About St. Anthony · Ridgeley, West Virginia
St. Anthony is a small Roman Catholic parish located at 176 Main Street in Ridgeley, West Virginia, serving the Mineral County community since 1916. The parish is now twinned with Annunciation of Our Lord in nearby Fort Ashby under a single pastor, with both communities sharing staff and liturgical resources. As part of the Diocese of Wheeling–Charleston, St. Anthony offers Sunday Mass, weekday Masses, Eucharistic Adoration, Reconciliation, and outreach to local nursing homes. Its current pastor is Rev. Daniel M. Price.
- Established
- 1916
- Patron
- St. Anthony
- Rector
- Rev. Daniel M. Price
- Diocese
- Diocese of Wheeling–Charleston
Why belong here
St. Anthony is a tight-knit parish where the Mass schedule, Eucharistic Adoration, and devotional prayer revolve around ordinary weekly rhythms—Sunday 11:00 a.m. Mass with devotional prayers at 10:35 a.m., weekday Masses on Tuesday and Thursday, and First Saturday Mass each month. The community supports Religious Education for children, OCIA (Order of Christian Initiation of Adults) for adults discerning the faith, Knights of Columbus fellowship, and a nursing-home ministry that brings Mass to residents at CompleteCare Dawnview Center in Fort Ashby. Because it is twinned with Annunciation of Our Lord, parishioners have two worship communities and an active calendar of devotions—Divine Chaplet on the first Sunday, Holy Rosary on the second through fourth Sundays, and Eucharistic Adoration every Thursday.
Mass times at St. Anthony
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Thursday 6:00–6:15 p.m.
- By appointment
Adoration times
- Thursday 5:30–6:15 p.m. (St. Anthony)
History of St. Anthony Parish
Catholic life in Ridgeley began in 1913 through the efforts of the St. Vincent de Paul Society of Cumberland, which asked the Sisters of Charity at Allegany Hospital to take charge of the Sunday school. By January 1914 a small chapel was in use, and the parish was formally established in 1916. The present church on Main Street was dedicated in 1921.
- 1913 — Sisters of Charity begin Sunday school in Ridgeley
- January 25, 1914 — First Mass celebrated by Rev. Thomas A. Petri, O.M.Cap.
- 1916 — Parish established with Rev. H. J. Bruning as first pastor
- January 14, 1918 — Thomas and Mary Kean deed the Main Street lot
- October 9, 1921 — Church formally dedicated; rectory donated by James Daugherty
- 1921–1969 — Father Robert Kilgannon serves as pastor
Parish Staff and Ministries
St. Anthony shares its pastoral team with Annunciation of Our Lord in Fort Ashby. The staff includes a parish secretary, bookkeeper, directors of religious education for each parish, an OCIA coordinator, sacristans, and a Knights of Columbus Grand Knight.
- Rev. Daniel M. Price — Pastor
- Tammy Collett — Parish Secretary
- Kathy Brockett — Bookkeeper/Secretary
- Michele Schultz — St. Anthony Director of Religious Education
- Matt Sisk — Annunciation Director of Religious Education
- Armando Hererra — OCIA Coordinator
- Fran McFarland — St. Anthony Sacristan
- Mike Weaver & Volunteers — Annunciation Sacristan
- Brian Crist — Knights of Columbus Grand Knight
- Linda Ward — Nursing Home Coordinator
Religious Education and OCIA
Faith formation for children is coordinated by the St. Anthony Director of Religious Education, Michele Schultz. Adults preparing for initiation into the Catholic Church are served by the parish's OCIA (Order of Christian Initiation of Adults) program under coordinator Armando Hererra.
- St. Anthony Religious Education (DRE: Michele Schultz)
- Annunciation Religious Education (DRE: Matt Sisk)
- OCIA — Order of Christian Initiation of Adults (Armando Hererra)
Outreach: Nursing Home Ministry
A long-standing ministry brings Mass to residents of CompleteCare Dawnview Center in Fort Ashby on the first Friday of each month at 10:30 a.m., when possible. The parish's Nursing Home Coordinator, Linda Ward, organizes this outreach to the homebound and elderly.
- Nursing Home Mass — First Friday, 10:30 a.m.
- Location — CompleteCare Dawnview Center, Diane Drive, Fort Ashby, WV
- Coordinator — Linda Ward
Knights of Columbus
St. Anthony's parish community is served by a Knights of Columbus council, currently led by Grand Knight Brian Crist. The K of C supports parish life through fellowship, charitable works, and service projects.
- Grand Knight — Brian Crist
Parish Bulletin and Communication
Current Mass times, Holy Day schedules, and parish announcements are published in the weekly bulletin, available through the parish website. An archive of past bulletins is hosted at aoolsa.org.
- Website — http://aoolsa.org/
- Bulletin archive — aoolsa.org/bulletin-archive/
- Facebook — Saint Anthony's Catholic Church (Ridgeley)
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Rev. Thomas A. Petri, O.M.Cap.1914–1915
Celebrated the first Mass in Ridgeley on Jan 25, 1914; came from the Sts. Peter and Paul Monastery.
- Rev. H. J. Bruning1916–
First pastor of the formally established parish in 1916; held Mass above the People's Bank in January 1916.
- Rev. Robert Kilgannon1921–1969
Built the present church (dedicated Oct. 9, 1921) and served the parish until his death in 1969.
- Father James ChitockJanuary 1998–
Appointed pastor in January 1998.
- Rev. Binoy V. Thomas, C.S.T.
Served as Administrator in more recent years.
- Rev. Daniel M. Price
Current pastor; serves both St. Anthony and Annunciation of Our Lord parishes.