About St. John Bosco Catholic Church · Woodstock, Virginia
St. John Bosco Catholic Church is a Roman Catholic parish located at 315 N. Main Street in Woodstock, Virginia, in the Shenandoah Valley, serving the faithful of the Northern Shenandoah Valley within the Diocese of Arlington. The parish traces its roots to 1888, when Irish railroad workers built the original St. John's Church, and was established as a resident parish in 1959 with the arrival of Capuchin Friars. Today it operates a busy weekend Mass schedule in English and Spanish, an active parish school building (Hanley Hall / Holy Family Center) used for faith formation, and a closely affiliated mission chapel — Our Lady of the Shenandoah — serving the Bryce Mountain Resort area in Basye.
- Established
- 1959
- Patron
- St. John Bosco
- Rector
- Rev. Augustine M. Tran
- Diocese
- Diocese of Arlington
Why belong here
St. John Bosco offers a small, warm, spiritually welcoming Catholic community in the heart of the Shenandoah Valley where parishioners are known by name. Visitors and members are warmly invited to stay after Mass for coffee and fellowship in the Holy Family Center, and the parish is deeply devoted to the Eucharist — daily Mass, an extended period of Eucharistic Adoration from Tuesday morning through Thursday morning, and a Rosary & Chaplet of Divine Mercy immediately following daily Mass. Generous outreach (a stocked food pantry, a volunteer-run Outreach Store, and the Knights' Hands program providing home maintenance for elderly parishioners) makes the parish a practical place to live the corporal works of mercy, while Spanish-language Masses and faith formation welcome the area's growing Hispanic community.
Mass times at St. John Bosco Catholic Church
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Saturday: 9:00 AM (after morning Mass)
- Saturday: 3:30 PM
- Wednesday: 6:30 PM
- First Tuesday: 7:00 PM (Spanish Community)
- By appointment — contact the parish office
Adoration times
- Eucharistic Adoration: Tuesday 9:00 AM through Thursday 8:00 AM
About St. John Bosco Parish
St. John Bosco is a Roman Catholic parish in Woodstock, Virginia, in the Diocese of Arlington. Established in 1888 as St. John's Church and re-established as a resident parish in 1959, it is the oldest Catholic community in Shenandoah County. The parish is bilingual, offers daily and weekend Mass in English with one Sunday Mass in Spanish, and welcomes visitors to stay after Mass for coffee and community fellowship in the Holy Family Center.
- Located in the Shenandoah Valley, Diocese of Arlington
- Original church built 1888; resident parish established 1959
- Current church dedicated October 27, 1973 by Bishop Walter F. Sullivan
- Served by Capuchin Friars (Province of New Jersey) since 1958/1959
Parish History
Catholic life in Shenandoah County began with traveling priests from Winchester celebrating Mass in private homes in the early 1800s. Irish railroad families built the original St. John the Evangelist Church in 1888. After closing in the 1920s, the church reopened around 1939 thanks to CCC workers and Massanutten Military Academy cadets. The arrival of Capuchin Friars in 1958–1959 transformed the mission into a resident parish, with new construction following: Hanley Hall in 1971 and the present St. John Bosco Church in 1973. Our Lady of the Shenandoah Mission at Bryce Mountain followed in 1974–1976.
- 1888 — Original St. John's Church built by Michael Geary and Patrick Reiley
- 1920s — Church closes as Irish railroad families move on
- 1939 — Church reopens during WWII
- 1958–1959 — Capuchin Friars arrive; parish is established
- 1968 — Salesian Sisters join
- 1971 — Hanley Hall built
- 1972 — German-made Franz Mier stained glass donated by St. Joseph's, Richmond
- 1973 — Current St. John Bosco Church dedicated
- 1974–1976 — Our Lady of the Shenandoah Mission founded and dedicated
- 2021 — Original 1888 building receives Shenandoah County Historical Society Award for Excellence in Preservation
- 2023 — 50th anniversary of church dedication celebrated with Bishop Burbidge
Parish Staff and Clergy
The pastoral team is led by Father Augustine M. Tran as pastor and includes Father Robert Ruskamp as parochial Vicar, who also serves the Our Lady of the Shenandoah Mission. Lay staff handle music, religious education, youth ministry, secretarial duties, facility maintenance, and Spanish-language liaison work.
- Rev. Augustine M. Tran — Pastor ([email protected])
- Rev. Robert Ruskamp — Parochial Vicar ([email protected])
- Maria Rincon — Secretary ([email protected])
- Alison Windland — Office Assistant ([email protected])
- Miguel Pinales — Spanish Liaison ([email protected])
- Melanie Griffy — Director of Music & Liturgy ([email protected])
- Elizabeth (Liz) Powell — Coordinator of Religious Education ([email protected])
- Letty Reinitz — Youth Minister ([email protected])
- Joel Carrera — Facility Maintenance Manager
Faith Formation and Religious Education
Religious Education (CCD) classes meet in the renovated classrooms of Hanley Hall, now the Holy Family Center, where rooms are named after saints (the St. Therese room is dedicated to first-year confirmation students). The parish also runs OCIA (Order of Christian Initiation for Adults, the post-Vatican II name for RCIA) for those exploring the Catholic faith, meeting Tuesday evenings from 7:00 to 8:30 PM in the Saint Francis Room.
