We are blessed in the Diocese of Wheeling-Charleston with countless parishioners who share their musical talents each week at Mass. Since we are in the midst of a pandemic their voices and instruments have nearly been silenced. However, more than 40 faithful from around the state believe that when you are given a gift from God you know you need to share that gift no matter what. They collaborated with Bishop Mark Brennan to “sing and make music from the heart to the Lord (Ephesians 5:19).”

This gift of song was presented as a Christmas message video to all the

“There’s an old saying, ‘If you want to make God laugh, tell him your plans,’” Jason Miller said. “That’s pretty much what’s happened to me, as God said back, ‘You know that’s not your plan.’”

Miller has lived in Weirton all his life. He is the eldest of Harold and Christine Miller’s three children. As a child he attended St. Joseph the Worker Parish. He graduated from Madonna High School and soon after went to work in the steel industry. In fact, Miller owned his own steel company, but when the industry hit one too many roadblocks, he ended up

Janet Davis grew up in a loving, patriotic, and devout Catholic family. She was one of nine children. Her father worked as a civilian aviation mechanic for the fighter squadrons at Mitchel Air Force Base, Long Island, New York.

Her and her siblings attended Catholic school, where empathy and charitable giving was a great focus. She knew the value of hard work, loyalty, and responsibility. As a young girl, she’d enjoyed the times when she would fill in for her brother’s newspaper delivery route. She fondly recalls pedaling her bike up and down the streets of the base tossing the

Sitting in the courtyard of the St. Joseph Cathedral in downtown Wheeling, appropriately near the statue of St. Joseph our patron saint of fathers, Mark Witzberger, shared how each one of us is called to put our faith in action.

Witzberger and his wife Barbara are the parents of two grown children, Melissa and Jason. He grew up in Immaculate Conception-St. Mary’s Parish in South Wheeling, attended St. Mary’s Grade School, Our Lady of Peace Grade School, and graduated from Bishop Donahue. It is obvious he cherishes his faith, which is not only visible by his unassuming reverent presence at

His love for Christ and his mission to evangelize is not only genuine, but unbelievably impressive. You would never know it by Fr. Joseph Konikattil’s humble nature and gentlemanly presence, but he is anything but ordinary.

As an Indian priest serving in the Diocese of Wheeling-Charleston, you can assume his background is interesting, but that might be the understatement of the decade. Unless you have the opportunity to sit down and ask him about his experiences that ultimately lead him here you may not fully appreciate his wisdom or enthusiasm.

Fr. Joseph Konikattil

Clarksburg Couple Shares Parish Involvement Keeps Them Lively at 92  

He knew he was no comparison to aviation legend Chuck Yeager, but it was almost as if Jobey Spatafore was trying to break the sound barrier on foot back in summer of 1947, as he raced to catch the 11:30 p.m. bus back to Clarksburg. 

Panting and his heart pounding, he made it to the bus stop, but only to watch the motor coach’s taillights in the distance. Spatafore ended up

Donald Swearingen spent much of the last decade finding reasons why not to become Catholic.
He is a self-proclaimed history nerd, who has always been intrigued by the formation of the Church, and ancient times. It was that passion which lead to a calling he often questioned but could not ignore.
Last summer he signed up for Right of Christian Initiation (RCIA) classes at the Cathedral of St. Joseph in Wheeling.

“I kept running away from the idea of becoming Catholic, but something kept pulling me back,” Swearingen said.
The road to his conversion story has had its twists, turns, and even drop

Before mid-March, she had only used the sewing machine four times. Today it is rarely turned off.
Jeanette Monteith of Falling Waters in Berkeley County has made more than 2,000 masks in response to the COVID-19 health and safety measures, donating more than half.

“I had been following the pandemic in China on the news since December, and then became more concerned when it quickly made its way to Italy,” Monteith said. “Hearing that medical staff there were reporting a shortage of personal protective equipment, I wanted to act and do something before it hit us; but what? Then once I

He was a bit disheveled, wearing stained clothing, but surprisingly tidy. He spoke in a gentle voice – one that gave her great calm and enough encouragement to put mercy in motion.

“He opened my eyes,” Monica Cressin of St. Leo Catholic Church in Inwood said of Scott Fox, the first person she’d met in “tent city” – a secluded area occupied by homeless families and individuals in the Martinsburg area. She had gone to the South Berkeley spot with an acquaintance, who was filming a documentary on homelessness in America.

“When I went out to the site it was dark,”

“I keep focus on my church and God,” Tony said. “The mission of Christ is always working through the highs and lows in life….