About St. Thomas Catholic Church · Gassaway, West Virginia
St. Thomas Catholic Church is a small parish of the Diocese of Wheeling–Charleston serving the towns of Gassaway and the surrounding Braxton County in central West Virginia. The parish is staffed by priests of the Society of the Divine Word (SVD) and is well known locally for its extensive food pantry and backpack programs. From its stone church on Kanawha Street, St. Thomas also ministers to the Risen Lord Mission at Maysel in Clay County, and worships in the Roman (Latin) rite in English.
- Established
- 1906 (church built); 1908 (established as mission); 1973 (raised to parish status)
- Patron
- St. Thomas the Apostle
- Rector
- Rev. Dominic Huynh Pham, S.V.D.
- Diocese
- Diocese of Wheeling–Charleston (Roman Catholic)
Why belong here
St. Thomas is a small but extraordinarily active parish that has been a faithful Catholic presence in Gassaway for more than a century, surviving the closing of the railroads, the Depression, and nearly closing itself. Today its Divine Word priests maintain a rich sacramental life — daily Mass, Eucharistic Adoration on Tuesdays, the Holy Rosary on Sundays, Stations of the Cross in Lent, and a robust OCIA process — while feeding roughly 100–140 families a month through its food pantry and packing weekend backpacks for schoolchildren. Anyone seeking a parish where the Eucharist is central, the corporal works of mercy are lived every week, and visitors are warmly welcomed would feel right at home at St. Thomas.
Mass times at St. Thomas Catholic Church
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- 30 minutes before or after Mass
- Other times by appointment
Adoration times
- Eucharistic Adoration – Tuesdays, 5:00 PM
About St. Thomas Parish, Gassaway
We, the people of St. Thomas Parish in Braxton County, West Virginia, have an ardent desire to see the Spirit of Jesus alive in our lives by conscientiously following our Catholic beliefs. Our commitment to this desire will be realized through prayer, love, respect, and caring for one another involving everyone in the parish: the youth, the elderly, the sick, the homebound, as well as those whom we meet every day. We would like to extend an invitation to you to come and join our worship and be a part of our faith community in giving praise to God. The parish belongs to the Diocese of Wheeling–Charleston and is staffed by priests of the Society of the Divine Word (SVD).
- Diocese: Diocese of Wheeling–Charleston
- Rite: Roman (Latin)
- Language: English
- Staffed by: Society of the Divine Word (SVD) missionaries
History of St. Thomas Church and Parish
The church was built in 1906 by Richard C. Kerens in memory of his father Thomas Kerens, in partnership with Senator Henry Gassaway Davis. Italian stonemasons and carpenters working on the local railroads built it of locally quarried sandstone with an original cherry-wood interior for about $30,000. The parish was canonically established as a mission of Richwood, WV, in 1908 under Bishop Patrick James Donahue, and was formally dedicated in June 1909 with Cardinal Gibbons and Archbishops Ireland and Glennon expected for the ceremony. The Marist Fathers from Richwood shepherded the mission for 65 years, until November 1973.
- 1906 — Church constructed; oldest church building in Gassaway
- 1908 — St. Thomas established as a mission of Richwood, WV, by the Diocese of Wheeling
- 1909 — Formal dedication of the church; large gathering of Catholics and non-Catholics from Elkins, Charleston, and along the Coal and Coke Railroad
- 1908 – 1973 — Served by Marist Fathers from Richwood
- October 1973 — Fr. Ken Reed, SVD, and Fr. Ed Daschbach, SVD, arrive as the parish's first resident priests, living on Elk Street
- 1973 — St. Thomas raised from mission to parish status; Rev. Kenneth Reed, SVD, named first pastor
Architecture and the Church Building
Designed by the architectural firm Harding and Upman in 1906, St. Thomas is a cruciform church built of rock-faced local sandstone laid in alternating broad and narrow courses and roofed in red tile. A polygonal apse with battlemented walls, large pointed transept windows with wooden tracery, and a bell cote above the façade give the small building its distinctive character. A façade plaque records that it was 'erected by R. C. Kerens in memory of his parents.' The largely original interior is finished in polished solid cherry, giving it a particularly rich, rosy ambience.
- Architect: Harding and Upman (1906)
- Exterior: locally quarried, rock-faced sandstone, alternating broad and narrow courses
- Roof: red tile
- Plan: cruciform with polygonal apse and battlemented walls
- Windows: large pointed transept windows with wooden tracery
- Bell cote above the façade
- Interior: original solid cherry woodwork
Devotions and Other Liturgical Events
In addition to Sunday and weekday Mass, the parish gathers for Eucharistic Adoration on Tuesdays and prays the Holy Rosary together before the Sunday Mass. During Lent, Stations of the Cross are prayed on Friday evenings. Bible Study is offered on the first three Wednesdays of each month after the 5:00 PM Mass.
