St. Francis Xavier Catholic Church: a Parkersburg Presence for Over 100 Years

A Catholic church, which grew from an influx of immigrants, has had a presence in downtown Parkersburg for 175

By Paul LaPann

Sitting on a knoll above the 500 block of Market Street, the first church for the growing Catholic community of Parkersburg (Wood County) was constructed in 1850 with Father Robert J. Lawrence as pastor. The property was purchased by Richard Whelan, the bishop of Richmond, VA, and the small brick church would become St. Mary’s Church.

Three construction projects—the Northwestern Turnpike (U.S. 50), Staunton Turnpike (Route 47) and completion of the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad line to Parkersburg in 1857—brought immigrants, many of them Irish-Catholics, to the Parkersburg area. This early downtown Catholic parish stretched its mission reach as far south as Charleston and Cabell County, north to Pleasants County and east to Doddridge County. Parkersburg priests provided the sacraments to immigrants living in missions, or stations, along the railroad line.

The Catholic population in the Parkersburg area continued to grow with the discovery of oil at nearby Burning Springs (Wirt County) and construction of a railroad bridge across the Ohio River. This economic boon was made possible by immigrant workers. The Parkersburg parish had grown from about 12 families in 1850 to 303 people by the summer of 1858.

A new church, St. Francis Xavier Catholic Church, was completed and dedicated in 1870 on the site of the first Catholic church, at 532 Market St., at a cost of about $60,000.

Some of the bricks, lumber and furnishings (including an altar) from the 1850 church were used in the construction of St. Francis Xavier Church, beginning in 1869.

Construction began after the Civil War in 1866 but was halted because of an inability to obtain building materials such as lumber, glass, and lead—and money was tight, according to parish historian Roger Nedeff. “Everybody was rebuilding after the Civil War,” Nedeff said. “Their situation was similar to what we experienced after the Covid-19 Pandemic.”

Patrick C. Keely of New York City, a renowned Catholic architect of the time, was hired to build “a towering building in the center of a mostly non-Catholic town that would soar to the heavens—an imposing Catholic monument,” Nedeff said. The congregation, led by Father Henry Parke, wanted a building/church that would foster reflection and wonder and lift their hearts and minds to God, Nedeff said.

Keely used the Romanesque style of architecture in designing St. Francis Xavier Church. The church is recognized for its trompe-l’œil (“deceive the eye” in French) style of paintings that give the religious artwork a three-dimensional look. The religious figures look like statues in the paintings done by German artist Daniel Muller, who lived in New York City and had worked with Keely on other projects.

Murals behind the altar are scenes from the life of Christ. There also are paintings of parish patron saint Francis Xavier, the Blessed Virgin Mary and the 12 apostles. Religious statues made of natural materials complement the paintings.

The 14 Stations of the Cross are painted on copper plates, which were affixed to the church walls in 1930. Three bells ring from the 100-foot-tall bell tower, which is topped with a dome and cross.

The seven murals were used to teach Bible stories to the immigrants who joined the church in the 1800s and early 1900s, Nedeff said. St. Francis Xavier Church was never split among ethnic lines and as such was the only Catholic Church in Parkersburg at one time. The Irish immigrants to the Parkersburg area who joined the Catholic church were followed by German, Polish, Italian, Syrian/Lebanese and other immigrants.

“St. Francis Xavier Church has been a diverse, inclusive parish,” said Nedeff, whose father, Mose, immigrated to Parkersburg from Syria. Father John Rice, pastor since 2013, describes St. Francis Xavier Church as an “immigrants church,” built and attended by the immigrants who settled in the area.

Rice believes the church’s artwork is powerful but not overwhelming or a distraction. The murals “help us to focus on the life of Christ,” he said. The art complements the architecture. The series of religious scenes are regarded among the most significant works of ecclesiastical art in West Virginia, according to the West Virginia Department of Arts, Culture & History.