- OCIA classes — Tuesdays 7:00–8:30 PM in the Saint Francis Room
- Religious Education (CCD) for children — coordinated by Elizabeth Powell
- Spanish Baptism Classes — Joel Carrera
- First-year Confirmation classroom dedicated as the St. Therese Room
Youth and Young Adult Ministries
The parish's High School Youth Group is called the Upper Room Squad, led by Youth Minister Letty Reinitz, and the Young Adult Group is organized by James and Monica Rossi, who also distribute parish communications. Trail Life rounds out the family-focused offerings.
- High School Youth Group — Upper Room Squad
- Young Adult Group (James & Monica Rossi)
- Trail Life (Kirk Andrews)
Music and Liturgy
Music and liturgical ministry is led by Director of Music & Liturgy Melanie Griffy, who also serves as coordinator for lectors, ushers, altar servers, the bulletin, and Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion. Parishioners participate through choir groups and theater performances.
- Choir groups and Theater (Melanie Griffy)
- Lectors, Ushers, Altar Servers, EMHCs coordinated through the Music office
- Bulletin production and distribution
Outreach and Charity
Outreach is a defining ministry of the parish and one of the qualities highlighted by the Diocese of Arlington. Parishioners staff a well-stocked food pantry, run an Outreach Store whose profits help the needy with food, rent or utilities, and contribute home-maintenance labor through the Knights' Hands program. The high school youth organize a Dance-a-thon benefiting a local pregnancy center.
- Outreach — Donna Armstrong (540-624-7902 / [email protected])
- Outreach Hotline: 540-331-7178
- Knights' Hands — Tim Tully
- Knights of Columbus — Todd White
- Pro-Life Ministry — Larry Kreitzer
- Communion for the Homebound — Fr. Augustine Tran
- Spanish Homebound Ministry — David Rosales
Devotions and Prayer Groups
The parish sustains several ongoing prayer communities, including a Rosary after Mass and a Women's Bible Study (WWP). Eucharistic Adoration is a major devotion, extending nearly 48 hours from Tuesday morning through Thursday morning, and the Legion of Mary meets in both English and Spanish (Legion de María).
- Rosary after Mass — John & Nan Alcott
- Rosary & Chaplet of Divine Mercy after Daily Mass
- Eucharistic Adoration — Lee & Peggy Santos
- Legion of Mary — Lee & Peggy Santos
- Legion de María — Marisol Espinoza
- Bible Study — John & Nan Alcott
- WWP – Women's Bible Study — Louise DiBenedetto & Nan Alcott
- Divine Mercy Cenacle (currently not active)
- Vocations Ministry — Rossi Family (540-630-5515)
Our Lady of the Shenandoah Mission
Our Lady of the Shenandoah is a mission chapel at 240 Fritzel Way, Basye, VA 22810, dedicated in 1976 to serve Catholics at the Bryce Mountain Resort and surrounding area. It was founded in 1974 by Capuchin friar Father Salvator Ciullo during his assignment to St. John Bosco (1968–1976) and is currently served by Parochial Vicar Father Robert Ruskamp.
- 240 Fritzel Way, Basye, VA 22810
- Dedicated 1976; founded 1974 by Father Salvator Ciullo, O.F.M. Cap.
- Contact: Father Robert Ruskamp — 571-243-2202, [email protected]
Spanish-Language Community
St. John Bosco serves a large and active Hispanic community. Worship is supported with a Spanish Sunday Mass, a first-Tuesday Spanish-language confession slot, Spanish baptism classes, a Spanish Homebound Ministry, the Legion de María, and translators for those whose first language is not English. Traditional cultural celebrations such as Our Lady of Guadalupe, Las Mañanitas, Las Posadas, La Sagrada Familia, and a volunteer-decorated Corpus Christi procession are annual highlights.
- Spanish Sunday Mass
- First Tuesday 7:00 PM Confession for the Spanish Community
- Spanish Baptism Classes — Joel Carrera
- Spanish Homebound Ministry — David Rosales
- Legion de María — Marisol Espinoza
- Spanish Liaison — Miguel Pinales (301-442-3029)
Facilities: Holy Family Center (Hanley Hall)
Hanley Hall, built in 1971 behind the original church, was renovated and rededicated in 2023 as the Holy Family Center. Its renovation created new classrooms named after saints (including a St. Therese room for first-year confirmation students) and provides space for CCD classes, parish functions, fellowship after Mass, and community events. The renovated building was blessed by Bishop Michael F. Burbidge at the 50th anniversary Mass.
- Built 1971 as a school/parish hall
- Renovated and rededicated 2023 as the Holy Family Center
- Houses Religious Education classrooms and CCD programs
- Used for coffee and community fellowship after Mass
Visit, Contact, and Getting Involved
Parishioners and visitors are warmly invited to attend Mass, stay for coffee and fellowship after Sunday Masses, and take part in any of the parish's many ministries. The parish office is reachable by phone, email, or in person at 315 N. Main Street, Woodstock.
- Address: 315 N. Main Street, Woodstock, VA 22664
- Phone: (540) 459-4448
- Email: [email protected]
- Website: http://www.sjbwoodstock.org
- Live Stream Masses available online
- Outreach Hotline: 540-331-7178
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Father Leo Micheli, O.F.M. Cap.1959–
Founding pastor at the establishment of the resident parish.
- Father Salvator L. Ciullo, O.F.M. Cap.1968–1976
Served as parochial vicar; while at the parish he founded Our Lady of the Shenandoah Mission Church in Basye in 1974.
- Father Michael Dobbins
Former pastor; died November 2020.
- Deacon Steve (Steven) Clifford
Longtime deacon; died 2021.
- Rev. Augustine M. Tran2020–present
Initially parochial administrator following Father Dobbins's death; serves as pastor.