Sacred Heart, Chester

418 - 4th St., Chester, WV 26034

363 Indiana Ave., Chester, WV 26034

Located at the tip of the northern panhandle, Sacred Heart, Chester, was the first church established in Hancock County. Catholics helped to settle Chester late in the nineteenth century. In 1902, they petitioned Bishop Patrick Donahue for a parish. The Bishop sent Rev. William Sauer and the community's first Mass was celebrated on December 21, 1902. Rev. Sauer served as pastor until his death in 1946. Among the most beautiful churches in the state, this gothic-style stone church, built in 1925, is distinguished by seven flying buttresses on each side, a red tile roof and massive stone bell tower with steeple, and a stately interior. Sacred Heart Center was built in 1969 to serve as a multi-purpose center. A new rectory was completed in 1983.