St Joseph/Shrine of St. Katharine Drexel

Parish Overview

St. Joseph/Shrine of St. Katharine Drexel is a small but historically rich Catholic parish in Columbia, Fluvanna County, Virginia. Founded in 1884 as the Wakeham Chapel, it is one of the oldest Catholic parishes in the Commonwealth and one of only two national shrines to St. Katharine Drexel in the United States. In March 2024 the parish celebrated 140 years of the Eucharist with an anniversary Mass presided over by Bishop Barry C. Knestout of Richmond.

• Founded 1884 (Wakeham Chapel); established as a parish by the Diocese of Richmond in 1967.
• One of only two shrines to St. Katharine Drexel in the U.S.
• Address: Washington & Cameron Sts., Columbia, VA 23038
• Phone: (434) 842-3970
• Website: saintjosephcolumbia.org

Our History

The parish's origins lie in the 1884 chapel Father Richard Wakeham built for his parents so they no longer had to travel to Richmond for Mass. The Wakeham Chapel quickly became a mission church that welcomed Black worshippers at a time of segregation and led to dozens of local conversions. After Father Wakeham was transferred to Boston in 1892, the chapel went unused until 1901, when Mother Katharine Drexel glimpsed its gilded cross from a passing train and arranged for the Josephite Fathers to resume saying Mass. Her Sisters of the Blessed Sacrament and later the Sisters of St. Joseph also taught catechism and ran a one-room school for Black children barred from public schools. The chapel was renamed St. Joseph's Chapel in 1939 and formally became a parish of the Diocese of Richmond in 1967. After Mother Katharine's canonization in 2000, Bishop Walter F. Sullivan added 'Shrine of St. Katharine Drexel' to the parish's name. A memorial grotto was added in 2006, and the community marked 140 years of the Eucharist in March 2024.

• 1884 – Father Richard Wakeham builds Wakeham Chapel for his parents in Columbia.
• 1891 – Longtime caretaker Zach 'Uncle Zeke' Kimbro begins his daily prayer that Mass return.
• 1901 – Mother Katharine Drexel sees the chapel's cross from a train and arranges for the Josephite Fathers to resume Mass.
• 1939 – Chapel officially renamed St. Joseph's Chapel.
• 1967 – Diocese of Richmond formally takes over the mission, creating the parish.
• October 15, 2000 – Bishop Walter F. Sullivan renames it St. Joseph/Shrine of St. Katharine Drexel, two weeks after the saint's canonization.
• 2006 – Parishioners build a memorial grotto to St. Katharine on the grounds.
• March 17, 2024 – Bishop Barry C. Knestout presides at the 140th Anniversary Mass.

Clergy & Staff

The parish is served by Rev. John Mary Nyanzi as pastor (per the parish's own Mass schedule page and the Diocese of Richmond parish directory), with Permanent Deacon Rev. Mr. Robert Allen assisting. Father David Ssentamu served as pastor from 2019 and presided at the 2024 anniversary Mass with Bishop Knestout before being succeeded by Father Nyanzi. The parish also relies on a strong lay leadership team across liturgy, formation, and administration.

• Pastor: Rev. John Mary Nyanzi
• Permanent Deacon: Rev. Mr. Robert Allen
• Pastoral Council Chair: Debbie Blackburn
• Finance Council Chair: Fred Gunnels
• CCD Coordinator: Celeste Shapiola
• Director of Music: Denny Barbario

Ministries & Organizations

Parish life at St. Joseph is sustained by a tight-knit group of lay ministers organized into Liturgy & Worship, Administration, and Formation & Education, with a Knights of Columbus roundtable and active prison ministry rounding out the picture. CCD (religious education) is coordinated by Celeste Shapiola, prison ministry to the women's correctional facility in Goochland is led by Will Kulick, and the Ladies Auxiliary and Refreshment Committee care for the parish community behind the scenes.

• Liturgy & Worship: Director of Music (Denny Barbario), Ushers (Marvin Jackson), Lectors & Altar Servers (Melissa Kenney), Extraordinary Ministers (Danielle Murphy).
• Administration: Pastoral Council Chair Debbie Blackburn; Finance Council Chair Fred Gunnels.
• Formation & Education: CCD (Celeste Shapiola).
• Outreach: Prison Ministry (Will Kulick) — brings the Eucharist and sacraments to women at the Goochland correctional facility.
• Community Life: Ladies Auxiliary (Danielle Murphy), Refreshment Committee (Danielle Bledsoe).
• Knights of Columbus Roundtable: Chairman Denny Barbario.

The Shrine of St. Katharine Drexel

St. Joseph is one of only two national shrines to St. Katharine Drexel in the United States. The shrine honors the saint's direct role in reviving Catholic life in Columbia in 1901 — when, riding a train between Richmond and Lynchburg, she spotted the chapel's gilded cross and arranged for Mass to resume there. A memorial grotto to St. Katharine was built on the parish grounds in 2006 with funds raised by parishioners, and the parish celebrates the Feast of St. Katharine Drexel on March 3 each year.

• One of only two shrines to St. Katharine Drexel in the United States.
• Memorial grotto built in 2006 with parish-raised funds.
• Feast day celebrated March 3.

Calendar & Events

From March 2023 through March 2024 the parish hosted a year-long series of events exploring 140 years of history and the people who shaped it. Highlights included monthly talks such as 'The Priests of St. Joseph' and 'Lydia O'Hare Nicholas: Faith and Race', a Concert by the Longwood University School of Music Choir held inside St. Joseph church, the Feast of Saint Katharine Drexel, and the Anniversary Mass and Reception with Bishop Barry C. Knestout followed by a potluck in the Parish Hall.

• Monthly anniversary series March 2023 – March 2024.
• Feast of St. Katharine Drexel (March 3).
• Talk: 'The Priests of St. Joseph' (history of the priests who served the parish).
• Longwood University School of Music Choir Concert.
• 140th Anniversary Mass and Reception with Bishop Barry C. Knestout.

Visitors & Pilgrims

Visitors are warmly welcomed to this small, diverse parish — more parishioners than the town has residents — whose story begins with a convert who swept a chapel floor every morning for years and prayed that the Mass would return. Sunday Mass is at 9:00 AM, with confessions from 8:30 to 8:50 AM. Pilgrims come from across the country to visit one of only two national shrines to St. Katharine Drexel.