- Eucharistic Adoration — Tuesdays, 5:00 PM
- Holy Rosary — Sundays, 10:30 AM
- Stations of the Cross — Fridays of Lent, 6:00 PM
- Bible Study — 1st, 2nd, and 3rd Wednesdays after 5:00 PM Mass
Faith Formation and Religious Education
Faith Formation at St. Thomas seeks to build up the body of Christ through catechesis for children and adults alike. CCD classes are scheduled on Sundays from 9:45 AM to 10:45 AM. The parish also runs the Order of Christian Initiation of Adults (OCIA) for those exploring the Catholic faith, celebrated Sunday mornings from 9:30 to 10:45 AM, and offers a Bible Study on the first three Wednesdays after the 5:00 PM Mass. The program is directed by Mrs. Patricia McPherson, Director of Religious Education. Those interested in OCIA may contact Fr. Thien at (304) 364-5895, [email protected], or Dr. Mac Bailes at [email protected].
- Director of Religious Education: Mrs. Patricia McPherson ([email protected])
- CCD Class — Sundays 9:45 – 10:45 AM (dates TBA)
- OCIA (Order of Christian Initiation of Adults) — Sundays 9:30 – 10:45 AM
- Bible Study — 1st, 2nd, and 3rd Wednesdays after 5:00 PM Mass
- OCIA contacts: Fr. Thien at (304) 364-5895 / [email protected]; Dr. Mac Bailes at [email protected]
OCIA — Becoming Catholic
OCIA is the parish's process for preparing adults — whether unbaptized, baptized in another Christian denomination, or baptized Catholic but not yet confirmed or having received First Communion — for full initiation into the Catholic Church. Classes meet Sunday mornings from 9:30 to 10:45 AM.
- Class time: Sundays 9:30 – 10:45 AM
- For: adults interested in becoming Catholic, baptized Christians entering full communion, and uncatechized Catholics completing Sacraments of Confirmation and Eucharist
Food Pantry and Backpack Program
Inspired by Matthew 25:35-40 — 'For I was hungry and you gave me food…' — St. Thomas runs one of the largest and most consistent food-pantry ministries in central West Virginia. The parish operates Food Pantries and Backpack Programs at both St. Thomas in Gassaway and its mission church Risen Lord in Maysel (Clay County), and provides emergency financial help to families facing hardships such as cut-off utilities.
- St. Thomas Food Pantry (Gassaway) — 2nd Thursday, 9:00 AM – 12:00 PM; serves 100–140 families per month
- Risen Lord Food Pantry (Maysel) — 4th Thursday, 6:00 AM – 12:00 PM; serves 250–350 families per month
- Backpack Program (Burnsville Elementary) — weekly food bags for 30+ children
- Backpack Program (Clay Elementary) — weekly food bags for 300+ children
- Social Concern — emergency financial help (utilities, prescriptions, etc.); contact Fr. Thien Nguyen
- Donations: checks payable to 'Saint Thomas Food Pantry' or 'Risen Lord Food Pantry,' mailed to 624 Kanawha St., Gassaway, WV 26624
Risen Lord Mission, Maysel (Clay County)
St. Thomas Parish administers the Risen Lord Mission in Maysel, Clay County, West Virginia. Mass is celebrated at Risen Lord on Sundays at 8:30 AM, with additional Masses on Holy Days as announced in the bulletin. The mission also hosts the much larger of the parish's two food pantries and one of its backpack programs.
- Address: 67 Wallback Rd., Maysel, WV 25133
- Phone: (304) 587-4740
- Sunday Mass: 8:30 AM
- Holy Days: as announced in the bulletin
Former Parish: St. Michael, Burnsville
St. Michael, Burnsville, was a mission historically served by St. Thomas Parish. According to the parish website, it was suppressed on June 21, 1994.
- Location: Burnsville, Braxton County, WV
- Status: suppressed June 21, 1994
Visit, Contact and Giving
Parishioners and visitors are warmly welcomed. The parish office can be reached by phone during regular hours, and the pastor is available by appointment for Confession, Anointing of the Sick, marriage preparation, and pastoral counseling. Donations to the food pantry may be sent directly to the parish address.
- Address: 624 Kanawha St., Gassaway, WV 26624
- Phone: (304) 364-5895
- Email: [email protected]
- Website: http://stthomasgassaway.org/
- Risen Lord Mission: 67 Wallback Rd., Maysel, WV 25133 — (304) 587-4740
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Marist Fathers from Richwood, WV1908 – November 1973
First pastors to serve St. Thomas while it was a mission of Richwood; they served faithfully and with great sacrifice until November 1973.
- Rev. Kenneth (Ken) Reed, S.V.D.October 1973 – (first resident priest / first pastor)
Arrived with Fr. Edwin Daschbach as the first resident priests in Gassaway. Listed by the Diocese of Wheeling–Charleston as the first pastor when St. Thomas was raised from mission to parish status in 1973.
- Rev. Edwin (Ed) Daschbach, S.V.D.1973 – (first resident priest)
Came with Fr. Ken Reed from the Divine Word Missionaries; alternated weekly service between Gassaway and Webster County missions.
- Society of the Divine Word (SVD) priests1973 – present
The parish has been continuously staffed by Society of the Divine Word missionaries since 1973.