About St. Monica Mission · Lubeck, West Virginia
St. Monica Mission is a small Catholic mission church in Lubeck, West Virginia, established July 15, 1976, and located on Harris Highway (Route 68 South) in Wood County. It is one of four Catholic parishes serving the greater Parkersburg/Wood County area (along with St. Francis Xavier, St. Margaret Mary, and St. Michael) and is administered in tandem with St. Francis Xavier Parish in Parkersburg, sharing staff, ministries and faith-formation programs. Sunday Mass is celebrated at 8:30 a.m., and the mission is part of the Diocese of Wheeling-Charleston.
- Established
- 1976
- Patron
- St. Monica (mother of St. Augustine of Hippo)
- Rector
- Very Rev. John Rice, V.G., V.F.
- Diocese
- Diocese of Wheeling-Charleston
Why belong here
St. Monica Mission offers Catholics in the Lubeck area a small, tight-knit community of faith where every member is known and valued. As a mission administered in partnership with St. Francis Xavier Parish, worshippers enjoy the warmth of a neighborhood church together with access to a robust network of regional ministries — faith formation for children and youth, the Rosary Altar Society, Stone Soup Kitchen meals, Social Concerns emergency assistance, FaithLink outreach to homebound seniors, and a vibrant pro-life group. If you are seeking a faithful Catholic community in southern Wood County, St. Monica welcomes you to worship, serve, and grow in faith, hope and love.
Mass times at St. Monica Mission
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Saturday 4:00–4:45 p.m. (at St. Francis Xavier Parish)
- During Holy Hour, Monday & Friday 11:00–11:45 a.m. (at St. Francis Xavier Parish)
- By appointment — contact the parish office at 304-422-6786
Adoration times
- Monday Holy Hour 11:00–11:45 a.m. (at St. Francis Xavier Parish)
- Friday Holy Hour 11:00–11:45 a.m. (at St. Francis Xavier Parish)
St. Monica Mission at a Glance
St. Monica Mission is the Catholic mission church serving the Lubeck community in southern Wood County, West Virginia. Established July 15, 1976, and located on Harris Highway (Route 68 South), the mission gathers every Sunday at 8:30 a.m. for Mass. As a mission of the Diocese of Wheeling-Charleston, St. Monica shares pastoral leadership and a wide range of ministries with St. Francis Xavier Parish in Parkersburg and the other Wood County Catholic parishes.
- Established: July 15, 1976
- Sunday Mass: 8:30 a.m.
- Diocese: Wheeling-Charleston
- Pastor: Very Rev. John Rice, V.G., V.F.
History of St. Monica Mission
Catholic life in Lubeck predates the 1976 founding of the mission. Photographs in the Diocese of Wheeling-Charleston archives from March 1964 show Msgr. Daniel Kirwin at the altar of a temporary basement chapel that served the area's Catholic families for years. By the early 1980s the community had grown enough to build a proper church; archive images from December 1984 document that construction on Harris Highway. The mission was formally established on July 15, 1976, and has since been administered alongside St. Francis Xavier Parish in Parkersburg.
- 1964: Basement chapel in Lubeck, Msgr. Daniel Kirwin celebrating Mass
- July 15, 1976: Mission formally established
- December 1984: Construction of current church on Harris Highway
- 2013: Father John Rice appointed pastor of St. Francis Xavier and St. Monica
- June 2, 2024: Corpus Christi Communal Mass uniting all four Wood County parishes
Mission Statement
The members of St. Monica Mission describe themselves as 'a people called by God the Father, baptized in His Son, Jesus, and gifted by the Holy Spirit to grow in Faith, Hope and Love.' They accept Jesus Christ as the center of their lives and commit themselves — in unity with their Bishop and the Holy Father — to building the Kingdom of God through faith, hope and compassionate service.
- A people of faith — seeking deeper understanding of the Gospel
- A people of hope — praying, listening and reaching out to those who yearn for God's presence
- A people of love — sharing God's blessings through compassionate service to neighbors in spiritual and material need
Mass and Sacraments
Sunday Mass at St. Monica is celebrated at 8:30 a.m. The sacrament of Reconciliation is offered at the shared St. Francis Xavier worship site on Saturdays from 4:00 to 4:45 p.m. and during the Monday and Friday Holy Hour (11:00–11:45 a.m.), or by appointment through the parish office.
- Sunday Mass — 8:30 a.m.
- Confession — Saturday 4:00–4:45 p.m. and Mon/Fri 11:00–11:45 a.m. Holy Hour (at St. Francis Xavier)
- First Reconciliation & First Communion — preparation via PSR (2nd grade)
- Care of the Sick / Anointing — by appointment, 304-422-6786
- Marriage — contact the parish office for preparation
Liturgical Ministries
Parishioners serve the liturgy as ushers, lectors, extraordinary ministers of Holy Communion, altar servers and Eucharistic ministers to the sick and homebound. Training for altar servers is offered as needed; anyone interested in liturgical ministry is encouraged to contact Father John Rice.
