About Sacred Heart · Hot Springs, Virginia
The Shrine of the Sacred Heart is a Roman Catholic mission parish located at 1499 Shady Lane in Hot Springs, Virginia, set in the Allegheny Mountains and within walking distance of the historic Omni Homestead Resort. Founded in 1893–94 by railroad and mining magnate Thomas Fortune Ryan and his wife Ida, it is one of the few churches in the United States that historically carried the canonical title "Shrine" — a designation reserved for a privately-owned church established with a bishop's permission. In 1922 the Ryans donated it to the Diocese of Richmond, making Father Richard Washington (a descendant of George Washington) its first pastor, and today it is served by the pastor of the nearby Alleghany Highlands Catholic cluster (Sacred Heart, Covington, and St. Joseph, Clifton Forge). The parish welcomes roughly 3,000 visiting worshippers a year and is supported by a small but devoted group of registered parishioners and many vacation-home owners.
- Established
- 1894
- Patron
- Sacred Heart of Jesus
- Rector
- Rev. Ernest Dugah
- Diocese
- Diocese of Richmond
Why belong here
The Shrine of the Sacred Heart offers something rare: a centuries-old Catholic foothold in one of Virginia's most scenic mountain communities, where weekend Mass, confession, and pastoral care are available year-round despite the parish's tiny size. Visitors, second-home owners, and a faithful core of local parishioners mix easily in the pews, and the pastor — supported by a parish council covering Worship, Community Life, Justice & Peace, and Grounds & Maintenance — runs an active ministry to the Springs Nursing Center and Bath County Community Hospital. If you live in or retreat to Bath County, or simply want a quiet, devotion-centered Catholic presence in the Alleghenies, the Shrine is the parish that serves this corner of the Diocese of Richmond.
Mass times at Sacred Heart
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Saturday 4:30 PM (30 minutes before the 5:00 PM Vigil Mass)
- Sunday 8:30 AM (30 minutes before the 9:00 AM Mass)
- By appointment
- Special Penance Services during Advent and Lent
About the Shrine of the Sacred Heart
The Shrine of the Sacred Heart is a mission parish of the Diocese of Richmond located adjacent to the grounds of The Omni Homestead Resort in Hot Springs, Virginia. It serves a small but devoted group of registered parishioners alongside the many visitors, vacation-home owners, and resort guests who come to Hot Springs year-round. Visitors frequently outnumber locals at Mass and play a major role in supporting the parish financially and through volunteer service. As a parish, members describe themselves as spiritual and faith-centered, prioritizing full, active, and joyful participation at worship and gathering as a Church that reaches out to those in need and collaborates with people of other faiths.
- Mission parish within walking distance of The Omni Homestead Resort
- Located in the Allegheny Mountains of Bath County, Virginia
- Part of the Diocese of Richmond (Founded 1922 / dedicated 1894)
- Visitor numbers often exceed local parishioner numbers at Mass
History of the Parish
In 1893 the railroad baron Thomas Fortune Ryan and his wife Ida purchased 0.48 acres in Hot Springs for $5 to build a Catholic church for the visitors, residents, and Homestead employees who previously had no nearby place to worship. The Shrine was dedicated and opened on August 8, 1894, and was supported entirely by the Ryans until 1922, when they donated it to the Bishop of the Diocese of Richmond. Father Richard Washington — described by the parish as a descendant of George Washington — became its first pastor. The parish has continued uninterrupted for more than 120 years and today serves about 3,000 worshipping visitors a year.
- 1893 — Thomas Fortune and Ida M. Ryan acquire land for a Catholic church
- 1894 — Shrine of the Sacred Heart dedicated and opened on August 8
- Pre-1922 — privately owned and supported by the Ryan family
- 1922 — Shrine donated to the Diocese of Richmond
- 1922 — Father Richard Washington installed as first pastor
- Today — clustered with Sacred Heart (Covington) and St. Joseph (Clifton Forge)
Parish Staff & Council
The Shrine is staffed by Pastor Rev. Ernest Dugah and Priest in Residence Father Tom Collins. Lay leadership is provided by a parish council whose members oversee Worship, Community Life, Justice & Peace, and Grounds & Maintenance. In an emergency, parishioners and visitors are directed to contact Father Dugah. The parish office is staffed daily through an answering service.
- Pastor: Rev. Ernest Dugah
- Priest in Residence: Father Tom Collins
- Council Chair: Herb Godschalk
- Vice Chair: Beth Eley
- Secretary: Sue Godschalk
- Worship: Eileen Judah
- Community Life: Deborah Lambert
- Justice & Peace: Tom Misiak
- Grounds & Maintenance: Louis Pokrywka
Sacraments
The Shrine celebrates the regular sacraments of the Roman Catholic Church. Confessions are heard thirty minutes before each Mass and by appointment; the parish also gathers for special Penance Services during Advent and Lent. Couples inquiring about the Sacrament of Matrimony are asked to contact the parish office: about six months of preparation is normally required, and the parish asks that at least one party be a registered parishioner. As a small mission parish, baptisms, anointings, funerals, and other sacramental needs are coordinated through the parish office.
- Reconciliation — 30 minutes before each Mass, by appointment, and at Advent/Lent Penance Services
- Matrimony — ~6 months preparation; registration required
- Baptism, Anointing of the Sick, and other sacraments — by arrangement with the parish office
Outreach & Special Ministries
Beyond its regular liturgical life, the Shrine maintains pastoral ministry at two local care facilities. The pastor and pastoral team minister to residents at The Springs Nursing Center and at Bath County Community Hospital, extending the parish's presence into the wider Bath County community. The parish's Justice & Peace council works alongside Community Life to coordinate local outreach, and the parish is open to collaboration with neighboring Christians and people of other faiths.
- Pastoral care at The Springs Nursing Center
- Pastoral care at Bath County Community Hospital
- Justice & Peace ministry (Parish Council)
- Community Life ministry (Parish Council)
Associated Parishes (Alleghany Highlands Cluster)
Because Hot Springs is small and isolated, the Shrine of the Sacred Heart shares pastoral and administrative resources with two nearby churches in the lower Alleghany Highlands. Father Ernest Dugah serves all three communities, and the parishes cooperate on scheduling, sacramental preparation, and pastoral care.
- Sacred Heart (Covington, Virginia)
- St. Joseph (Clifton Forge, Virginia)
Visiting & Contact
The Shrine sits at 1499 Shady Lane in Hot Springs, Virginia 24445. The mailing address is P.O. Box 38, Hot Springs, VA 24445. The parish office can be reached at (540) 839-2603 or by email at [email protected]. Travelers coming from Covington should plan for a 30–40 minute descent down the Allegheny Mountains with hairpin turns and switchbacks; visitors are encouraged to confirm Mass times before travel, as the parish asks worshippers to phone ahead.
- Street address: 1499 Shady Lane, Hot Springs, VA 24445
- Mailing address: P.O. Box 38, Hot Springs, VA 24445
- Phone: (540) 839-2603
- Email: [email protected]
- Office hours: Daily, with answering service after hours
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Father Richard Washington1922–
First pastor after the Shrine was donated to the Diocese of Richmond in 1922; described as a descendant of George Washington.
- Rev. Ernest Dugah
Current pastor; also pastors the associated parishes of Sacred Heart, Covington, and St. Joseph, Clifton Forge.