Church of St. Therese, the Catholic parish at 6262 Main Street in Gloucester Courthouse, serves Catholics across Gloucester County and the lower Middle Peninsula. Part of the Diocese of Richmond and named for St. Therese of Lisieux, the Little Flower, the parish is known locally for its warm welcome, its OCIA process for those becoming Catholic, active outreach to the hungry and homeless through the Bread for Life Community Food Pantry and the GUEST Day Shelter, and a long-running Haiti Twinning Ministry that supports a primary school in Los-Abeilles.
From a Theater Auditorium to a Gloucester Parish
The story of St. Therese begins not in a church building but in a movie theater. In 1930 the Catholic population of the Gloucester and Mathews area was tiny, and Sunday Mass meant a seventy-mile round trip to West Point. Beginning in the summer of 1937, Brown Farinholt, the Protestant owner of the Edge Hill Theatre in Gloucester, opened the auditorium of his theater for Mass each Sunday at no charge. More than forty people attended the first service, and attendance grew steadily through the summers of 1937 and 1938.
A building committee formed that same year, the Bishop of Richmond approved a plan, and a lot was purchased at Main Street and Route 666 in Gloucester Courthouse from the Chesapeake Securities Corporation. Funds came from local donations and pledges, a grant from the Catholic Extension Society, and an anonymous gift of about $2,500 from a woman who asked that the church bear the name of St. Therese of Lisieux. The cornerstone was laid in 1938, and on May 14, 1939, the Catholics of Gloucester, Mathews, and Middlesex gathered for the dedication of their own church. For the next twenty years the new building remained a mission of Our Lady of the Blessed Sacrament in West Point. On October 31, 1959, Bishop John J. Russell designated St. Therese a parish in its own right and invited the Oblates of St. Francis de Sales to provide a resident pastor. Father Edmond P. McCarthy, OSFS, arrived as the first pastor on that day, and the parish still carries the full name Church of St. Therese of the Child Jesus.
Mass Schedule and the Liturgical Week
Mass is celebrated on Saturdays at 5:00 PM and on Sundays at 8:00 AM and 10:30 AM. Daily Mass is offered Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday mornings at 9:00 AM and on Fridays at noon. The parish asks worshipers to check the weekly bulletin for any changes in weekday Mass times.
The Sunday experience includes Children's Liturgy of the Word during the 10:30 AM Mass for children seven and under, who are dismissed after the opening prayer to hear the readings in an age-appropriate space and return to the assembly after the homily. Gluten-free hosts are available at every Mass; those who need them are asked to tell the Mass Coordinator on arrival and indicate their need to the Eucharistic Minister in the center Communion line. The Arts and Environment committee transforms the sanctuary through the seasons of Advent, Christmas, Lent, and Easter, while the Music Ministry offers a choir that sings at one weekend liturgy each week and special music for Christmas and Easter.
Reconciliation and Eucharistic Adoration
The Sacrament of Penance is offered communally on the third Wednesday of each month from 6:15 to 6:45 PM. Confessions may also be arranged by appointment through the parish office. After the Wednesday morning Mass, Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament continues in the church until 3:00 PM, giving the parish a long midday window for silent prayer.
Forming Children and Youth
Children's Faith Formation runs from September through May for preschool through fifth grade. Elementary students meet Sundays from 9:15 to 10:15 AM, and children ages three to six gather during the 10:30 AM Mass for Breaking Open the Word. The curriculum is Christ In Us by Sadlier, a blended learning program found in conformity with the Catechism of the Catholic Church by the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops. Nadine McGrady coordinates registration and Virtus screening for catechists and assistants.
Youth Ministry brings together students in grades six through twelve on Sundays from 12:00 noon to 1:30 PM at the Youth Life Center. The program includes regular classes, social events such as the fall parish picnic games and the Theresian Craft Bazaar, an annual fall LOCK IN overnight, and a Trunk or Treat each October. Confirmation preparation follows the Diocese of Richmond's two-year format beginning in tenth grade and is coordinated through the Youth Ministry office under Linda Gregory. A playground on the parish grounds provides a place for younger children to play before and after class.
Adult Faith Formation, Bible Study, and OCIA
Adults have several ways to keep learning. Adult Sunday School meets once a month during the Sunday school hour, with the pastor offering a series of talks on topics in the Catholic faith. A Morning Bible Study gathers on Thursdays from 10:15 to 11:45 AM in the Meeting Room, working through Scripture in an informal setting and welcoming newcomers at any time. An Evening Bible Study meets the first and third Fridays of each month from 6:00 to 7:30 PM.
The Order of Christian Initiation of Adults (OCIA) is open to anyone curious about the Catholic faith, including those unbaptized, those baptized in another Christian tradition, and Catholics who have never been confirmed. A weekly study of the Gospels of John and Matthew is offered in conjunction with OCIA on Saturdays from 3:00 to 4:30 PM. The Men of Saint Joseph group meets periodically, and a Theater N Theology (TNT) evening uses film to explore how God meets people in everyday life.
