About St. Mary · Blacksburg, Virginia
St. Mary's Catholic Church is a Roman Catholic parish located at 1205 Old Mill Road in Blacksburg, Virginia, serving Catholics in Montgomery County and the wider New River Valley. Founded in 1938 under the Diocese of Wheeling and later transferred in 1974 to the Catholic Diocese of Richmond, the parish is currently led by Fr. John Asare. The parish is a diverse community of retirees, Virginia Tech professors and students, and lifelong residents, known for its Sunday liturgies, ongoing faith formation, and active outreach ministries.
- Established
- 1938
- Patron
- Blessed Virgin Mary (St. Mary's)
- Rector
- Rev. John Asare
- Diocese
- Catholic Diocese of Richmond
Why belong here
St. Mary's is the Catholic home for a diverse New River Valley community — retirees, Virginia Tech faculty and students, and lifelong local families — gathering at a modern church campus on Old Mill Road. Parishioners find a full sacramental life (daily and Sunday Mass, Friday and Saturday confessions, RCIA, and faith formation for all ages) alongside deep outreach: a Haiti twin-parish relationship, a Caring Closet and food bank ministry, prison ministry, To Our House shelter support, and a vibrant Knights of Columbus council chartered there in 1975. It is a parish where ongoing formation, liturgy, and service to neighbors in Blacksburg and beyond are woven into everyday parish life.
Mass times at St. Mary
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Friday 12:00 PM – 1:00 PM
- Saturday 3:30 PM – 4:15 PM
Parish History
St. Mary's traces its roots to the early 20th century, when Catholics in Montgomery County were visited by priests from the Diocese of Wheeling. First listed as a station of St. Mary's Mother of God in Wytheville in 1911, the community built a wooden church on Wilson Street in 1924 and was formally established as St. Mary's parish in 1938. The parish was transferred to the Diocese of Richmond in 1974 and has since grown through multiple building campaigns — culminating in the 2008 dedication of the present church on Old Mill Road by Bishop Francis X. DiLorenzo.
- 1924: First wooden church dedicated on Wilson Street (capacity ~135)
- 1937: Rectory house purchased across the street
- 1938: Becomes an official parish under the Diocese of Wheeling (Fr. George Walter, first pastor)
- 1948: Larger church completed under Fr. Leo Fohl
- 1974: Transferred to the Catholic Diocese of Richmond (Bishop Walter Sullivan)
- 1986: New church on Harding Avenue dedicated
- 2008: Current Old Mill Road church dedicated by Bishop Francis X. DiLorenzo
- 2016: Fr. John Asare becomes pastor
Sacraments & Pastoral Care
Appointments for baptism, marriage, and pastoral conversations can be made by calling the parish office at (540) 552-1091 or emailing [email protected]. The Sacrament of Reconciliation is offered weekly on Friday and Saturday, and Deacon Rick Furman coordinates the parish's RCIA program for adults seeking initiation into the Catholic Church.
- Baptism — by appointment
- Marriage — by appointment with the pastor
- Anointing of the Sick / pastoral care — by appointment
- RCIA — coordinated by Deacon Rick Furman
- Religious Education — directed by Sue Ellerbrock
Faith Formation & Religious Education
Sue Ellerbrock directs St. Mary's Religious Education, Youth Ministry, and Adult Faith Formation programs. The parish also coordinates RCIA through Deacon Rick Furman, walking adults through the process of initiation into the Catholic Church.
- Religious Education program (children)
- Youth Ministry
- Adult Faith Formation
- RCIA — Deacon Rick Furman, coordinator
Justice & Peace (J&P) — Hunger Relief & Food Insecurity
St. Mary's responds to hunger and food insecurity in the New River Valley through the Justice & Peace ministry, which administers a Parish Charities grant program. Parishes and community organizations can apply via the J&P Grant Application form on the parish website.
- Caring Closet
- Blacksburg Interfaith Food Bank
- Glean Team
Social Outreach Ministries
St. Mary's reaches out to those in need in the parish and in the wider New River Valley, partnering with local organizations and supporting a Haiti twin-parish relationship. The parish's outreach reflects a long-standing commitment to those on the margins, both locally and abroad.
