AM. The curriculum follows the standard diocesan pathway for sacramental preparation, with First Communion in Grade 2 and a two-year Confirmation sequence in Grades 7 and 8. High school students use the YOUCAT curriculum. Adults seeking to become Catholic or be received into full communion are served through the parish RCIA program.
- CCD — Grades K–12, Sunday 9:30–10:45 AM
- First Communion Preparation — Grade 2
- Year One Confirmation (In the Spirit) — Grade 7
- Year Two Confirmation (Decision Point) — Grade 8
- High School youth ministry — YOUCAT
- RCIA — contact the parish office
Liturgical Ministers
A published Ministers' Schedule coordinates greeters and liturgical ministers in advance, and the parish maintains an online Liturgical Calendar linked to the Diocesan calendar of the U.S.
- Published Greeters' Schedule (rotating monthly)
- Published Liturgical Ministers' Schedule
- Parish choir led by Director of Music Theresa Vidas
Parish Organizations
Two parish organizations anchor the social and service life of the parish: the Men's Club and the Women's Club, both of which support parish maintenance, fundraising, and fellowship events under the spiritual guidance of the pastor.
- Men's Club — committed to Christ, church, families, and community; organizes Mother's Day Breakfast, church maintenance, Riverside Fest cabbage roll sale, and other fundraisers
- Women's Club — meets monthly on Sunday after Mass; hosts Father's Day Breakfast, the Annual Parish Picnic, the Annual Parish Christmas Party, bake sales, and other dinners and fundraisers
Outreach & Charity
Through the Gabriel House, the parish participates in the Gabriel Project, a faith-based but independently incorporated 501(c)(3) West Virginia organization that provides tangible support to pregnant women and families with children under the age of two. The Gabriel House distributes essential baby supplies and operates out of the parish on the 1st and 3rd Saturdays of each month from 10:00 AM to 1:00 PM.
- Free diapers, wipes, lotion, baby wash, and gently used clothing (newborn to size 4 toddler)
- New cribs, pack-n-plays, and infant car seats (fee applies for cribs and pack-n-plays)
- Gently used toys available free of charge when in stock
- Hours: 1st and 3rd Saturdays, 10:00 AM–1:00 PM
Sacraments
The parish celebrates the seven sacraments of the Roman Rite, with sacramental preparation integrated into the CCD program for children and offered for adults through RCIA. Reconciliation is offered weekly before Sunday Mass, and parishioners are encouraged to contact the parish office to arrange baptisms, weddings, anointing of the sick, and other sacramental needs.
- Baptism — contact the parish office
- First Communion — Grade 2 CCD preparation
- Confirmation — two-year program in Grades 7 and 8
- Reconciliation — Sunday 7:30–8:15 AM or by appointment
- Matrimony — contact the parish office
- Anointing of the Sick — contact the parish office
- RCIA for adults — contact the parish office
Visit & Contact
Immaculate Conception Parish welcomes visitors and newcomers to its Sunday morning Mass and the many parish activities that follow. The parish office can be reached by phone or email during business hours, and current bulletins and schedules are posted on the parish website.
- Address: 1016 Ridge Avenue, New Cumberland, WV 26047
- Phone: (304) 564-5068
- Email: [email protected]
- Website: http://immaculateconceptionnc.org/
- Bulletin archive and ministers' schedule available on the parish website
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Rev. Julius Jaworek1904–
First pastor; built the original mission church in Rockyside, beginning September 1904.
- Father Jeeson Stephan
Current pastor; referenced in current parish outreach materials as the parish's spiritual guide.