About St. Therese · Saint Paul, Virginia
St. Therese Catholic Church is a small Catholic parish located at 16661 Wise Street in St. Paul, Virginia, in the coal-country heart of Southwest Virginia's Wise County. It is one of three parishes that together form the Spirit of the Mountain Cluster of the Catholic Diocese of Richmond, alongside Good Shepherd in Lebanon and St. Mary in Coeburn. Sunday Mass is celebrated at 8:30 AM, and the parish is pastored as a cluster by Rev. Emmanuel Darfour Appah. The parish traces its origins to Glenmary Home Missioners who began celebrating Mass for a handful of Catholic families in St. Paul as early as 1946, before the church was formally dedicated on August 12, 1951.
- Established
- 1951
- Patron
- St. Thérèse of Lisieux (St. Therese of the Child Jesus), the "Little Flower"
- Rector
- Rev. Emmanuel Darfour Appah
- Diocese
- Catholic Diocese of Richmond (transferred from the Diocese of Wheeling in 1974)
Why belong here
St. Therese offers a welcoming, intimate Sunday worship experience at 8:30 AM in the heart of Southwest Virginia's coal country. As part of the Spirit of the Mountain Cluster, the parish combines small-parish warmth with the shared resources of three communities — St. Therese (St. Paul), St. Mary (Coeburn), and Good Shepherd (Lebanon) — including cluster-wide Christian formation for adults, children, and youth, an active Parish Life ministry, a Social Justice ministry, and the FUEL youth program. Reconciliation is offered 30 minutes before every weekend Mass or by appointment, and the parish participates in the diocesan Annual Appeal and regular food drives for Mountain Empire Older Citizens.
Mass times at St. Therese
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Sunday 8:00 AM (30 minutes before the 8:30 AM Mass), or by appointment with the parish office
Adoration times
- Adoration following the last Tuesday of the month 5:00 PM Mass (cluster-wide at St. Mary, Coeburn)
History of St. Therese Catholic Church
The Catholic community of St. Paul traces its roots to the European immigrant coal-mining families of the Dante and St. Paul coalfields. By the mid-1940s only a small group of faithful remained, and beginning in 1946 Glenmary Home Missioners from St. Anthony in Norton traveled to St. Paul to celebrate Mass for fifteen to twenty people at the Lions Club 'Lion's Den.' The parish was formally dedicated on August 12, 1951 by the Most Reverend Thomas J. McDonnell, Coadjutor of the Diocese of Wheeling, with a Pontifical Low Mass and Confirmation. The first resident pastor, Rev. Robert Berson, took charge in March 1954, followed in June 1955 by Father Roland 'Rollie' Hautz, the parish's first permanent resident priest.
- Mass first celebrated in St. Paul: 1946 (at the Lions Club 'Lion's Den')
- Parish formally dedicated: August 12, 1951
- First resident pastor: Rev. Robert Berson (March 1954)
- First permanent resident priest: Rev. Roland 'Rollie' Hautz (June 1955)
- Transferred to the Diocese of Richmond: 1974
- Returned to the diocese by Glenmary: 1994
- 50th Anniversary Memorial Plaque dedicated: October 2004
Glenmary Home Missioners & the Sisters of St. Joseph
St. Therese's identity is inseparable from the Glenmary Home Missioners, the Cincinnati-based Catholic society that brought the faith to rural Southwest Virginia in the 20th century. After Father Hautz's reassignment, a string of Glenmary priests — Fathers Dennis Holly, Francis Wuest, Bob Dalton, John Raush, Dave Glockner, Bob Rademacher, and finally Tom Charters — served the parish. In 1977 Father Glockner helped welcome the Sisters of St. Joseph to the area, with Sisters Mary Keane, Loretta Scully, and Martha Sirois becoming beloved fixtures of the Dante community as the 'Dante Damsels.'
- Glenmary priests who served St. Therese: Fathers Holly, Wuest, Dalton, Raush, Glockner, Rademacher, Charters
- Last Glenmary priest at St. Therese: Father Tom Charters
- Sisters of St. Joseph arriving 1977: Sisters Mary Keane, Loretta Scully, Martha Sirois ('Dante Damsels')
Spirit of the Mountain Cluster
St. Therese is one of three parishes that make up the Spirit of the Mountain Cluster in the Catholic Diocese of Richmond. The cluster brings together Good Shepherd Catholic Church in Lebanon, St. Mary's Catholic Church in Coeburn, and St. Therese in St. Paul under a single pastor, currently Rev. Emmanuel Darfour Appah. The cluster configuration was created in 2003 when Father Robert Krenik was assigned to all three parishes; Father Mike Herbert later asked parishioners to choose a name for the grouping, and 'Spirit of the Mountain' was the result.
