About Our Lady of Perpetual Help · Stonewood, West Virginia
Our Lady of Perpetual Help is a Roman Catholic parish in Stonewood, West Virginia, in the Diocese of Wheeling–Charleston. The parish traces its roots to Catholic immigrants of the early 20th century and today serves the communities of Stonewood, Nutter Fort and surrounding Harrison County with weekend Masses in the main church, daily Mass in a weekday chapel, and a full program of religious education, ministries, and outreach. Members can register as parishioners, sign up as ministry volunteers, and use online giving, while the parish also operates a Wednesday food pantry for neighbors in need.
- Established
- 1927
- Patron
- Our Lady of Perpetual Help
- Rector
- Rev. Sravan Kumar Reddimasu (Father Kumar Reddimasu)
- Diocese
- Diocese of Wheeling–Charleston
Why belong here
Our Lady of Perpetual Help is a small, multigenerational parish with deep local roots going back nearly a century, where members know one another and the clergy. Active, registered parishioners become eligible for sacraments, sponsor eligibility, and the parish family discount at St. Mary's and Notre Dame, with participation recognized through ministry involvement, Mass attendance, envelopes or online giving. A wide variety of ministries — from Lector, Eucharistic Minister and Altar Server to Music, the Martha & Mary Society, Perpetual Sons and Daughters, and the Wednesday food pantry — make it easy to get involved and serve the wider Stonewood community.
Mass times at Our Lady of Perpetual Help
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Saturday 4:30 PM (or by appointment)
Adoration times
- Wednesday 9:30 AM – 10:30 AM (Eucharistic Adoration, after 9:00 AM Chapel Mass)
- Wednesday 7:00 PM – 8:00 PM (Holy Hour)
Parish History
The parish's story begins in the early 20th century when Catholic immigrants settled in what is now Stonewood and walked muddy roads to attend Mass at St. John the Baptist in Clarksburg. Fr. Paul Helsey built St. Bridget's mission church in 1927 with volunteer labor; it became an independent parish in 1955. Under Fr. O'Donovan (appointed 1959), a larger church was constructed on a softball field obtained by the Men's Club under Fr. John O'Reilly. The new church, named Our Lady of Perpetual Help, was dedicated with its first Mass on May 15, 1966.
- 1927 — St. Bridget's mission church completed, named for benefactor Bridget Hayden
- 1955 — St. Bridget's declared an independent parish
- 1959 — Fr. O'Donovan appointed pastor; expansion planned
- 1965 — Construction of the new church begins in August
- 1966 — First Mass offered in Our Lady of Perpetual Help, May 15
- 1978 — Franciscan Friars, T.O.R., begin ministering at the parish
- 1981 — Church mortgage paid and burned in December
- 1982 — Construction begins on the multipurpose Parish Center
- 1983 — Parish Center dedicated on April 27, 1983
Our Staff & Clergy
The parish is led by Pastor Fr. Sravan Kumar Reddimasu (Father Kumar) and served by two deacons, John Yaquinta (who also coordinates the OCIA program) and James McCullough. A Parish Administrator, Finance and Parish Council chairs, a Director of Religious Education, Music Ministry co-directors, a Safe Environment Coordinator, a webmaster/IT contact, and chairs of the Perpetual Sons, Perpetual Daughters, Martha & Mary, and Social Committee round out the leadership team.
- Fr. Kumar Reddimasu — Pastor (Ext. #2)
- Deacon John Yaquinta — OCIA (Ext. #3)
- Deacon James McCullough (Ext. #5)
- Janet Cox — Parish Administrator (Ext. #1)
- Mary Ellen Lydon — Chair, Parish Council
- Mary Shields — Director of Religious Education & Chair, Perpetual Daughters
- Charlene Louk & Renee Wyatt — Co-Directors, Music Ministry
- Patty Britton — Coordinator, Ministers of the Altar
- Maggie Fisher — Safe Environment Coordinator
- Joseph Mazzie — Webmaster & IT
- Rick Fragman — Chair, Martha & Mary Ministry
- Jim Terango — Chair, Perpetual Sons
Faith Formation & Religious Education
Religious Education at OLPH serves the whole parish, from children to adults. The Office of Children Faith Formation supports families with a comprehensive program that fosters faith, morals, family and friendship in a safe, caring environment, recognizing parents as the first and primary educators of their children. Classes follow the 10:00 AM Sunday Mass (11:15 AM – 12:15 PM), with Confirmation classes held in the evening (6:00 PM – 7:30 PM).