- Ushers
- Lectors
- Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion
- Altar Servers
- Eucharistic Ministers to the Sick/Homebound
Faith Formation (Parish School of Religion)
Children preparing for Reconciliation and First Communion attend the Parish School of Religion (PSR) on Sunday mornings during the school year. Second-graders from both public and Catholic schools participate; preparation continues through winter and spring. Families may contact Missy Lantz at 304-615-7635 for information.
- Parish School of Religion (PSR) — Sunday mornings
- First Reconciliation & First Communion preparation — winter/spring
- Open to all 2nd graders (public & Catholic schools)
- Contact: Missy Lantz, 304-615-7635
Service & Outreach Ministries
St. Monica partners with the other Wood County Catholic parishes in a wide network of outreach to neighbors in need — feeding the hungry, stocking a food pantry, providing emergency financial assistance and supporting homebound seniors.
- Stone Soup Kitchen — Wednesdays 11:00 a.m.–12:30 p.m. at St. Francis Xavier Parish Center (with Catholic Charities WV)
- Food Pantry — non-perishable donations collected weekly
- Social Concerns Committee — emergency utility and prescription help (Mon & Wed 10 a.m.–12 p.m.)
- FaithLink — transportation, light home maintenance and shopping for homebound seniors 60+
Hospitality & Parish Life
St. Monica's welcoming spirit is shaped by the Welcome and Hospitality Ministry, which visits new parishioners and arranges social gatherings such as the Easter Vigil reception and First Communion celebration. The Rosary Altar Society supports the parish through altar flowers, light cleaning, rosary making, prayer shawls and a religious gift shop; members also lead the rosary before every weekend Mass.
- Welcome and Hospitality Ministry — contact Shirley Smith, 740-516-9411, [email protected]
- Rosary Altar Society — contact Mary Beth Steinel, 740-896-5003
- Prayer Ministry — daily prayer for parish needs; contact Kitty Brown, 304-210-1964
- Bereavement Committee
Pro-Life & Advocacy
Catholics For Life is a parish pro-life group that promotes a culture of life through education and awareness on abortion, euthanasia, the death penalty, and disability issues, according to Church teaching. The group meets monthly at St. Francis Xavier parish hall.
- Catholics For Life — monthly meetings
- Contacts: Sunny Murray, 304-482-6193; Katie Walters, 304-861-5354
Clergy & Leadership
St. Monica Mission is pastored jointly with St. Francis Xavier Parish by Very Rev. John Rice, V.G., V.F. Born in Braddock, Pennsylvania, Father Rice was ordained a priest of the Diocese of Wheeling-Charleston on January 5, 2003 by Bishop Bernard W. Schmitt. After serving as associate pastor in Parkersburg and Weirton and as pastor in Morgantown, Montgomery and Boomer, he was appointed pastor of St. Francis Xavier and St. Monica in 2013. On October 22, 2024 Bishop Mark E. Brennan named him Vicar General and Moderator of the Curia of the Diocese of Wheeling-Charleston — the highest-ranking priestly office in the diocese — while he continues to serve as pastor of both parishes and Vicar Forane of the Parkersburg Vicariate.
- Pastor: Very Rev. John Rice, V.G., V.F.
- Also Vicar General & Moderator of the Curia, Diocese of Wheeling-Charleston
- Ordained: January 5, 2003
- Pastor of St. Francis Xavier & St. Monica since 2013
- Chaplain, West Virginia State Council of the Knights of Columbus
- Pastor/Chaplain of Parkersburg Catholic High School
Visit & Contact
St. Monica Mission welcomes visitors and newcomers. The parish office is shared with St. Francis Xavier Parish in Parkersburg; Sunday Mass at St. Monica begins at 8:30 a.m. on Harris Highway (Route 68 South) in Lubeck.
- Address: 1942 Harris Highway (Route 68 South), Lubeck, WV 26101
- Parish office: 609 Market Street, Parkersburg, WV 26101
- Phone: 304-422-6786
- Website: stx-pburg.org/st-monica-parish
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Reverend Msgr. Daniel M. Kirwin1964 (basement chapel era)
Photographed standing at the altar of the temporary basement chapel serving Lubeck Catholics before the mission was formally established.
- Very Rev. John Rice, V.G., V.F.2013–present
Pastor of St. Francis Xavier Parish in Parkersburg and St. Monica Mission in Lubeck since 2013. Born in Braddock, Pa.; ordained January 5, 2003 by Bishop Bernard W. Schmitt. Named Vicar General and Moderator of the Curia effective October 22, 2024 while continuing as pastor. Also serves as chaplain of the West Virginia State Council of the Knights of Columbus and designated pastor/chaplain of Parkersburg Catholic High School.