- Prison Ministry
- To Our House Shelter
- Montgomery County Christmas Store
- Angel Tree
- His Hands Ministry
- Haiti Twin Parish
- Sanctity of Life
Knights of Columbus — Fr. Edward Fox Council #6747
The parish is home to the Knights of Columbus Fr. Edward Fox Council #6747, chartered December 14, 1975 — the first K of C council chartered in Virginia west of Roanoke. The council is named after Father Edward Fox, the first circuit-riding priest of the region and first pastor of St. Mary's in Wytheville. It also sponsors a Fourth Degree Assembly (established July 12, 2001) named in honor of Fr. James A. Burge, former pastor of St. Mary's Blacksburg. The council currently serves St. Mary's (Blacksburg), Holy Spirit (Christiansburg), Holy Family (Pearisburg), and All Saints (Floyd).
- Founded December 14, 1975 at St. Mary's parish hall on Wilson Street
- Named after Fr. Edward Fox, first pastor of St. Mary's Wytheville
- First K of C council chartered in Virginia west of Roanoke
- Supports St. John Neumann Academy and the Caring Closet
- Monthly business meeting: 2nd Wednesday, 7:30 PM
- Monthly Rosary meeting: 2nd Wednesday, 7:00 PM
- Fourth Degree Assembly named for Fr. James A. Burge (est. 2001)
Parish Staff & Deacons
The parish is led by Fr. John Asare and served by two permanent deacons. Deacon Dr. Mike Ellerbrock is a Virginia Tech professor who joined the parish with his family in 1992; Deacon Richard L. Furman was ordained in 2015 and coordinates RCIA.
- Pastor: Rev. John Asare
- Permanent Deacon: Rev. Mr. Richard Furman (RCIA coordinator)
- Permanent Deacon: Rev. Dr. Michael Ellerbrock (Virginia Tech professor)
- Director of Religious Education, Youth Ministry & Adult Faith Formation: Sue Ellerbrock
Visit & Contact
The parish office is open Monday through Friday from 9:00 AM to 3:00 PM. Sunday Mass is live-streamed on Facebook for those who cannot attend in person. The parish participates in the Kroger Community Rewards program, which sends a portion of members' purchases back to St. Mary's.
- Address: 1205 Old Mill Road, Blacksburg, VA 24060
- Phone: (540) 552-1091
- Email: [email protected]
- Office hours: Mon–Fri, 9:00 AM – 3:00 PM
- Sunday 8:30 AM Mass live-streamed on Facebook
- Kroger Community Rewards supports the parish
Catholic & Community Links
The parish website lists links to diocesan and community Catholic resources, including the Diocese of Richmond, Catholic Virginian newspaper, Commonwealth Catholic Charities, the Knights of Columbus Fr. Fox Council, St. John Neumann Academy, the Virginia Tech Catholic Community, the USCCB, the Vatican, and EWTN.
- Diocese of Richmond — richmonddiocese.org
- Catholic Virginian (Diocese of Richmond newspaper)
- Commonwealth Catholic Charities
- Knights of Columbus Fr. Fox Council #6747
- St. John Neumann Academy
- Virginia Tech Catholic Community
- United States Catholic Bishops (USCCB)
- The Vatican
- EWTN — Catholic Television Channel
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Fr. George Walter1938–
First pastor when St. Mary's became an official parish under the Diocese of Wheeling.
- Fr. Leo Fohl–1964 (approx., 16 years)
Oversaw construction of the 1948 church building; first assistant Fr. Edward Sadie appointed 1958.
- Fr. Bert Valdesmid-1960s (about one year)
Short tenure before Fr. Mascioli.
- Fr. Joseph Mascioli1968–1971
Purchased five acres on Harding Avenue for a future church.
- Fr. William Gardner1971–1976
Parish transferred to the Diocese of Richmond under Bishop Walter Sullivan in 1974 during his tenure.
- Fr. Thomas Miller1976–1983
Initiated plans for the Harding Avenue church, dedicated 1986.
- Fr. Paul Gallagher1983–1991
Returned as pastor (he had served as assistant pastor from 1963); retired from active ministry in 1991.
- Fr. James Burge1991 (about two months)
Came from Hopewell, VA; died unexpectedly shortly after arriving in Blacksburg.
- Fr. Donald Lemay1991–2000
Came from Roanoke; oversaw arrival of first permanent deacon, Dr. Mike Ellerbrock.
- Fr. James Arsenault2000–2009
Led purchase of 35 acres on Old Mill Road and construction of the current church, dedicated 2008.
- Fr. Remi Sojka2009–2016
Originally from Poland; ordained 1995; previously a seminarian at St. Mary's in 1993. Oversaw new rectory construction.
- Fr. John Asare2016–present
From the Archdiocese of Kumasi, Ghana; previously parochial vicar at St. Bede in Williamsburg.