- Children's Liturgy of the Word
- Religious Education Classes (CCD)
- Sacramental Preparation for Students and Parents
- Summer Program
- Youth Ministry
- Young Adult Formation
- Adult Faith Formation
- Homebound / Special Needs assistance available
Sacramental Preparation
The parish prepares children and adults for the Sacraments of Initiation — Baptism, Eucharist, and Confirmation — in keeping with diocesan norms. First Eucharist and Reconciliation preparation is integrated into the regular CCD year; Confirmation is a separate process following the USCCB bishops' recommendations. Children not baptized as infants are guided through age-appropriate preparation, and the OCIA (Order of Christian Initiation for Adults) is led by Deacon John Yaquinta.
- Baptism — proof of baptismal certificate required if not baptized at OLPH
- First Eucharist & Reconciliation — preparation in regular CCD classes
- Confirmation — separate process; evening classes 6:00 PM – 7:30 PM during the Confirmation year
- RCIC for unbaptized children over the age of 7
Matrimony at OLPH
Couples preparing for marriage must contact the parish office at least six months in advance. They meet with Father Kent and/or Deacon John before attending a Pre-Cana program or the diocesan Weekend for Engaged Couples, which can be scheduled through WVMarriage.org.
- 6-month advance notice required
- Pre-marriage meeting with Father Kent and/or Deacon John
- Pre-Cana or Weekend for Engaged Couples via the Diocese (WVMarriage.org)
Parish Ministries & Groups
OLPH offers a wide range of ways to serve — liturgical roles like Lector, Eucharistic Minister, Altar Server, and Music Ministry, plus community organizations like the Martha & Mary Society, Perpetual Sons, Perpetual Daughters, and the Social Committee. A Food Pantry serves neighbors in need on Wednesdays. Volunteers can register online for many of these ministries, and the parish maintains a published ministry calendar/schedule.
- Lector, Eucharistic Minister, Altar Server
- Music Ministry (co-directed by Charlene Louk and Renee Wyatt)
- Martha & Mary Society
- Perpetual Sons
- Perpetual Daughters
- Social Committee (chair currently vacant)
- Food Pantry — Wednesday pickup only
Food Pantry & Outreach
The parish operates a Food Pantry as a concrete expression of charity to the wider Stonewood community. Orders are placed by phone or in person in the morning and food is picked up the same Wednesday afternoon.
- Wednesday pickup only
- Place orders 9:00 AM – 12:00 PM
- Pick up by 3:00 PM
Parish Registration & Online Giving
New parishioners are warmly welcomed to register with the parish office. Active, participating membership is the path to sacramental eligibility, sponsor eligibility, and the parish family discount at St. Mary's and Notre Dame. The parish also offers online giving as well as a downloadable Parish Registration form and a Ministry Volunteer Registration form on the website.
- Parish Registration via office or website form
- Ministry Volunteer Registration (Lector, Eucharistic Minister, Altar Server, Music, baking, etc.)
- Online Giving available through the website
Visit, Contact & Office Hours
The parish office is open Monday through Friday, 8:00 AM – 3:00 PM, and can be reached by phone at (304) 623-2334 or by email at [email protected]. The weekday Chapel is open for visits on weekdays. Visitors are invited to join the parish family at any point on their faith journey.
- Address — 8092 Third Street, Stonewood, WV 26301-7702
- Phone — (304) 623-2334
- Email — [email protected]
- Office hours — Monday – Friday, 8:00 AM – 3:00 PM
- Weekday Chapel — open on weekdays for visits and prayer
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Fr. Paul Helsey
Built St. Bridget's mission church (1927) and worked to keep the faith alive in the community.
- Fr. John O'Reilly1940s
Directed and encouraged the Men's Club to obtain the softball field that later became the site of the new church.
- Fr. O'Donovan1959
Appointed pastor; led the decision to build a larger church.
- Franciscan Friars, T.O.R. (Third Order Regular)from 1978
Began ministering at the parish when membership had grown to nearly 400 families.
- Rev. D. Kent Durig
Pastor referenced in the parish's marriage page; marriage prep meetings are scheduled with 'Father Kent' and/or Deacon John.