About St. Catherine of Siena · Clarksville, Virginia
St. Catherine of Siena is a small but welcoming Roman Catholic parish in Clarksville, Virginia, the only Catholic church serving the south-central Virginia lake country along the NC border. Founded in 1947 to serve Catholic textile workers and their families drawn to the area, the parish today is part of the Diocese of Richmond and ministers to roughly 120 families of diverse backgrounds — retirees, Hispanic parishioners, and seasonal visitors drawn by nearby Buggs Island Lake. Mass is offered in English weekly and in Spanish on the first Sunday of the month, alongside daily Mass on Fridays and a Saturday Vigil. The parish is clustered with Good Shepherd (South Hill) and St. Paschal Baylon (South Boston) for pastoral care.
- Established
- 1947
- Patron
- St. Catherine of Siena (Doctor of the Church, 1347–1380)
- Rector
- Rev. Emmanuel Ssekamaanya (Pastor, per diocesan parish page)
- Diocese
- Diocese of Richmond (Catholic Diocese of Richmond, Virginia)
Why belong here
St. Catherine of Siena is a small, country parish of about 120 families where the welcome mat is always out. Retreative retirees from across the country, a growing Hispanic community, Hispanic and Filipino families, and summer visitors drawn to Buggs Island Lake all worship side by side. The parish runs the Clarksville Community Food Pantry with eight other area churches, supports students through Backpack Buddies, cultivates a community garden, and shares a Knights of Columbus council with its sister cluster parishes — meaning you can plug into real, hands-on local service while being known personally by your pastor.
Mass times at St. Catherine of Siena
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Before Masses
- By appointment
- Saturday ~3:30 PM (per third-party directory listings referencing published parish schedule)
- Sunday ~9:30 AM (per third-party directory listings referencing published parish schedule)
Adoration times
- First Friday of the month, 6:00 PM – 7:00 PM (per parish schedule listings)
Parish Identity & Welcome
St. Catherine of Siena is the Catholic parish of Clarksville, Virginia — 'a little country church' serving roughly 120 families drawn from many states, plus seasonal summer visitors. The parish describes itself as small but welcoming, with English-speaking regulars, a Hispanic community, and a Filipino community all sharing the same worship space and ministries. Visitors and newcomers are greeted by name.
History
Founded in 1947 to serve Catholic workers who arrived with the Colonial Mills textile plant, the parish was built with materials salvaged from an older Keelineyville-area Catholic church — the timber roof beams, pews and windows of which can still be seen today. The community grew again with the Buggs Island Dam construction in the 1950s and now welcomes a wave of retirees and lake vacationers. A sanctuary expansion was blessed by Bishop Francis X. DiLorenzo on Dec. 13, 2015, and Bishop Barry C. Knestout presided at the 75th anniversary Mass on Oct. 23, 2022.
- Founded: 1947, dedicated September 28, 1947
- Post-war salvage construction supervised by Father Walter Hammon (pastor of nearby Good Shepherd, South Hill)
- 1950s growth tied to Buggs Island Dam construction
- 2015 sanctuary renovation and expansion blessed by Bishop DiLorenzo
- 2022 75th anniversary Mass celebrated by Bishop Barry C. Knestout
Clergy & Staff
Pastoral care is currently provided by the Diocese of Richmond through Rev. Emmanuel Ssekamaanya (Pastor), Rev. Jude Wamala Kaggwa (Parochial Vicar), and Permanent Deacon Rev. Mr. Paul Minner. The parish is administered as a cluster with neighboring Good Shepherd (South Hill) and St. Paschal Baylon (South Boston). Parish office hours are Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday from 7:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.
- Pastor: Rev. Emmanuel Ssekamaanya
- Parochial Vicar: Rev. Jude Wamala Kaggwa
- Permanent Deacon: Rev. Mr. Paul Minner
- Office hours: Wed–Fri, 7:30 a.m. – 1:30 p.m.
Sacraments
The parish prepares Catholics for and celebrates the full range of Roman Catholic sacraments: Baptism, First Eucharist, Confirmation, Marriage, Reconciliation (Confession), Anointing of the Sick, and Funeral rites. Inquiries are routed through the parish office during office hours.
- Baptism
- First Holy Eucharist
- Confirmation
- Marriage
- Reconciliation (Confession)
- Anointing of the Sick
- Funerals
Faith Formation & Becoming Catholic
St. Catherine's welcomes adults and children preparing for full initiation into the Catholic Church. With the Hispanic Ministry, the parish offers bilingual formation opportunities in addition to its monthly Spanish Mass, and it participates in regional cluster faith formation with its sister parishes.
- Adult inquiry / OCIA (Order of Christian Initiation of Adults) — contact the parish office
- Children's faith formation and First Communion / Confirmation prep
- Bilingual formation through the Hispanic Ministry
Liturgy & Music
Liturgy is supported by an English-speaking Music Ministry and a Hispanic Choir that sings at the monthly Spanish Mass. The community occasionally performs cultural expressions such as El Baile de los Viejitos — a traditional Mexican dance from Michoacán — during parish celebrations.
- English Music Ministry
- Hispanic Choir (monthly Spanish Mass and feast-day celebrations)
Hispanic Ministry
The growing Hispanic Ministry organizes the monthly 1:00 PM Spanish Mass on the first Sunday of each month, hosts holiday celebrations such as Las Posadas during Advent, and acts as a bridge to the wider parish community. Hispanic parishioners are represented on the Pastoral Council so that Spanish-speaking needs are voiced in parish planning.
- Monthly Spanish Mass (1st Sunday, 1:00 PM)
- Las Posadas and other Christmas-season celebrations
- Pastoral Council representation
Outreach & Community Service
St. Catherine of Siena is well known in the Clarksville area for its outreach efforts. Volunteers partner with seven other area churches to staff the Clarksville Community Food Pantry, maintain a community garden through the parish food ministry, supply local students through Backpack Buddies, and check in on elderly parishioners during Sunday-afternoon visits. The cluster Knights of Columbus council — drawing members from St. Catherine's, Good Shepherd (South Hill), and St. Paschal Baylon (South Boston) — supports parish events and broader charitable work.
- Clarksville Community Food Pantry (Wednesdays and Saturdays, with eight area churches)
- Community Garden / Food Ministry
- Backpack Buddies (school supplies for local students)
- Visits to elderly parishioners
- Cluster Knights of Columbus council
Cluster Parishes & Special Ministries
St. Catherine of Siena is one of three clustered parishes in south-central Virginia, sharing priests and pastoral resources. Through this cluster it also extends ministry to those on the margins of society — particularly inmates at Lunenburg Correctional Center and residents of Meadowview Terrace Nursing Home.
- Good Shepherd, South Hill, VA
- St. Paschal Baylon, South Boston, VA
- Prison Ministry: Lunenburg Correctional Center
- Meadowview Terrace Nursing Home visits
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Father Walter Hammon1947
Pastored nearby Good Shepherd, South Hill; hired the contractor and oversaw construction of the original St. Catherine of Siena church in 1947.
- Father Raner O. Lucila
Pastor at the time of the 75th anniversary (Oct. 23, 2022); previously administrator of the South Hill / Clarksville / South Boston cluster; cited on growing the Hispanic Ministry and offering the monthly Spanish Mass.
- Father Ongen Largoza2021
Listed in diocesan assignments as administrator of Good Shepherd (South Hill), St. Catherine of Siena (Clarksville), and St. Paschal Baylon (South Boston), before returning to the Philippines.