About St. Bernard · Gate City, Virginia
Saint Bernard is a small Roman Catholic parish located in Gate City, Virginia, in the far southwestern corner of the state within the Diocese of Richmond. Established in 1956 and seated at 139 Linda Street, the parish's territory encompasses all of Scott County, and it is closely linked with Saint Patrick Mission in nearby Dungannon under shared pastoral care. The community gathers for Mass on Sunday mornings and additionally serves the wider area through a Prison Ministry at the Scott County Jail.
- Established
- 1956
- Patron
- Saint Bernard of Clairvaux
- Rector
- Rev. Thomas Lawrence, III (Administrator)
- Diocese
- Diocese of Richmond
Why belong here
Saint Bernard is a welcoming rural Catholic parish serving the entire Scott County area of far southwestern Virginia, with a stable weekly Sunday Mass and an active Prison Ministry at the Scott County Jail. Its close partnership with Saint Patrick in Dungannon and Saint Anne in Bristol means parishioners benefit from shared clergy and a wider deanery community, and the parish's small size offers the kind of close-knit fellowship typical of Appalachian Catholic missions.
Mass times at St. Bernard
Weekly Mass schedule
Parish Identity & History
Saint Bernard is a small Catholic parish founded in 1956 in Gate City, the seat of Scott County in the far southwestern tip of Virginia. It belongs to the Diocese of Richmond and is named after Saint Bernard of Clairvaux, the 12th-century French Cistercian abbot, mystic, and Doctor of the Church.
- Founded: 1956
- Diocese: Richmond
- Deanery: 14
- Parish ID (Diocese): 553
- Patron: Saint Bernard of Clairvaux
Parish Boundaries & Coverage
The parish's official territory, as recorded by the Diocese of Richmond, covers all of Scott County, Virginia, including every incorporated city or town within the county. This makes Saint Bernard the central Catholic worship site for the entire county.
- Includes all of Scott County, Virginia
- Includes all incorporated cities/towns within Scott County
Clergy & Leadership
The parish is currently administered by Very Rev. Thomas Lawrence, III, V.F., who serves as priest-administrator of Saint Bernard and simultaneously as pastor/administrator of the two neighboring parishes — Saint Anne in Bristol and Saint Patrick in Dungannon. He also serves as Vicar Forane (Dean) of Deanery 14 of the Diocese of Richmond.
- Rev. Thomas Lawrence, III — Administrator (also Vicar Forane of Deanery 14)
Associated Parishes (Cluster)
Saint Bernard is part of a small cluster of parishes in the southwestern corner of the Diocese of Richmond, sharing clergy so that the faithful across the rural region have access to regular Mass and sacraments.
- Saint Anne — Bristol, VA
- Saint Patrick — Dungannon, VA
- All three administered by Rev. Thomas Lawrence, III
Ministries & Outreach
Beyond its regular Sunday worship, the parish maintains an active Prison Ministry at the Scott County Jail, listed as one of its official ministries by the Diocese of Richmond. This is one of the principal ways the parish reaches beyond its own walls into the wider community.
- Prison Ministry — Scott County Jail
Visiting & Contact
The parish office is staffed only on a limited basis — published hours are Mondays from 10:00 AM to 1:00 PM — and visitors are encouraged to call ahead before visiting or attending Mass, given the parish's small staff.
- Address: 139 Linda Street, Gate City, VA 24251
- Phone: (276) 669-8200
- Office Hours: Monday 10:00 AM – 1:00 PM
- Directions: 1.25 miles north of Gate City center on Route 23, on the right