About St. Joseph · Martinsburg, West Virginia
St. Joseph Parish is a Roman Catholic parish in Martinsburg, West Virginia, in the Diocese of Wheeling-Charleston. Worship is offered in both English and Spanish each week, with a Saturday Vigil Mass, three Sunday Masses, and a weekday noon Mass in the historic downtown church on South Queen Street. The parish is home to Saint Joseph School, the only Catholic school in West Virginia's Eastern Panhandle, serving more than 400 students from infants through twelfth grade. St. Joseph is also active in outreach such as Mary's Refuge, a maternity home, and St. Joseph's Angels boutique. The parish looks back on more than 175 years of Catholic life in Martinsburg.
- Established
- 1825
- Patron
- St. Joseph
- Rector
- Rev. Thomas R. Gallagher
- Diocese
- Diocese of Wheeling-Charleston
Why belong here
St. Joseph offers a bilingual Catholic home in the heart of Martinsburg, with three Sunday Masses (two in English and one in Spanish), a daily noon Mass, and Saturday confessions — making daily Mass and the sacraments accessible all week long. The parish is closely tied to Saint Joseph School, the only Catholic school in the Eastern Panhandle (infants through 12th grade), giving families an authentic faith-based education grounded in weekly Mass and religious instruction. Active outreach such as Mary's Refuge maternity home and St. Joseph's Angels boutique shows a parish reaching beyond its walls to support life, families, and the wider community.
Mass times at St. Joseph
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Saturday 3:30 PM (and by appointment)
- Saturday 3:30 PM – 4:30 PM (per Discover Mass listing)
Parish Identity & Diocese
St. Joseph Parish is a Roman Catholic parish in the Diocese of Wheeling-Charleston, located on South Queen Street in Martinsburg, West Virginia. The parish serves the historic downtown Catholic community of the Eastern Panhandle, with worship and ministries provided in both English and Spanish.
- Diocese of Wheeling-Charleston
- Martinsburg, Berkeley County, WV
- Bilingual English/Spanish parish
Our Story — Two Centuries of Faith in Martinsburg
Catholic families in Martinsburg purchased land for a church as early as 1802, gathering for Mass in private homes and later a rented house for decades. The parish was formally organized in 1825, and the present Romanesque Revival church was begun in 1845 and dedicated in 1860. The building was even used as a Union army headquarters during the Civil War, and in 1888 local architect George Whitson added the Greek portico and Gothic spire that define its façade today.
- 1802 — Land purchased for a Martinsburg Catholic church
- 1825 — St. John Parish (later St. Joseph's) formally established; Rev. John B. Gildea, first pastor
- 1834 — Rev. Richard V. Whelan assigned; later first Bishop of Wheeling (1850)
- 1850 — Diocese of Wheeling erected; Martinsburg incorporated
- 1860 — Church dedicated to St. Joseph
- 1863 — Use as Union army hospital and stables during the Civil War
- 1870 — School opened with lay teachers; Sisters of Charity arrive 1883
- 1888 — George Whitson designs Greek portico and Gothic spire
- 1974 — Parish joins the realigned Diocese of Wheeling-Charleston
- 2000 — Bishop Bernard Schmitt names St. Joseph a Jubilee Year Site of Pilgrimage
Pastoral Staff & Clergy
The parish is led by pastor Rev. Thomas R. Gallagher, who was ordained June 22, 2012 at the Cathedral of St. Joseph in Wheeling, served previously as priest secretary to the bishop, associate pastor of St. Michael Parish in Wheeling, and pastor of St. Anthony in Follansbee, before coming to St. Joseph in Martinsburg in 2017. He was named West Virginia Knights of Columbus Priest of the Year. The parish is also served by Deacon Rev. Mr. Ronald Preuhs.
- Rev. Thomas R. Gallagher — Pastor (since 2017)
- Rev. Mr. Ronald Preugh — Deacon
- Sandy Pellegrino — Secretary/Bookkeeper
- Anthony Palasciano — Trustee
- Bruce Olean — Trustee
- Jessica Gerjes — Director of Religious Education
Faith Formation & Religious Education
Religious Education classes meet Sunday mornings from 9:00 to 10:00 AM in St. Joseph School, with a tentative start date of September 10. The parish offers three tracks — Confirmation II, First Reconciliation/First Communion, and general Religious Education (Kindergarten through Confirmation I) — and requires baptismal and First Communion certificates for sacramental programs.
- Classes Sunday 9:00–10:00 AM in St. Joseph School
- First Reconciliation / First Communion (2nd grade or older)
- Confirmation I and II
- General Religious Education (K, 1st, 3rd–5th)
- Registration forms available on the parish website
Saint Joseph School
Saint Joseph School, located adjacent to the parish, is the only Catholic school in West Virginia's Eastern Panhandle. It serves more than 400 students from infants through eighth grade and is preparing to reopen its high school grades in the 2025–26 academic year — the first time high school grades have been offered since 1972. The school is governed by the parish priest, the Diocesan Superintendent, and the Bishop of the Diocese of Wheeling-Charleston, and is supported by a Catholic School Advisory Council.
- Only Catholic school in the Eastern Panhandle
- Serves 6 parishes across 530 square miles
- 400+ students, infants through 8th grade
- Reopening 9th and 10th grades Fall 2025; first graduating class of 2029
- Students attend weekly Mass at St. Joseph Church
- Principal: Maria Byrd
Hispanic Ministry
St. Joseph Parish has grown an active Hispanic ministry under Father Gallagher's pastorate. Spanish-language Mass is celebrated every Wednesday evening, every Saturday Vigil, and every Sunday at noon, and Father Gallagher has studied Spanish in order to minister more fully to the Spanish-speaking members of the Martinsburg community.
- Spanish Mass: Wed 7:00 PM
- Spanish Mass: Sat Vigil 7:00 PM
- Spanish Mass: Sun 12:00 PM
Outreach & Community Ministries
The parish sponsors Mary's Refuge, a ministry transforming a former convent into a maternity home for pregnant women in crisis — one of only about 250 such homes in the United States — under the motto 'embracing life, mother and child.' St. Joseph's Angels boutique is another parish outreach supporting life and family. Knights of Columbus Council 1169 supports the parish community and recognized Father Gallagher as Priest of the Year.
- Mary's Refuge — maternity home ministry
- St. Joseph's Angels boutique
- Knights of Columbus Council 1169
- Volunteer opportunities through Mary's Refuge
Visit & Contact
The parish church is located at 225 S. Queen Street in downtown Martinsburg. The parish office mailing address is 336 S. Queen St., Martinsburg, WV 25401. Office hours and registration information can be obtained by calling (304) 267-4893 or emailing [email protected]; registration forms are available on the website.
- Address: 225 S. Queen Street, Martinsburg, WV 25401
- Phone: (304) 267-4893
- Email: [email protected]
- Website: stjosephwv.org
- Registration forms available online
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Rev. John B. Gildea1825–1834
First pastor of St. John Parish (later St. Joseph's); also first pastor of St. Peter in Harpers Ferry.
- Rev. Richard V. Whelan1834–1841
Resident pastor in Martinsburg; later became second Bishop of Richmond and first Bishop of Wheeling.
- Rev. Thomas R. Gallagher2017–present
Pastor since 2017; ordained June 22, 2012; named WV Knights of Columbus Priest of the Year.