A Chronology of the Pastors, 1830-1980,
of St. Peter's Catholic Church, Harpers Ferry

• Rev. John Gildea, 1828-1834 (died on February 18, 1845). Rev. Gildea is credited with organizing construction of the first Church building in 1830-1833.
  
  
• Rev. Richard V. Whelan, 1834-1841 (born January 28, 1809 and died July 7, 1874).
  
  
• Rev. John O'Brien, 1841-1844.
  
  
• Rev. Edward Fox, 1845.
  
  
• Rev. Joseph H. Plunkett, 1845-1850.
  
  
• Rev. Andrew Talty, 1850-1857.
  
  
• Rev. Michael A. Costello, 1857-1867 (born in 1833 in Ireland; died February 17, 1867 and buried at St. Peter's cemetery). Rev. Costello succeeded in protecting the Church and first school house from destruction during the Civil War. He died in 1867 of an illness, at age 34, just a couple years after the War ended.
  
  
• Rev. John J. Kain, 1867-1875 (born March 31, 1841 and died October 13, 1903).
  
  
• Rev. Augustine A. Van De Vyver, 1875-1881 (born December 1, 1844 and died October 16, 1911).
  
  
• Rev. James B. O'Reilly, 1881-1883.
  
  
• Rev. John L. Tiernan, 1883-1884.
  
  
• Rev. Thomas J. Wilson, 1884-1892. Rev. Wilson is credited with raising most of the funds for the 1896 renovation of the Church and for the 1886 construction of the second school house, located on Shenandoah Street.
  
  
• Rev. Michael Dinneen, 1892-1894.
  
  
• Rev. Lawrence J. Kelly, 1894-1898. Rev. Kelly supervised the 1896 renovation project, utilizing funds raised by the efforts of Rev. Wilson, Rev. Dinneen and himself. Rev. O'Farrell of Petersburg, Virginia, visited St. Peter's and conducted the last mass in the original 1833 Church building on July 2, 1896. Bishop Van De Vyver officiated at the dedication of the new Church building the next year.
  
  
• Rev. Edward J. Walsh, 1898-1899.
  
  
• Rev. John J. Massey, 1899-1902.
  
  
• Rev. James E. Collins, 1902-1910 (died in 1912).
  
  
• Rev. John W. Lynch, 1910-1912 (born in the area).
  
  
• Rev. F. Joseph Magri, 1911-1912 (serving temporarily).
  
  
• Rev. T. Bernard Martin, 1912-1913 (serving temporarily).
  
  
• Rev. James Gilsenan, 1913-1914.
  
  
• Rev. John A. Curran, 1914-1930 (born in the area).
  
  
• Rev. Edward V. Mullarkey, 1930-1931.
  
  
• Rev. Michael Cannon, 1932-1937.
  
  
• Rev. Thomas C. Healy, 1938-1949.
  
  
• Rev. John C. Ryan, 1949-1967.
  
  
• Rev. Cletus Gillson, 1967.
  
  
• Rev. Lambert Stack, 1967-1980.
  
  
• Rev. John J. O'Connell, 1980.
  
  
• Rev. Vincent Campi, 1983-1995.
  
  
• Rev. Bert Voldes, 1995-1996.
  
  
• Rev. James Chetock, 1997.
  
  
• Rev. Brian Owens, 1998-present.
  

• Rev. John Dubois, D.D., Bishop of New York (born August 24, 1764 and died December 20, 1842).
  
  
• Rev. James Whitefield, Archbishop of Baltimore, attended the consecration services for the Church in May, 1833.
  
  
• Rev. Richard V. Whelan, D.D., Bishop of Richmond, Virginia (1841-1850) and Bishop of Wheeling, West Virginia (1850-1874).
  
  
• Rev. Thomas A. Becker, D.D., Bishop of Wilmington, Delaware and Bishop of Savanah, Georgia (born December 20, 1832 and died July 29, 1899).
  
  
• Rev. John J. Kain, D.D., Bishop of Wheeling (1875) and Archbishop of St. Louis, Missouri.
  
  
• Rev. Augustine Van De Vyver, D.D., Bishop of Richmond (1889-1911).
  
  
• Rev. Michael J. Keyes, D.D., Bishop of Savanah (born February 28, 1876).
  
  
• Rev. Joseph H. Hodges, D.D., Bishop of Wheeling-Charleston, West Virginia (born in Harpers Ferry).
  

• Church's Centennial, article in the Farmers Advocate, October 18, 1930, p. 1, col. 5. Copies of newspapers are available on microfilm at the Harpers Ferry National Historical Park Archives.
  
  
• History of St. Peter's Church, Harpers Ferry, West Virginia, and Missions, Centenary 1830-1930, by Rev. F. Joseph Magri and Walter Dittmeyer. Copy available from Harpers Ferry National Historical Park Archive, Doc. No. HFB-3.
  
  
• Saint Peter's Roman Catholic Church, 1830-1980. Printed for 150th Anniversary of the Church. Copy available from Harpers Ferry National Historical Park Archives, Doc. No. HFB-458.
  
  
• Virginia Free Press, May 12, 1833, p. 3, col. 6. Copies of newspapers are available on microfilm at the Harpers Ferry National Historical Park Archives.
  
  
• Personal Communication, Charles G. Butera, St. Peter's Rectory, June, 2000.
  

© 2000 Copyright and All Rights Reserved
by Christopher Fennell
Last Modified: December 14, 2007