About St. Charles Borromeo · White Sulphur Springs, West Virginia
St. Charles Borromeo is a Roman Catholic parish in White Sulphur Springs, Greenbrier County, West Virginia, within the Diocese of Wheeling-Charleston. The parish was established in 1903 (originally under the name St. John Baptist Parish) and is led today by Rev. Msgr. Kevin Michael Quirk, JCD, with two permanent deacons and a small lay staff. Beyond its main church, the parish also ministers to three country chapels in the surrounding area, including the historic Chapel of the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary in Williamsburg (est. 1879), St. Louis Chapel in Lewisburg, and Sweet Springs Chapel. The community gathers for daily and Sunday Mass, regular confession, weekly Eucharistic Adoration, and a First-Saturday Mass pilgrimage tradition at the Williamsburg chapel during the summer months.
- Established
- 1903
- Patron
- St. Charles Borromeo
- Rector
- Rev. Msgr. Kevin Michael Quirk, JCD
- Diocese
- Diocese of Wheeling-Charleston
Why belong here
St. Charles Borromeo offers the rare gift of a small, family-scale Catholic parish that still celebrates daily Mass, regular Eucharistic Adoration, and frequent confession. It also extends its pastoral reach through three outlying chapels (Mary Immaculate in Williamsburg, St. Louis in Lewisburg, and Sweet Springs), and gathers the wider community for a beloved First-Saturday Mass and picnic at the historic 1879 Mary Immaculate chapel each summer. With two permanent deacons, a choir director, and a welcoming pastor who also serves neighboring St. Catherine of Siena in Ronceverte, it is a tight-knit mountain parish rooted in the Greenbrier valley.
Mass times at St. Charles Borromeo
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Saturday: 3:30 pm (before 4:00 pm Mass)
- Sunday: 8:30 am (before 9:00 am Mass)
- Wednesday: 5:00 pm (during Adoration, before 6:00 pm Mass)
- Friday: 9:00 am (during Adoration, after 8:30 am Mass)
Adoration times
- Wednesday: 5:00 pm Adoration & Confession (before 6:00 pm Mass)
- Friday: 9:00 am Adoration & Confession (after 8:30 am Mass)
- Saturday (First Saturday, April–October): 10:30 am Rosary before 11:00 am Mass at Mary Immaculate Chapel
Parish History
St. Charles Borromeo was founded in 1903 under the name St. John Baptist Parish, with Rev. Charles Schlipp as its first pastor, according to the official diocesan timeline. For its first thirteen years, the mission was served by visiting priests; its first resident pastor, Rt. Rev. Paul Othlong, arrived in 1916. The parish grew alongside White Sulphur Springs and the surrounding Greenbrier resort region, and the original mission territory also included the historic 1879 Chapel of the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary in Williamsburg, which predates the parish by a quarter-century and was built to serve the area's early Irish and German Catholic settlers.
- Established 1903 as St. John Baptist Parish
- Renamed St. Charles Borromeo
- First pastor: Rev. Charles Schlipp (1903)
- First resident pastor: Rt. Rev. Paul Othlong (1916)
- Related historic chapel: Mary Immaculate, Williamsburg (est. 1879)
Clergy & Staff
The parish is led by Rev. Msgr. Kevin Michael Quirk, JCD, ordained June 5, 1993, who also serves as pastor of neighboring St. Catherine of Siena in Ronceverte. Two permanent deacons, Robert Holliday and William Strange, assist in liturgical and pastoral ministry. Leah Trent serves as both Musician & Choir Director and Secretary, and the parish shares some staff and musicians with St. Catherine of Siena.
- Pastor: Rev. Msgr. Kevin Michael Quirk, JCD
- Permanent Deacon: Robert Holliday
- Permanent Deacon: William Strange
- Musician & Choir Director: Leah Trent
- Secretary: Leah Trent
Chapel of the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary (Mary Immaculate), Williamsburg
Each First Saturday from May (or April) through October, the parish community travels to the historic Mary Immaculate Chapel in Williamsburg for an 11:00 am Mass preceded by a Rosary at 10:30 am, followed by a picnic luncheon where parishioners are invited to bring a covered dish to share. Established in 1879, Mary Immaculate predates St. Charles Borromeo itself by a quarter-century and is the oldest Catholic worship site in Greenbrier County, originally built to serve the area's Irish and German Catholic settlers. Its adjoining cemetery has been in use since 1878 and is significant for the historic burial practices of the local Catholic community.
- First Saturday Mass: 11:00 am, May–October (some sources list April–October)
- Rosary at 10:30 am
- Picnic luncheon to follow; covered dish to share
- Established 1879 — older than the parish itself
- Cemetery in use since 1878
Other Outlying Chapels
In addition to Mary Immaculate in Williamsburg, the parish's pastoral reach extends to two other chapels in the Greenbrier valley area: St. Louis Chapel in Lewisburg and Sweet Springs Chapel. Together with the main church in White Sulphur Springs, these three country chapels form a regional network of small Catholic worship sites serving the rural mountain communities of Greenbrier County.
- Mary Immaculate Chapel, Williamsburg
- St. Louis Chapel, Lewisburg
- Sweet Springs Chapel
Bulletins, Events & News
The parish keeps parishioners informed through an online Current Bulletin and a Bulletins & Events page on the parish website. Recent items referenced on the site include the Lent / Holy Week / Easter 2025 schedule, First Saturday Masses at Mary Immaculate Chapel, funeral announcements (e.g., Bob Straub, May 3, 2025), Baptisms, and an Adult Faith Formation program running July 9 through August 20, 2025. The parish also publishes a Second Collection schedule (e.g., July 28).
- Current Bulletin published online
- Lent / Holy Week / Easter 2025 schedule published
- Adult Faith Formation: July 9 – August 20, 2025
- Baptism and Funeral announcements listed
- Second Collection schedule (e.g., July 28)
Visiting & Directions
St. Charles Borromeo is located at 40798 Midland Trail East in White Sulphur Springs, West Virginia. From Interstate 64 eastbound, take Exit 175, turn left, then right onto Route 60 and continue for 2.5 miles. From I-64 westbound, take Exit 181, turn right onto Route 60 and continue for 2 miles — the church will be on the left. The parish office can be reached by phone at (304) 536-1813.
- Address: 40798 Midland Trail East, White Sulphur Springs, WV 24986
- Phone: (304) 536-1813
- From I-64 eastbound: Exit 175 → left → right on Route 60 → 2.5 miles
- From I-64 westbound: Exit 181 → right on Route 60 → 2 miles on left
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Rev. Charles Schlipp1903
First pastor of the parish, then called St. John Baptist Parish, at its founding.
- Rt. Rev. Paul Othlong1916
First resident pastor of St. Charles Borromeo, White Sulphur Springs.