- Good Shepherd Catholic Church — Lebanon, Virginia (Sunday Mass 11:00 AM, Wednesday 6:00 PM)
- St. Mary's Catholic Church — Coeburn, Virginia (Saturday Vigil Mass 5:00 PM, Tuesday 5:00 PM)
- St. Therese Catholic Church — St. Paul, Virginia (Sunday Mass 8:30 AM)
- Cluster Pastor: Rev. Emmanuel Darfour Appah
- Office phone (shared): 1-276-889-1690
Christian Formation & Religious Education
The Spirit of the Mountain Cluster offers Christian formation for the whole family — adults, children, and youth — viewing religious education as a lifelong journey. RCIA (Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults) for those exploring Catholicism normally begins in January and culminates in the reception of the Sacraments of Initiation at Easter. The cluster also partners with parents in raising their children in the faith; Confirmation is normally received in the 10th grade in the Diocese of Richmond, although it can be celebrated at other times according to each young person's circumstances.
- Adult Religious Education
- Children Religious Education
- Youth Faith Formation
- RCIA — begins each January, Sacraments at Easter
- Confirmation — typically 10th grade (Diocese of Richmond)
- Cluster library of faith-formation books in Lebanon, VA
- Contact: Father Emmanuel D. Appah, Pastor
Sacraments
The Diocese of Richmond requires that families be registered, regularly attending weekend Mass, and active in the life of the parish before preparing for the Sacraments of Baptism, First Reconciliation, First Eucharist, or Confirmation. Children up through age 6 follow the standard baptism preparation; children age 7 and older follow a different process coordinated through the parish office. All sacramental inquiries are directed to the cluster office at [email protected].
- Baptism (infant through adult)
- First Reconciliation
- First Eucharist
- Confirmation
- RCIA for adults seeking full initiation
- Anointing of the Sick / Sacramental emergency line
Ministries & Parish Life
The Spirit of the Mountain Cluster supports a range of ministries that knit the three parishes together. Parish Life gathers the community for events and fellowship; Social Justice organizes outreach and political-action engagement; FUEL is the cluster's youth ministry program. Within St. Therese specifically, parishioners serve as lectors (a published schedule rotates Frank Taylor, Dave Britten, and Janice Halsey), count the weekly offertory, and maintain a basket of food donations that is delivered to Mountain Empire Older Citizens, Inc. in Big Stone Gap.
- Parish Life Ministry
- Social Justice Ministry
- FUEL youth ministry
- Lector Ministry
- Offertory counting
- Food collection for Mountain Empire Older Citizens, Inc. (Big Stone Gap)
Outreach, Appeals & Parish Giving
Each year St. Therese participates in the Diocese of Richmond's Annual Diocesan Appeal; the parish's 2026 target was $600, a figure that reflects the small, generous community. The parish also supports regional food-insecurity relief through its ongoing food drive benefiting Mountain Empire Older Citizens in Big Stone Gap, and parishioners are encouraged to give to cluster-wide special projects — such as the recent New Carpet/Flooring capital campaign organized through #iGiveCatholic to replace worn flooring in the church.
- 2026 Annual Diocesan Appeal target: $600
- Food drive partner: Mountain Empire Older Citizens, Inc. (Big Stone Gap)
- Recent capital project: New Carpet/Flooring ($3,000 goal)
- Cluster Appeal Targets 2026: St. Mary $1,960 / Good Shepherd $2,230 / St. Therese $600
Visiting & Contact
St. Therese Catholic Church is located at 16661 Wise Street in St. Paul, Virginia, with a mailing address of PO Box 56, St. Paul, VA 24283-0056. The parish shares its office phone and email with the rest of the Spirit of the Mountain Cluster, and visitors are warmly welcomed by Father Appah and the parish community at the Sunday 8:30 AM Mass. The cluster's Facebook page keeps parishioners and visitors current with announcements, schedules, and parish news.
- Physical Address: 16661 Wise Street, St. Paul, VA 24283-0056
- Mailing Address: PO Box 56, St. Paul, VA 24283-0056
- Telephone: (276) 889-1690
- Email: [email protected]
- Cluster Facebook: facebook.com/profile.php?id=100078972283533
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Rev. Robert Berson1954-1955
First resident pastor of St. Therese as an independent parish; previously a Glenmary pastor at St. Anthony, Norton.
- Rev. Roland "Rollie" Hautz1955-
Glenmary priest; St. Therese's first permanent resident priest. Also ministered to the Catholic communities in Lebanon, Dungannon, and Hunter Valley. Converted the church basement into a recreation hall for youth.
- Rev. Dave Glockner1970s (Glenmary era)
Instrumental in 1977 in arranging for the Sisters of St. Joseph to serve in the Dante area.
- Rev. Robert Krenik2003-
Assigned as the first cluster priest for St. Mary, St. Therese, and Good Shepherd, creating the three-parish configuration.
- Rev. Mike Herbertafter 2003
Asked parishioners to choose a cluster name; "Spirit of the Mountain" was the result.