About St. Mary · Petersburg, West Virginia
St. Mary's Catholic Church is a small Roman Catholic parish serving Petersburg, West Virginia, in the Potomac Highlands region. A mission was first established in Petersburg in 1962, and it was formally elevated to parish status in 1975, originally encompassing Grant, Hardy, and Pendleton counties. The parish is one of three 'Potomac Highlands' parishes — along with St. Elizabeth Ann Seton in Franklin and Epiphany of the Lord in Moorefield — currently served by a single pastor, Rev. Jose Manuel Escalante, who ministers across the three communities. Weekly worship centers on a Sunday Mass and a Wednesday weekday Mass, with Reconciliation offered after Wednesday Mass or by appointment.
- Established
- 1975 (parish; mission originally established 1962)
- Patron
- The Blessed Virgin Mary
- Rector
- Rev. Jose Manuel Escalante
- Diocese
- Diocese of Wheeling-Charleston
Why belong here
St. Mary's offers a close-knit Catholic community in the heart of West Virginia's Potomac Highlands, with the comfort of a regular Sunday and weekday Mass schedule, the Sacrament of Reconciliation readily available by appointment, and seasonal devotions like the Stations of the Cross during Lent. As one of three Potomac Highlands parishes served by a single pastor, parishioners enjoy a wider network of fellow Catholics across Petersburg, Franklin, and Moorefield. The parish's welcome to visitors — 'Our parish families are small but our faith is strong' — speaks to the genuine, personal character of belonging here.
Mass times at St. Mary
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- After Wednesday Mass or by appointment
St. Mary Catholic Church — Petersburg, WV
St. Mary's is a Roman Catholic parish in the small Potomac Highlands town of Petersburg, West Virginia, seated at 4 Grant Street. It belongs to the Diocese of Wheeling-Charleston and is currently served by pastor Rev. Jose Manuel Escalante. The parish forms, together with St. Elizabeth Ann Seton in Franklin and Epiphany of the Lord in Moorefield, the 'Potomac Highlands' Catholic community. The parish office can be reached at (304) 257-1057 or [email protected].
- Address: 4 Grant Street, Petersburg, WV 26847
- Phone: (304) 257-1057
- Email: [email protected]
- Diocese: Wheeling-Charleston
- Pastor: Rev. Jose Manuel Escalante
Lenten Devotions
During Lent, the parish gathers to pray the Stations of the Cross at 11:00 AM on Fridays, in keeping with traditional Catholic practice for the season.
- Stations of the Cross — Fridays in Lent at 11:00 AM
Parish History
The Catholic presence in Petersburg began as a mission established by the Diocese of Wheeling-Charleston in 1962, during Bishop Joseph H. Hodges' tenure and the opening years of the Second Vatican Council. In 1975 the mission was formally erected as a parish — St. Mary Parish — encompassing Grant, Hardy, and Pendleton counties, with Rev. Richard B. Hite, MSsA, as first pastor. That same year the diocese created St. Elizabeth Ann Seton in Franklin as a mission of St. Mary's, also entrusted to Fr. Hite as first administrator, signaling the parish's regional role across the South Branch Potomac valley. Today the parish is part of a three-church Potomac Highlands Catholic community under Pastor Rev. Jose Manuel Escalante.
- 1962 — St. Mary Mission in Petersburg established
- 1975 — Mission erected as a parish; first pastor Rev. Richard B. Hite, MSsA
- 1975 — St. Elizabeth Ann Seton, Franklin, established as a mission of St. Mary's
- Today — clustered with Epiphany of the Lord, Moorefield, in the Potomac Highlands Catholic community
Pastor & Staff
The current pastor is Rev. Jose Manuel Escalante, who serves all three Potomac Highlands parishes. He can be reached at his cell (304-719-1336) or by email at [email protected]. The first pastor, Rev. Richard B. Hite, MSsA, was named in 1975 when the mission became a parish.
- Rev. Jose Manuel Escalante — current Pastor ([email protected], cell 304-719-1336)
- Rev. Richard B. Hite, MSsA — first pastor (1975)
Potomac Highlands Parishes
St. Mary's is part of a three-parish cluster of small Catholic communities in the West Virginia highlands, all currently served by Father Escalante:
- St. Mary's Catholic Church — Petersburg (this parish)
- St. Elizabeth Ann Seton — Franklin, WV (545 Walnut Street; 304-358-7012)
- Epiphany of the Lord — Moorefield, WV (2029 Co Rte 55/7; 304-434-2547)
Support & Donations
Financial support for St. Mary's — and the other two Potomac Highlands parishes — is facilitated through the diocesan Catholic Sharing Appeal. Visitors to the parish website can click through to the diocesan donation page and indicate their parish and gift.
- Catholic Sharing Appeal — diocesan donation portal
- Parish office email: [email protected]
Contact & Visit
Visitors are warmly welcomed to St. Mary's. The parish office (shared with the wider Potomac Highlands Catholic community) is the best point of contact for scheduling sacraments such as marriage, baptism, or anointing of the sick, or to arrange Reconciliation by appointment.
- Parish phone: (304) 257-1057
- Parish email: [email protected]
- Pastor email: [email protected]
- Pastor cell: 304-719-1336
- Sunday Mass: 10:00 AM; Wednesday Mass: 11:30 AM
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Rev. Richard B. Hite, MSsA1975
First pastor when St. Mary Mission was erected as a parish in 1975; simultaneously first administrator of St. Elizabeth Ann Seton mission in Franklin.