Our History
January 1896
Church Petition
1896
Eight local men petitioned Bishop Patrick Donahue to build a church on the outskirts of Wheeling.
June 1897
Construction Begins
1897
Church was dedicated with Reverend C.J. Cluser as Pastor. The parish was composed of twenty-eight families. Much of the labor that went into the construction of the church was performed by parishioners.
July 1897
Bishop Donahue offered the first Mass.
July 4th, 1897
Inside of the old church decorated for Christmas in 1901.
June 1900
Marist Fathers were invited as parish staff.
1900
Parish Transferred to Diocesan control.
1982
June 1926
Land Aquired
Late 1920s
The parish was able to acquire a parcel of land on National Road.
June 1929
New School Built on that parcel of land.
1929
June 1930
School Opened
January 14th, 1930
Sisters of the Divine Providence staffed the school until it was transferred over to lay control.
June 1950
Ground Broken for building of a new church.
August, 1950
June 1951
Church Construction Complete
1951
St. Michael Church is considered to be one of the finest examples of Gothic architecture in the Wheeling-Charleston Diocese.