BLUEFIELD, W. Va. -A local congregation is celebrating a century of worship in their ornate church building, with a high-ranking special guest scheduled to join them.
More than one hundred years ago, immigrants moving into Bluefield West Virginia started the first Roman Catholic church in Bluefield, West Virginia. However, the growing population of the city meant they soon needed to grow the building as well.
Spearheaded by the church’s priest at the time, Father Olivier, they built the Sacred Heart Catholic Church building in a medieval Spanish Gothic design, using local sandstone for its construction.
“Well, this area was built by immigrants. A lot of Irish, Italian, Hungarian, and they were Catholic, and it grew so quickly, they outgrew the smaller church, so when you’ve got a large Catholic population, you’ve got have the church that meets the needs, and this does it,” says Theresa Bales, a lector for the Sacred Heart Catholic Church.
They built the building on Wyoming Street, placing the cornerstone in 1924, one hundred years ago this year.
To celebrate this big milestone, they opened their doors to the community, inviting them in for tours Saturday.
The celebration will also continue Sunday with a special mass and dinner and a special guest: Bishop Mark Brennan, the Diocese of Wheeling–Charleston.
“Well, we have to celebrate the beauty of this building. It’s just an amazing building. The masses are gorgeous… tomorrow’s mass is going to be amazing. The bishop is coming, big celebration and dinner afterwards. We had to celebrate one hundred years of the most beautiful building in Bluefield,” says Bales.
This mass will be held at 4:00 pm Sunday with dinner following at Fincastle. Bales encourages those looking for a church to consider coming to Sacred Heart Catholic, calling it an active church that’s there for anyone who needs them.
Copyright 2024 WVVA. All rights reserved.