A barge carrying nitroglycerin exploded on the nearby Little Kanawha River in 1895, shattering the church’s skylight and side stained-glass windows. The congregation raised money to pay for replacements.

St. Francis Xavier Church is the oldest church in Parkersburg, the second oldest church building still being used by a congregation in Wood County, and the third oldest Catholic church building still being used by a parish in West Virginia, according to historians. St. Francis Xavier Church was named to the National Register of Historic Places in 1978.

Along with being steeped in history, St. Francis Xavier Church provides social services that address the needs of modern times.

Lunch is served restaurant style for anyone on Wednesdays in the Parish Center at 609 Market St. The downtown church operates a food pantry four days a week where the homeless can pick up a bag of  non-perishable food items and personal hygiene products, provided by the parishioners. Church dinners are open to the community. “We strive to reach out” to the community, said Rice, who was named vicar general and moderator of the curia of the Diocese of Wheeling-Charleston in 2024.

The church helps those who face the discontinuation of their utilities and pays for some prescriptions. The Gabriel Project of West Virginia maintains a site at St. Francis Xavier Parish Center, providing cribs, car seats, strollers, high chairs, diapers, formula, clothing, and other items at no or low cost to pregnant women and families with infants and young children. Parishioners support this project with donations of money and supplies. 

St. Francis Xavier Church is open daily from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., with daily Masses, as well as two Masses on Sunday, and one Mass on Saturday. People visit for individual prayer or just to admire the beautiful architecture and art. Street people find warmth and comfort in the downtown church during the day.

In the early years, the parish had a St. Vincent de Paul Society that provided food, coal and medicine to the poor. Because of its proximity to the B &O Railroad line, the church became a stop for hoboes who rode the trains in the 1930s, Nedeff noted. “They could count on a meal or a few dollars to get them to their next stop,” he said.

St. Francis Xavier Church established a “Wall of Fame” in the Parish Center to honor the men and women of the parish “who dedicated their lives in service to God and His Church.” Among the honorees are Father George Nedeff, former wrestling coach and director of athletic facilities at West Virginia University who was ordained as a Catholic priest in 2007 and served in Texas and West Virginia Catholic churches for many years, and Monsignor P. Edward Sadie, who was recognized for his commitment to improving educational opportunities for children of all faiths, was a former pastor and rector of the Basilica of the Co-Cathedral of the Sacred Heart in Charleston, and former director of Charleston Catholic schools.

St. Francis Xavier Church strives to create a path to God through truth, beauty and goodness, Rice said. The homily and classes bring the truth; the beauty is displayed in the architecture, paintings, statues, and music; and the goodness is exhibited by the assistance provided to “our fellow man,” Rice said.

Closely associated with St. Francis Xavier Church over the years were a parish grade school, St. Joseph’s Hospital (originally run by the Sisters of St. Joseph of Wheeling), St. Joseph Preparatory Seminary, DeSales Heights (a Sister of the Visitation school and convent), and the Sisters of the Poor Child Jesus, who taught in the parish school. The Sisters of St. Joseph of Wheeling also provided instruction in the St. Francis Xavier parish school. Today, a Catholic education is provided at Parkersburg Catholic High School and Parkersburg Catholic Elementary School, with Rice serving as school system pastor. The Parish School of Religion also offers classes for children.

Don and Sally McDonie of Parkersburg have been parishioners at St. Francis Xavier Church since 1958. Don, 90, and his wife, Sally, 89, volunteer in the church’s outreach programs. The McDonies participate in a program that brings Communion to the homebound and those in nursing homes and hospitals. They also teach adults who want to become Catholics.

“The congregation, history, church’s beauty, and outreach programs make St. Francis Xavier Church special,” Sally said. “The parish does so much outreach. It is a giving church,” she said.

The beauty of St. Francis Xavier Church is not lost on Sally after visiting churches and other places around the world. When she returned to St. Francis Xavier Church from a trip, Sally noted, “I’m home.”

Don said he “feels the presence of God” at St. Francis Xavier Church.