About Our Lady of Peace · Appomattox, Virginia
Our Lady of Peace is a small Catholic parish serving Appomattox and the surrounding south-central Virginia countryside. The parish belongs to the Diocese of Richmond and is pastored by Father James (Jim) Gallagher, Jr., assisted by Permanent Deacon Lou Burgess. Worship centers on Sunday Mass at 8:30 AM and a midweek schedule of Tuesday and Thursday Masses, with Reconciliation offered before Mass or by appointment. The parish runs a robust Religious Education program, a Knights of Columbus council, prison ministry, a clothing/food pantry, and active care for the elderly at the local rehabilitation center.
- Established
- 1982
- Patron
- Our Lady of Peace (Blessed Virgin Mary under the title 'Our Lady of Peace')
- Rector
- Rev. James (Jim) Gallagher, Jr.
- Diocese
- Diocese of Richmond (Deanery 15)
Why belong here
Our Lady of Peace is a small but remarkably active rural parish where members know one another by name and pitch in across every dimension of parish life — teaching religious education, cutting the grass, running the food pantry, cleaning the church, or burying a neighbor in the parish cemetery. The parish gathers for daily and Sunday Mass, celebrates a Latin Mass on the first Sunday of each month, runs a year-round Religious Education program (typically serving about 20 students), and supports both the Knights of Columbus Council #17599 and prison ministry at the Buckingham Correctional Center and Appomattox County Jail. If you are looking for an intimate Catholic community in south-central Virginia where you can be known and can serve, this is a parish that will put you to work — and welcome you home.
Mass times at Our Lady of Peace
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Before Mass or by appointment with Fr. Jim
- Communal reconciliation services offered several times a year on Saturday mornings (e.g., March 29, 2025 at 10:30 AM, with Fr. Jim and a visiting priest from St. Theresa's, Farmville)
Welcome and About Our Lady of Peace
Our Lady of Peace Catholic Church is a small, family-style parish in Appomattox, Virginia, in the south-central part of the state, just a few miles from the historic Appomattox Court House. The parish belongs to the Diocese of Richmond (Deanery 15) and is led by Father James (Jim) Gallagher, Jr., with Permanent Deacon Lou Burgess assisting. The parish's address is 2938 Oakleigh Avenue, and its mailing address is P.O. Box 668, Appomattox, VA 24522-0668. Office hours are Tuesday 9:30 AM – 8:00 PM and Wednesday 9:30 AM – 5:00 PM. In an emergency, parishioners can reach Fr. Jim on his cell phone (434-238-7030) or Holy Cross Roman Catholic Church (434-846-5245).
- Pastor: Rev. James (Jim) Gallagher, Jr.
- Permanent Deacon: Rev. Mr. Lou Burgess
- Address: 2938 Oakleigh Avenue, Appomattox, VA 24522
- Mailing: P.O. Box 668, Appomattox, VA 24522-0668
- Phone: (434) 352-0104
- Diocese: Diocese of Richmond (Deanery 15)
- Cluster parish: Saint Victoria (Hurt)
Parish History
Our Lady of Peace traces its roots to July 1973, when Catholic faithful in Concord first gathered for an outdoor Mass at Graf's Farm. The community moved indoors to the Methodist Church in Concord, where it worshipped through 1975, and then to the Oakville Schoolhouse — the parish's last temporary home. In the summer of 1976 the parish purchased land at the corner of Route 631 and Route 627, and on 21 March 1982 the present church building was formally dedicated. The founding pastor was Rev. Charles Ferry. The Diocese of Richmond and GCatholic both date the parish's official founding to 1982, the year of the building's dedication. Since then the parish has grown to include a Religious Education program, a Knights of Columbus council, prison ministry, a parish cemetery, and a range of outreach and fellowship activities.
- July 1973 — first Mass at Graf's Farm, Concord (outdoor)
- Through 1975 — worship moved to the Methodist Church in Concord
- Last temporary site — Oakville Schoolhouse
- Summer 1976 — land purchased at Rt 631 / Rt 627
- 21 March 1982 — church building dedicated
- Founding Pastor — Rev. Charles Ferry
- Parish officially founded: 1982
Religious Education and Faith Formation
Our Lady of Peace runs a parish-based Religious Education program serving children in four class levels — Primary, Elementary, Middle School, and High School — staffed entirely by volunteers and supported by volunteer drivers who bring students to class. In the 2024–25 school year 20 students were enrolled, with 16–18 attending regularly; the year included two Confirmations and four First Communions (with one more scheduled in August). The parish also runs the Order of Christian Initiation for Adults (OCIA, formerly RCIA) for adults preparing to enter the Catholic Church.
- Primary School class — Helen Dennany (with Chene Heady and Emely Sofia Alvarado Garcia assisting)
- Elementary School class — Beau Ellrich
- Middle School class — Dr. Chene Heady
- High School class — Bob Burke, Bonnie Toth, and Fr. Jim
- Substitute Teacher — Alice Doeppe
- Volunteer Drivers — Dori Garcia, Beth Jarrett, Cecilia Chan, Chene Heady (substitutes: Sid Smith, Fr. Jim, Bonnie Toth, Helen Dennany)
- OCIA (Order of Christian Initiation for Adults)
Knights of Columbus Council #17599
Our Lady of Peace Council #17599 is the parish's Knights of Columbus council, a 501(c)(8) fraternal organization that serves the parish, the local community, and charitable works at the state, national, and international levels. Locally the council supports Mac's Kitchen and the Pregnancy Support Center of Southside Virginia. At the state level it supports KOVAR (serving Virginians with intellectual disabilities) and VKCCI (supporting Virginians in financial distress). National and international KofC charities are supported through the Supreme Council's programs.
