History

Before 1957, Catholics in Jackson County, WV would car-pool to Parkersburg, Pomeroy, Marietta or Belpre to attend Mass. As the number of Catholics continued to grow, the need to have a church in the county became evident to  Bishop Swint of Wheeling, when he visited the county in 1955. Only two Sundays after his visit, the first Mass in the county was held in the Chambers Funeral Home with 53 people in attendance. A priest continued to travel from Parkersburg to celebrate Mass each Sunday for several years.

Soon, property for a church building was being sought. In 1956 property on WV Rt. 2 south of Ravenswood was purchased and a 30 ft by 100 ft building was constructed. The first Mass celebrated in this new church was on Easter Sunday in 1957, with more than 100 people in attendance. In May, the parish had their first observance of First Holy Communion for 19 children. This first Catholic church building in Jackson County, known as Our Lady Of The Blessed Sacrament, was dedicated on September 29, 1957.

In 1958 the first Parish Council was formed. After just a few years, a more suitable piece of property was purchased on Elwood Street in North Ravenswood. Construction of a new church began there in the spring of 1959 and was quickly completed, with the cornerstone of this church being laid on Easter Sunday in 1960. The first Mass that was celebrated at the new church was for a wedding. First Holy Communion was held in May, 1961 for 25 children. Included in this ceremony was the presentation of diplomas for 11 women of the parish who had completed a six-month course in teacher training. The weekly sessions had been given by two nuns from Charleston who had traveled to Ravenswood to instruct the group. Classes in religion were held each Saturday for over 100 children, with six women and two nuns responsible for the instruction. The nuns continued to come weekly until July 1966 and then the lay teachers assumed full responsibilities for the classes of religion.

During the years following the construction of the Elwood Street church, the Parish Council discussed the feasibility of erecting a rectory (a residence and office for the pastor) from time to time. Finally, in 1964, upon the advice of the pastor, Father John McDonnell, six acres on the south-west corner of the intersection of Kaiser and Crooks Avenues were purchased by Bishop Hodges of Wheeling as a site for a new rectory with the expectation that a new church building and school would follow. The Parish Council guided the plans for the new rectory at 600 Crooks Ave. The contract was signed in December, 1970 and the project was completed in March, 1971. The first priest to live in this rectory was Father Joseph O’Reilly, who served as pastor from August, 1966 thru October, 1971. He was then transferred to Parkersburg. Father Joseph Mascioli was transferred from Blacksburg, Va. to become pastor of Our Lady of the Blessed Sacrament Parish.

In 1980, during the pastorate of Father Robert Park, the title of the parish was changed to St. Matthew Catholic Church while progress was being made on the construction of a new church building, with prize-winning architecture, that was dedicated on September 20, 1981. Msgr. Staud was pastor at St. Matthew Parish in Ravenswood from 1982-1995 until his retirement. Sister Roseanne Fogarty of the order of Servite Sisters served in teaching, pastoral ministry, religious education, and liturgical music assisting Msgr. Staud and later Father John Fahey as he served St. Matthew along with Saint Monica's in Lubeck.

Father John Fahey and Father George Manjadi continued the pastoring of the parish in subsequent years until a new pastor, Father John Finnell, arrived in 2005. He served as pastor until November, 2008 and was transferred to Blessed Sacrament in Charleston, WV. Father Alfred U.Obiudu was transferred to St. Matthew Parish from Innwood, WV. November, 2008. In June, 2010, Fr. Alfred left the parish and Fr. Dan Pisano was assigned as the new administrator. After one short year, Fr. Dan Pisano left St. Matthew to serve as administrator of St. John the Evangelist Parish in Wellsburg, WV. Father Arok Sundar, O.F.M. Cap., has been appointed pastor of St. Matthew Parish in Ravenswood, effective June 22, 2011. After Father Arok finished his studies in 2013, he returned to India, because he was much needed in his congregation. Father Arok was followed by Rev. James DeViese, who served as pastor until 2014 at which time he was assigned Priest-Secretary to the Bishop.  Having been appointed to St. Matthew in 2014, Father Penumaka (Fr. Pen), H.G.N. currently, is the pastor of St. Matthew. 

On May 1st, 2015, Bishop Michael J. Bransfield  of the Diocese of Wheeling-Charleston announced several appointments, including:

 "In consultation with Very Rev. Charles Gorantla, H.G.N., provincial superior of the Blessed John Paul II Province of the Heralds of Good News, Father Penumaka Manikyalarao, H.G.N., is appointed administrator of Holy Redeemer Parish, Spencer, and St. Elizabeth of Hungary Mission, Elizabeth, effective June 17, 2015. This appointment is in addition to his current assignment as administrator of St. Matthew Parish in Ravenswood, with continued residence at the parish rectory in Ravenswood."

 While both Holy Redeemer and St. Elizabeth of Hungary were sorry to lose Fr. Pen, on June 21st, 2017, while continuing as  administrator to St. Matthew, Father Pen's assignments changed so that he began serving both St. Joseph Mission in Mason and Sacred Heart Parish, Point Pleasant, along with Lakin Correctional Center, Prison and Correctional Facility. Later in the year, St. Joseph became a Chapel and Sacred Heart Parish became a Mission with Father Pen continuing as the administrator.