St. Therese Catholic Church
Mailing Address: PO Box 56
St. Paul, VA 24283-0056
E-mail: [email protected]
Sunday Mass: 8:30 AM
ST. THERESE’S HISTORY
Although St. Therese Catholic Church in St. Paul, VA, did not officially become a parish until August 12, 1951, Glenmary Home Missioners pastors and assistants from St. Anthony Catholic Church in nearby Norton began coming to St. Paul in 1946 to celebrate Mass with a small group of believers at the local “Lion’s Den” clubhouse.
According to records provided by Glenmary Home Missioners Father Joseph Dean served as pastor of St. Anthony Church in Norton from 1946-1950; Father Robert Berson was the St. Anthony pastor 1955-1960. Father Roland Hautz was an assistant pastor at St. Anthony’s 1953-1955. These were among those serving St. Therese…
The Most Reverend Thomas J. McDonnell, D.D., Coadjutor of the Wheeling Diocese, was celebrant at the dedication program on August 12, 1951. In 1955, Father Roland Hautz replaced Father Berson as pastor and Father “Rollie” became St. Therese’s first permanent resident priest. He converted the basement of the church into a “recreation hall” where meetings could be held and teenagers could have chaperoned sock hops and dances, games and a general place to meet on Saturday nights. When Father Hautz was reassigned, those serving the parish were Fathers Dennis Holly, Francis Wuest, Bob Dalton and John Raush together, Dave Glockner, Bob Rademacher, and Tom Charters, the last Glenmary Missioner priest.
In 1977 Father Dave was instrumental in arranging for the presence of the Sisters of St. Joseph in the area. Some memorable mentions were Sisters Mary Keane, Loretta Scully, and Martha Sirois, later known as the “Dante Damsels.”
St. Therese had been a part of the Wheeling Diocese, but after the Region IV Bishops Conference in Maryland, in 1974, the parish was transferred to the Richmond Diocese along with all counties in Southwest Virginia. In 1994, Glenmary Home Missioners returned the satellite parish of St. Theresa to the Diocese of Richmond’s Bishop Walter Sullivan.
The memorial plaque honoring deceased members of the church was dedicated at the 50th anniversary of the church in October 2004. It is maintained to this day.
Most of the above information was gained from the historical writings of long-time parishioner Pauline Molinary.