- Council #17599, a 501(c)(8) organization
- Local charities: Mac's Kitchen; Pregnancy Support Center of Southside Virginia
- State charities: KOVAR; VKCCI
- National/international: through the Knights of Columbus Charities program
Parish Ministries and Outreach
The parish offers a wide range of ministries and service opportunities — many of which are unusual for a parish of its size. Prison Ministry reaches inmates at the Buckingham Correctional Center and the Appomattox County Jail. The Good Shepherd Clothing Closet and Food Pantry provides material assistance to neighbors in need. The parish also visits and ministers to residents of the Appomattox Health and Rehabilitation Center. Within the parish itself, members serve on the Cemetery Committee, Cleaning Committee, and as grass-cutting volunteers during the growing season.
- Prison Ministry — Buckingham Correctional Center
- Prison Ministry — Appomattox County Jail
- Good Shepherd Clothing Closet and Food Pantry
- Appomattox Health and Rehabilitation Center (visits to elderly/sick)
- Cemetery Committee
- Cleaning Committee
- Grass Cutting (volunteer sign-up chart on the entrance door)
Sisters in Christ — Women's Fellowship
Sisters in Christ is the women's fellowship group at Our Lady of Peace. The group gathers for an annual spring tea in Corter Hall, with parishioners bringing sweets and sandwiches to share, and continues to build community among the women of the parish.
- Annual spring tea in Corter Hall (e.g., May 31, 12:30–2:20 PM in 2025)
- Organizers / contacts: Jodi and Diane
- Sign-up sheet posted in the commons area
Our Lady of Peace Cemetery
The parish operates its own cemetery, Our Lady of Peace Cemetery, located at 2938 Oakleigh Avenue, Appomattox, VA 24522 (cemetery phone: 434-316-2766). The Cemetery Committee handles maintenance and administration. Both casket burial plots and cremation urn plots are available, and prices include perpetual care.
- Co-chairs: Dory Garcia and Bonnie Toth
- Committee members: Don Notestein, Joe Gardner, Steve Bradish
- Cemetery phone: (434) 316-2766
- Cremation urn plots available; prices include perpetual care
- Contact a committee member to discuss purchase of burial sites
Synod on Synodality 2021–2023
Our Lady of Peace parishioners took part in the universal Synod on Synodality convened by Pope Francis, holding three synodal meetings on 25 January, 5 February, and 8 February 2022, and submitting a summary report to the Diocese of Richmond. The synodal process reflected the parish's commitment to listening, discernment, and shared responsibility.
- First Synod Meeting — 25 January 2022
- Second Synod Meeting — 5 February 2022
- Third Synod Meeting — 8 February 2022
- Summary report submitted to the Diocese of Richmond
Other Liturgical Services and Devotions
Beyond the regular Sunday and weekday Mass schedule, the parish offers communal Anointing of the Sick during Mass (offered periodically throughout the year), Stations of the Cross during Lent (often in partnership with Holy Cross parish and followed by a soup supper), the Traditional Latin Mass on the first Sunday of each month, and a parish prayer list for the sick maintained by Fr. Jim and bulletin coordinator Bonnie Toth.
- Communal Anointing of the Sick during Mass
- Stations of the Cross in Lent (with Holy Cross parish and St. Victoria)
- Traditional Latin Mass — first Sunday at 3:00 PM
- Parish prayer list for the sick
- Christmas, Advent, and Lenten parish events
Contact, Office Hours, and Emergencies
Parish office hours are Tuesday 9:30 AM – 8:00 PM and Wednesday 9:30 AM – 5:00 PM. For general inquiries, contact the parish office; bulletin submissions and Mass card requests go to Bonnie Toth at [email protected]; emergency pastoral care is available through Fr. Jim's cell phone or, as a backup, through Holy Cross Roman Catholic Church in Lynchburg.
- Parish office phone: (434) 352-0104
- Fr. Jim's emergency cell: (434) 238-7030
- Backup emergency line: Holy Cross Roman Catholic Church (434) 846-5245
- Bulletin news / Mass cards: [email protected] (Bonnie Toth)
- Office Hours: Tuesday 9:30 AM – 8:00 PM; Wednesday 9:30 AM – 5:00 PM
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Rev. Charles Ferry1973–?
Founding pastor; began the parish in 1973 with outdoor Masses at Graf's Farm in Concord, then the Methodist Church in Concord (through 1975), and finally the Oakville Schoolhouse. Oversaw the purchase of land at the corner of Rt 631 and Rt 627 in summer 1976.
- Rev. James (Jim) Gallagher, Jr.Current pastor
Long-serving current pastor (as of 2025); celebrated 38 years of ordination; leads prison ministry; emergency cell 434-238-7030.