About St. Alphonsus Church · Wheeling, West Virginia
St. Alphonsus Parish is a Roman Catholic church in Wheeling, West Virginia, founded in 1856 by the Redemptorist Fathers to serve the city's large German Catholic population. It is a parish of the Diocese of Wheeling-Charleston, sharing its current pastor — Father Penumaka Manikyalarao, the rector of the nearby Cathedral of St. Joseph — with that cathedral. The present church was built around its original 1871 bell tower in the 1880s after structural problems were discovered, and remains a striking example of Rundbogenstil (German Round-Arched) Romanesque Revival architecture.
- Established
- 1856
- Patron
- St. Alphonsus Maria Liguori
- Rector
- Rev. Penumaka Manikyalarao
- Diocese
- Diocese of Wheeling–Charleston
Why belong here
St. Alphonsus is a historically rooted parish in the heart of Wheeling, with daily and weekend Masses, regular Saturday and Sunday confession, and the warmth of a community that has worshiped on Market Street since 1856. The parish shares its pastor with the Cathedral of St. Joseph, and supports gatherings such as the Saint Monica Group for families praying for loved ones. As a small, personable parish of the Diocese of Wheeling–Charleston, it offers Catholics in the Ohio Valley a long-standing place to encounter Christ through the Traditional Latin Rite, classic Romanesque surroundings, and the sacramental life of the Church.
Mass times at St. Alphonsus Church
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Saturday: 3:30 p.m. – 4:15 p.m.
- Sunday: 8:30 a.m. – 8:50 a.m.
Parish History
Founded in 1856 by Bishop Richard V. Whelan and the Redemptorist Fathers to serve Wheeling's large German Catholic population, St. Alphonsus is the oldest parish in the Diocese of Wheeling–Charleston created specifically for German-speaking faithful. The parish has been continuously served by religious and diocesan clergy for more than 165 years, and its 1880s church — built around the preserved 1871 bell tower — remains the visible heart of the parish today.
- Founded 1856 by the Redemptorists and named for St. Alphonsus Maria Liguori
- First pastor: Rev. Stephen Huber
- Capuchin Friars of St. Francis assumed leadership in 1884
- Original 1858 church demolished in 1886; present church built around the bell tower
- Tower's Gothic steeple replaced by the present dome in 1921
- Centennial Jubilee celebrated April 15–20, 1956
The Building & Architecture
St. Alphonsus is an outstanding example of the pre-Richardsonian German-Romanesque style known as Rundbogenstil — Round-Arched style. Individual components were designed at different times, yet the ensemble of church, tower and rectory forms a unified whole on the northwest side of Market Street.
- Style: Rundbogenstil Romanesque Revival
- Dimensions: 120 ft long × 78 ft wide
- Ceilings: 33 ft at the side arches, 48 ft at the center
- Oak pews purchased from Mr. Donnels of Pittsburgh, PA (1887)
- Confessionals carved 1887; main altar 1888; side altars 1890 — all oak, gilded in 1905
The Bell Tower
The bell tower is the one element that has survived every chapter of St. Alphonsus' history. It was the first major addition to the original church, rising in 1871, and was deliberately preserved when the 1858 sanctuary was demolished around it in 1886.
- Built 1871, three years before the Capuchins arrived
- Three bells: two from the Niles Works, one from Vanduzen & Tift Co. (Cincinnati, OH)
- Gothic steeple raised to 196 ft after 1886 rebuild; replaced by current dome steeple in 1921
Clergy & Leadership
The parish is currently served by clergy appointed by Bishop Mark Brennan of the Diocese of Wheeling–Charleston. It shares its pastor with the Cathedral of St. Joseph, Wheeling, the diocesan cathedral.
- Rev. Penumaka Manikyalarao — Pastor (also Rector of the Cathedral of St. Joseph; appointed effective June 19, 2024)
- Rev. John Soplinski — Parochial Vicar (also Vice Rector of the Cathedral; assignments added June 18, 2025, when he was also named Diocesan Vocations Director)
Parish Ministries
The parish website highlights a small but devoted set of spiritual and sacramental resources. Most sacramental pages (Baptism, Confirmation, Marriage, etc.) are listed but are listed as still being built out as of the spring 2025 site rebuild.
- Saint Monica Group — prayer and mutual support for parents/families praying for loved ones who have drifted from the faith
Sacraments
Information for Baptism and Confirmation is published under the Sacraments menu on the parish website; pages for additional sacraments are listed as still under construction.
- Baptism — page live (English) with a Bautismo (Spanish) version
- Confirmation — page linked under Sacraments
Communications & Records
St. Alphonsus keeps parishioners informed through weekly bulletins (archived on the website) and an email/phone office. At the request of the Diocese, the parish has migrated its information hub from Parishsoft to Flocknote and asks members to fill out the orange form in the bulletin to verify their records.
- Weekly bulletins published online at stalswheeling.org/bulletins
- Office email: [email protected]
- Parish phone: (304) 232-4353
- New parish database: Flocknote (migrating from Parishsoft)
- Online giving link on the homepage
Visit & Location
The parish sits on the northwest side of Market Street between 21st and 22nd Streets in downtown Wheeling. From I-70 eastbound, the simplest route is exit 0 onto Main Street, left onto 22nd Street, then right onto Market.
- Address: 2111 Market Street, Wheeling, WV 26003
- Phone: (304) 232-4353
- Email: [email protected]
- Website: stalswheeling.org
Spanish-language Resources
The website footer notes that St. Alphonsus is available in Spanish and that the parish can be consulted about additional Spanish-language sacramental and formational resources. A Spanish Bautismo (Baptism) page is already published.
- Site footer: 'This website is available in Spanish'
- Bautismo page live under /es/sacraments/baptism/
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Rev. Stephen Huber1856 onward
First pastor of St. Alphonsus, the diocese's first parish established specifically for the German Catholic community.