Semi-Centennial History of West Virginia, by James Callahan, 1913
Church Devlopment - THE CATHOLIC CHURCH

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From the Semi-Centennial History of West Virginia, by James Callahan, 1913.
pg. 536-538

THE CATHOLIC CHURCH
By Rev. Father Edward E. Weber, Chancellor of the Diocese.

The Diocese of Wheeling comprises the State of West Virginia ex-
cept the following counties, which are in the Diocese of Richmond:
Pendleton, Grant, Mineral, Hardy, Hampshire, Morgan, Berkeley and
Jefferson. It also includes the following counties of Virginia: Lee, Scott,
Wise, Dickinson, Buchanan, Washington, Russell, Grayson, Smyth, Taze-
well, Carroll, Wythe, Bland, Floyd, Pulaski, Montgomery, Giles, and a
portion of Craig. In territory it comprises a total of 29,172 square
miles of which 21,265 are in West Virginia, and 7,817 are in Virginia.

The Diocese was formed from the Diocese of Richmond by Apostolic
letters dated 23 July, 1860. The Rt. Rev. Richard Whelan, D. D., at that
time Bishop of Richmond was transferred to Wheeling as the first bishop
of the newly-created see. He had been consecrated the second Bishop
of Richmond, 21 March, 1841. The earliest record preserved in the Wheel-
ing Chancery sets forth that Rev. Francis Rolf was appointed pastor of
Wheeling in 1829. He records a baptism performed by him on 3 Novem-
ber, 1828. There is evidence of a priest having visited Wheeling at an
earlier date. Wheeling was established as a town in 1796, and one vague
tradition has it that it took its name from a certain Father Whelan, a
Catholic priest, who came occasionally to minister to the spiritual wants
of the members of his flock. The western part of Virginia, which in 1863
became the State of West Virginia, had never many Catholics settlers,
nor does it appear to have had many professing any religion. In 1912
the Catholic population was estimated at about 60,000 and the total
population at 1,000,000. A letter preserved in the archives of the Diocese
of Wheeling dated Baltimore, 13 April, 1832 and signed James Whitefield,
Archbishop of Baltimore, states the inability of securing a priest to be
stationed at Wheeling, but the letter goes on: "I desired the priest who
attends a congregation, on the way to Wheeling, about 40 miles on this
side (Brownsville it I remember), to go and give Church once or twice
a month.—He seems to say that he would comply, as tar as he could, with
my wish".

From Feb., 1833, to Jan., 1844, Rev James Hoerner was in charge of the
Catholics in the Wheeling district. He was succeeded by Rev. Eugene
Comeford, who was in Wheling till the arrival of Rt. Rev. Richard Whelan,
Bishop of Richmond, in Nov., 1846. The bishop took charge of the mission-
ary work in the Wheeling portion of the Richmond See till he was trans-
ferred as the first Bishop of the new Diocese of Wheeling. The zeal of
Bishop Whelan in labouring under the most difficult and trying circum-
stances for a period of twenty-tour years is still remembered by many of
the faithful, and often referred to as a striking example of genuine saintly
piety. He did much manual labor in addition to the other duties of his epis-
copal office. The present Wheeling cathedral was planned by him, and built
under his supervision. He was architect and supervisor, and did much
of the actual work in building the edifice. He also established a sem-
inary of which he took personal charge, and some of the priests who
were educated by him are still labouring in the Diocese. St. Vincent's
College for laymen was also instituted under his auspices. Bishop
Whelan had among his self-sacrificing clergy one especially conspicuous
tor his saintly life, the late Very Rev. H. F. Parke, V. G. This servant
of God met a tragic death by being crushed under the ruina of a falling
building 9 April, 1896. Bishop Whelan (d. 7 July, 1874) was succeeded
by the Rt. Rev. John Joseph Kain, D. D., who was consecrated the second
Bishop of Wheeling 23 May 1876. In 1893 Bishop Kain was appointed
coadjutor to the Archbishop of St. Louis, Missouri, and became arch-
bishop of that see, 21 May, 1896. He died on 13 Oct., 1903. During the
eighteen years of Bishop Kain's administration, the work, so well begun
by hia able predecessor, was continued and made rapid progress. He
was consecrated at the age of thirty-four and devoted his talents and
energy to the increase of clergy, the establishing of new missions, and
the building of churches and parochial schools, so that, at the time of
his transfer, the diocese was well established although it was still greatly
in need of priests, about thirty-five of whom covered an area of 29,172
square miles. The Catholics were much scattered and there were but
few points at which the necessary support of a pastor could be obtained.

Rt. Rev. P. J. Donahue, D. D., was consecrated the third Bishop of
Wheeling, 8 April, 1894. At the time of his appointment he was rector
of the cathedral at Baltimore. During the nineteen years of Bishop
Donahue's administration the number of clergy has been doubled, many
new missions established, and the following institutes founded in the
diocese: Home of the Good Shepherd, situated near Wheeling, where
two hundred wayward and homeless girls are provided for—the sisters
in charge conduct a large laundry and sewing school; The Manual Train-
ing School, near Elm Grove, W. Va. six miles east of Wheeling conducted
by the Xaverian Brothers, and St. Edward's Preparatory College, Hunt-
ington, W. Va., in charge of the secular clergy of the diocese, of which
the Rev. John W. Werninger is the first president. Besides these institu-
tions two large additions have been built to the Wheeling Hospital, and
a new orphanage for boys at Elm Grove, W. Va. a large addition to St.
Vincent's Home Elm Grove, W. Va. and St. Joseph's Hospital at Parkers-
burg, W. Va., and St. Marys Hospital at Clarksburg, W. Va., have been
erected. Prior to 1895 there was one religious order of priests, the Cap-
uchin Fathers, and three religious orders of women, the Sisters of St.
Joseph, Visitation Sisters, and the Sisters of Divine Providence, Pitts-
burg. Since then, the Marist and the Benedictine Fathers have been
introduced as also the Good Shepherd Sisters, Sisters of St. Francis,
the Felician Sisters, Sisters of the Pious Society of Missions, Carmelite
Nuns and the Sisters of Divine Providence of Kentucky. There are
academies for girls at Mt. de Chantal (near Wheeling), Parkersburg
Wytheville, Wheeling, and Clarksburg. There is a Catholic high school
at Wheeling and there are 16 parochial schools in the diocese.