Holy Rosary Catholic Church

The Holy Rosary Catholic Church, located in Clarksburg, West Virginia, was established in 1906 to meet the needs of the Slovaks, Poles, Crotians and Slovenians.(2) The parish also included many Hungarians and Greek Rites. The church was needed at a time when Slovak immigrants came to America in large numbers, and many settled in West Virginia where the Consolidated Coal Company had vast holdings and job opportunities.(4)

History

In 1906, the vocal and growing Slovak community requested Bishop Patrick J Donahue for permission to build a national Slovak parish.(4) C. F. Zaruba made the suggestion to Ambrose Karliak, who along with Stephen Vojusak and Charles Gavelda, raised funding for the church’s construction.(2) The Slovak church was the only one of its type and had no defined parish limits due to its specific targeted demographic. Worshippers would travel upwards of 50 miles or more to attend.

The first Mass was held at 603 East Pike Street by Rev. Melchior Furst, the first pastor.(2) After a few weeks, in June 1906, the Mass was moved to Centennial Hall. The congregation then purchased two lots, and services were held in two old houses which had been remodeled into makeshift halls. Soon after, a basement was completed for the future church. To the east of the church was the rectory, noted as being one of the oldest houses in Clarksburg.

The church construction was completed on September 30, 1909, when the cornerstone was laid.(1) By 1913, the congregation numbered 1,500.(2)

A new Holy Rosary parish was formed in 1924 and dedicated on July 26, 1925 by Bishop John J. Swint.(4) The Holy Rosary Catholic Church closed in 1984 and was merged into the Immaculate Conception parish of Clarksburg and the Sacred Heart parish of Chester (3) due to a shortage of priests.(4)

Sources

  1. Cornerstone
  2. “The Diocese of Wheeling.” The Catholic Church in the United States of America. Vol. 3. New York: Catholic Editing Company, 1914. 181-182. Print.
  3. “Immaculate Conception Parish (1864) .” Parish Directory. Diocese of Wheeling – Charleston, 25 Mar. 2010. Web. 24 Nov. 2010. List.
  4. Rutkowski, Ryan. “Sacred Places.” Catholic West Virginia. Charleston: Arcadia, 2010. 31. Print.

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