Justice and Charity: Outreach Across Gloucester
The Justice and Charity Ministry organizes the parish's wider service to neighbors in need. Bread for Life Community Food Pantry, located at 7840 John Clayton Memorial Highway, distributes food on Mondays from 11:00 AM to 2:00 PM and Wednesdays from 1:00 PM to 4:00 PM; donations may be dropped in the shopping cart in the Social Hall. The Angel Tree program at Christmas partners with the Salvation Army to provide clothing and gifts for children living in poverty. A Migrant Ministry works with the Church of the Holy Family in Virginia Beach to fill stocking stuffers for children in migrant worker camps on the Eastern Shore.
Prison Ministry volunteers visit and lead a Bible study for female inmates, with Bibles and religious literature distributed throughout the year and seasonal collections of candy and greeting cards at Christmas and Easter. Through the Jubilee Churches of Gloucester coalition, the parish provides lunches, volunteers, and financial support to the GUEST Day Shelter, which is open Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday from 9:00 AM to 2:00 PM for those experiencing homelessness and offers shower and laundry facilities. Each Friday during Lent, Soup with Love serves meatless soups and bread from 11:30 AM to 1:00 PM to parishioners and the wider community.
Haiti Twinning Ministry
A signature mission of St. Therese is its twinning relationship with St. Joseph Elementary School in Los-Abeilles, in the Diocese of Hinche, Haiti. The Haiti Twinning Ministry provides financial and educational support for the students, teachers, and staff, including teacher salaries, school supplies, building repairs, and educational agricultural projects. A Brick Fundraising Campaign lets donors purchase engraved bricks that pay teacher salaries and beautify the parish grounds. Members of the parish Haiti committee coordinate fundraising and regular communication with the sister parish in Haiti.
Pastoral Care for the Homebound, Hospitalized, and Grieving
Pastoral Care Ministries visit parishioners who are homebound or hospitalized, bringing the Eucharist and companionship on a regular schedule. A trained mediator and peacemaker team offers assistance at the pastor's request. The Outreach to Inactive or Returning Catholics committee reaches out to those who have drifted from the parish, hoping to enrich their understanding of the Gospel and invite them back. Grief Share meets Sundays from 2:00 to 4:00 PM as a thirteen-week support program. Carefree Seniors gathers parishioners aged sixty and older on the third Wednesday of each month from 1:00 to 3:00 PM in the Social Hall. The parish Meal Train organizes meals for parishioners facing a new baby, illness, surgery, or bereavement.
Parish Organizations and Groups
St. Therese is home to the Father Edmund P. McCarthy Council #9428 of the Knights of Columbus, which gathers on the first and third Thursdays of each month for a 7:00 PM Rosary followed by a meeting, and sponsors a Lenten Fish Fry and a second-Sunday breakfast. A Ladies Auxiliary of the Knights of Columbus welcomes any wife, mother, sister, daughter, or widow of an active or deceased Knight over the age of eighteen. The Theresians is a women's fellowship that gathers for meals, Mass, funeral receptions, and fundraisers, meeting on the first Friday of most months. The Secular Order of Discalced Carmelites has a Community of Little Therese that meets the first Sunday of each month at St. Joan of Arc Church in York County for those drawn to contemplative prayer. Small Christian Communities are groups of eight to twelve parishioners who meet monthly in each other's homes for a meal and reflection on the Sunday readings. Prayer Shawl Ministry gathers in the Social Hall on Wednesdays from 1:00 to 3:00 PM for knitting, crocheting, and fellowship, and the parish also hosts a Tuesday night Bingo to bring neighbors together.
Music, Liturgical Ministries, and the Arts
The Music Ministry includes a choir that sings at one of the weekend liturgies each week and provides special music at Christmas and Easter, plus instrumentalists who accompany the choir on organ, piano, drum, trumpet, violin, guitar, or flute. Other liturgical roles include Altar Servers (open to children nine and older and adults), Extraordinary Ministers of the Eucharist (confirmed Catholics sixteen and older), Lectors, Ushers and Greeters, Mass Coordinators, and Sacristans. Training is provided for each role, and teen involvement is welcome.
Sacraments for Every Stage of Life
Baptism is offered through the pastor; older children and teens who have not been baptized or who are coming from another tradition participate in a specially designed OCIA process. First Reconciliation and First Eucharist preparation begins in second grade and is family-based, with the family as the primary educator of the faith. Confirmation follows the Diocese of Richmond's two-year program for youth starting in tenth grade, while adults enter through OCIA. Couples preparing for marriage meet with the parish priest at least six months in advance. The Sacrament of the Anointing of the Sick is available for those facing serious illness, surgery, or the weakness of advanced age by contacting the parish office. Those exploring a vocation to priesthood or religious life are invited to speak with the pastor.
Leadership and Pastoral Staff
The parish is served by Father Venancio R. Balarote as pastor, with Deacon Jose' Melendez assisting. Nadine McGrady coordinates Religious Education for children and adults, Kerry Fallon serves as Pastoral Minister and OCIA coordinator, and Linda Gregory directs Youth Ministry. Beverly Sabourin Moore directs Music Ministry. The parish office sits at 6262 Main Street, Gloucester, Virginia 23061, and can be reached at 804-693-5939. Online giving is available through Vanco and PayPal, weekly bulletins are posted online, and a YouTube channel carries parish video content. Parishioners may register in English or Spanish.