About St. Mary Queen of Heaven · Madison, West Virginia
St. Mary Queen of Heaven is a Roman Catholic parish of the Diocese of Wheeling–Charleston located at 51 Madison Avenue in Madison, Boone County, West Virginia. The parish is led by Rev. Neil R. Buchlein and serves as the center of Catholic life for a wide swath of southern West Virginia's coalfield region, also overseeing the St. Barbara Mission in Chapmanville and the St. Joseph the Worker Chapel in Whitesville, and providing chaplaincy to all local hospitals and nursing homes. The community gathers for daily Mass Monday through Friday, a First Saturday Mass, and a Sunday Mass at 11:30 a.m., with weekday Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament preceding each morning Mass.
- Established
- 1980
- Patron
- Blessed Virgin Mary, Queen of Heaven
- Rector
- Rev. Neil R. Buchlein
- Diocese
- Diocese of Wheeling–Charleston
Why belong here
St. Mary Queen of Heaven is the Catholic heart of Madison and the surrounding Boone County coalfield, offering the faithful a full week of Mass opportunities — daily morning Mass Monday through Friday, a First Saturday Mass, and Sunday Mass at 11:30 a.m. — along with weekday Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament from 7:30 a.m. The parish extends its pastoral reach beyond Madison through the St. Barbara Mission in Chapmanville and the St. Joseph the Worker Chapel in Whitesville, and provides chaplaincy to all local hospitals and nursing homes, making it a true anchor of Catholic sacramental life in southern West Virginia. Visitors are welcomed warmly and the parish website notes that Spanish resources are available for those who need them.
Mass times at St. Mary Queen of Heaven
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- By appointment
Adoration times
- Monday–Friday: 7:30 a.m. (Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament)
History of St. Mary Queen of Heaven Parish
St. Mary Queen of Heaven was dedicated in 1980 in Danville, the small Boone County town just down the road from present-day Madison, where the parish is now headquartered. The Diocese of Wheeling–Charleston's official history lists the dedication of 'St. Mary Queen of Heaven Church in Danville' among the major 1980 events in the life of the diocese, and the DWC Archives preserves a 1980 exterior photograph of the Danville church in its Parish Historical Files collection. Over the following decades the parish became the principal Catholic worship site for Boone County and surrounding areas, and eventually absorbed missions and chapels from neighboring counties.
- 1980 — Church dedicated in Danville, WV
- 2017 — Territory expanded to include St. Barbara Mission, Chapmanville
- 2017 — St. Joseph the Worker, Whitesville, reduced from mission to chapel
Pastoral Leadership
The parish is currently served by Rev. Neil R. Buchlein as pastor. Fr. Buchlein's email is listed on the parish and diocesan directory pages, and he is the primary contact for the parish office.
- Pastor: Rev. Neil R. Buchlein
Missions and Chapels
St. Mary Queen of Heaven Parish shepherds Catholic worship beyond Madison through two affiliated worship sites in southern West Virginia. These were reorganized in 2017 as part of a diocesan-wide pastoral reconfiguration.
- St. Barbara Mission, Chapmanville (incorporated into the parish November 26, 2017; formerly a mission of St. Francis of Assisi Parish, Logan)
- St. Joseph the Worker Chapel, Whitesville (changed from Mission Church to Chapel under St. Mary Queen of Heaven on November 26, 2017)
- Suppressed: Christ In The Hills, Hamlin
St. Joseph the Worker Chapel, Whitesville
Located in the southern coalfields of Boone County, St. Joseph the Worker Mission was established in 1958 to serve the Catholic families of the Whitesville area. Rev. Joseph Gilliam, OFM Cap., of Sacred Heart Parish in Charleston, was the first priest to visit the area after the earlier mission at Peytona closed. The small community he organized in the early 1930s worshipped first in a private home and later in the Valley Funeral Home until the first church was built, with the church constructed largely through donations from townspeople — Catholic and non-Catholic alike — and dedicated in 1960. It served as a mission of St. Mary Queen of Heaven until November 2017, when it was reduced to a chapel.
- First organized worship in the early 1930s
- First church dedicated in 1960
- Reclassified as a chapel under St. Mary Queen of Heaven in November 2017
Hospital and Nursing Home Chaplaincy
The parish provides chaplaincy to all local hospitals and nursing homes in the area. This outreach is a notable part of the parish's pastoral ministry, bringing the sacraments and pastoral care to the sick and elderly throughout Boone County.
- Chaplaincy — all local hospitals and nursing homes
Spanish-Language Resources
The parish website notes that it is available in Spanish, and the parish asks visitors to check with them regarding the availability of other Spanish-language resources. Although the regular Mass schedule is in English, the parish makes efforts to welcome Spanish-speaking Catholics in the area.
- Website available in Spanish
- Additional Spanish resources available on request
Visit, Contact, and Directions
St. Mary Queen of Heaven welcomes visitors and newcomers. The parish office can be reached by phone at (304) 369-4538 or by email at [email protected]. The mailing address is 51 Madison Avenue, Madison, WV 25130. To reach the church by road, take Route 85 south from US 119 into Madison; the church is located on Route 85.
- Address: 51 Madison Avenue, Madison, WV 25130
- Phone: (304) 369-4538
- Email: [email protected]
- Website: https://stmarymadisonwv.org/
- Driving directions: From US 119, take Route 85 south to Madison
Parish Identity and Patron
The parish is named in honor of the Blessed Virgin Mary under her title as Queen of Heaven. The Memorial of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Queen of Heaven, is celebrated in the Roman Catholic liturgical calendar on August 22, the octave day of the Assumption.
- Patron: Blessed Virgin Mary, Queen of Heaven
- Feast Day: August 22