About St. John · Benwood, West Virginia
St. John Parish in Benwood, West Virginia, is a Roman Catholic community in the Diocese of Wheeling-Charleston, founded in 1875 to serve Catholic families drawn to the Ohio River valley by the steel and coal industries. After a devastating fire destroyed the historic 1891 church on March 30, 2015, parishioners worshipped at neighboring St. James Parish in McMechen until a new $3 million church was dedicated on the same Main Street site in September 2017 — the first new Catholic church opened in West Virginia in nearly a decade. The current parish keeps the welcoming, working-class character of its origins, with weekly Mass on Sunday mornings and devotions that include Eucharistic adoration, the Rosary, and a novena.
- Established
- 1875
- Patron
- St. John
- Rector
- Very Rev. John S. Ledford, V.F.
- Diocese
- Diocese of Wheeling-Charleston
Why belong here
St. John Parish has served the faithful of Benwood for more than 140 years and today offers a steady rhythm of Catholic life in a small, close-knit community. Weekday and Sunday Masses, weekly Eucharistic adoration on Thursday, a Friday Rosary and novena, and a Sunday pre-Mass Rosary give parishioners multiple ways to pray together. After losing its landmark 1891 church to fire in 2015, the parish rebuilt on the same Main Street site and continues to welcome new members into a community whose working-class roots and ethnic diversity — Croatian, Slovak, Hungarian, Italian, Irish, Austrian and more — have shaped its identity since 1875.
Mass times at St. John
Weekly Mass schedule
Adoration times
- Thursday 5:00 p.m. – 5:45 p.m. (Eucharistic Adoration and Rosary)
History of St. John Parish
The history of the faithful in Benwood goes back to 1868, when circuit-riding priests from Wheeling would visit Catholic families in the area. St. John Parish itself was formally founded in 1875 to serve families drawn to the Ohio River valley by the steel and coal industries — a true melting pot of at least fifteen ethnic groups including Croatian, Slovak, Hungarian, Italian, Irish and Austrian. The original church building was destroyed by an 1884 flood; the present historic structure (the oldest still in use in Benwood) was erected between 1891 and 1892, with the sanctuary deliberately elevated to the second floor to keep it above the area's chronic flooding. Through floods, a 1910 cyclone, the 1924 Benwood mine disaster, and the 2015 fire, the parish has endured and rebuilt, and in November 2025 celebrated its 150th anniversary.
- 1868 — circuit-riding priests from Wheeling begin visiting Catholic families in Benwood
- 1875 — St. John Parish formally founded
- 1884 — original church irreparably damaged by flood
- 1891–1892 — present (pre-fire) church erected; sanctuary elevated to second floor
- April 28, 1924 — Benwood mine explosion; more than 100 miners killed, many parishioners among them; Father Schoenen conducts mass funerals
- March 30, 2015 — fire of undetermined origin destroys the 1891 church
- September 9, 2017 — new church dedicated; first new Catholic church in WV since 2008
- November 2025 — parish celebrates 150th anniversary
The Fire of March 30, 2015
On the night of March 30, 2015, fire broke out near the high altar of St. John Church just before 9 p.m. The bell tower acted as a chimney, allowing the fire to spread rapidly, and within minutes the entire roof was engulfed. Parishioners sheltered in nearby St. James Parish in McMechen, which shared the same pastor, until the new church was completed in 2017. No one was injured. Then-Bishop Michael J. Bransfield committed the Diocese of Wheeling-Charleston to rebuilding on the same Main Street site within days.
- Fire began near the high altar; bell tower channeled flames upward
- No injuries; parish administrator Father Bekeh Utietiang evacuated safely from the rectory
- Bishop Bransfield committed publicly to a new church on the original site
- Parishioners worshipped at St. James Parish in McMechen while the new church was being built
The New Church (2017)
The new St. John Church was designed by architect Victor Greco of The Mills Group of Wheeling and built by Trushel Construction Co. of Weirton, with roofing by Mansuetto Roofing and Sheet Metal of Wheeling. Dedicated by Bishop Bransfield on September 9, 2017, the $3 million church seats approximately 150 parishioners and incorporates stained-glass windows, the original tabernacle, statues, icons, and other appointments salvaged from the 1891 church and restored. Recovered pieces of the old high altar — sections still visibly scorched from the 2015 fire — are displayed in the new sanctuary, and the original High Altar stone is buried in the new altar. Crews also remodeled the parish hall across the street, installing a state-of-the-art kitchen and new social areas.
- Architect: Victor Greco, The Mills Group (Wheeling)
- Builder: Trushel Construction Co. (Weirton)
- Roofing: Mansuetto Roofing and Sheet Metal (Wheeling)
- Seating: ~150
- Cost: approximately $3 million
- First new Catholic church in West Virginia since St. Agnes, Shepherdstown (2008)
Memorial Garden
A memorial garden on the church property commemorates the 1891 church that was lost to fire. Decorative limestone pieces that once formed the front of the old church and silver crosses that sat atop the former bell tower are featured in the garden, along with the largest salvaged section of the old church bell. The garden stands near where the entrance to the former church once stood and is a quiet place of remembrance for the parish community.
- Decorative limestone from the old church façade
- Silver crosses that topped the former bell tower
- Largest salvaged section of the original church bell
Parish Staff and Clergy
St. John Parish is currently served by Very Rev. John S. Ledford, V.F., who was appointed pastor by Bishop Mark E. Brennan effective September 1, 2021. Father Ledford also serves as pastor of St. Jude Parish in Glen Dale and St. James Parish in McMechen, reflecting the clustered-parish model used in the Ohio Valley portion of the Diocese of Wheeling-Charleston. A parochial vicar, Father Doney Palakuzhayil, R.C.J., of the Rogationists Fathers, assists at both St. John and St. James with residence at the McMechen rectory.
- Very Rev. John S. Ledford, V.F. — Pastor (since September 1, 2021); also pastor of St. Jude, Glen Dale, and St. James, McMechen
- Father Doney Palakuzhayil, R.C.J. — Parochial vicar (since September 1, 2021); Rogationist of the Heart of Jesus
- Father Bekeh Utietiang — former parish administrator (at time of 2015 fire)
Contact and Visiting
St. John Parish is located at 622 Main Street in Benwood, Marshall County, West Virginia, just south of Wheeling along the Ohio River. The parish office can be reached by phone during parish hours, and a remodeled parish hall across the street provides space for parish gatherings and events.
- Address: 622 Main Street, P.O. Box 38, Benwood, WV 26031
- Phone: (304) 232-6455
- Website: stjohnbenwood.org
- Parish hall — across the street from the church; remodeled in 2017
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Father Schoenencirca 1924
Pastor at the time of the 1924 Benwood mine disaster; conducted mass funerals for victims who were parishioners.
- Father Bekeh Utietiangcirca 2015
Parish administrator at the time of the March 30, 2015 fire that destroyed the 1891 church.
- Very Rev. John S. Ledford, V.F.September 1, 2021 – present
Appointed pastor of St. John Parish in Benwood and St. James Parish in McMechen by Bishop Mark E. Brennan, in addition to his ongoing assignment as pastor of St. Jude Parish in Glen Dale.