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WHEELING — Catholic education in West Virginia began four years before the diocese was founded in 1850 as schools were established to serve the growing Catholic immigrant population.

Nine schools were established during the tenure of the Diocese of Wheeling’s first shepherd, Bishop Richard V. Whelan. When Whelan’s leadership began, there were an estimated 5,000 Catholics in the region. At the end of his tenure, in 1874, there were 18,000.

From the nine schools he opened to today’s 25 Catholic schools under the guidance of Superintendent Jenn Hornyak and Bishop Mark E. Brennan, each has consistently provided a values-based education in a Christ-centered environment. The diocesan and parochial schools have always been the largest private school system in the state.

In the early years, Catholic immigrants faced religious persecution, so parochial schools became a crucial safe haven for learning while preserving their cultural and religious identity.

When Wheeling, Virginia, was still part of the Diocese of Richmond, the first official Catholic school in what would be the Diocese of Wheeling was opened in 1846, known as the “German” school (later St. Alphonsus Parish School). Then-Fr. Richard Whelan staffed the school with lay teachers.

In 1848, Whelan successfully petitioned the Visitation Sisters from Baltimore to open an academy for young women — the Wheeling Female Academy (later named Mount de Chantal Visitation Academy) with 30 students enrolled.

It was the first of three academies established by the order in the diocese (De Sales Heights Academy, Parkersburg, and Villa Maria Academy, Abingdon, Va., later Wytheville). Originally near the cathedral, the academy and convent relocated outside of Wheeling in 1865 (where it operated until its closure in 2008).

The Visitation Nuns also established St. Joseph’s Benevolent School for the children of St. James Parish in 1848. In 1865, the Sisters of St. Joseph ran the school and eventually renamed it Cathedral Parish School and then Wheeling Catholic Elementary School before it closed in 2011.

Whelan’s successor, West Virginia-born Bishop John J. Kain saw the Catholic population jump to 20,000 to (1875-1893). Kain established six schools, expanding Catholic education to the central and southern parts of West Virginia.

Bishop Patrick J. Donahue (1894-1922) saw the Catholic population triple to 62,000. The diocese had 21 schools at the time of his death.

St. Francis Central Catholic School, in Morgantown, was founded by its pastor Father Peter Flynn and the Ursuline Sisters in 1915. The building was actually a private home and provided elementary and later high school education.

Its first graduating high school class was in 1923, when the school was on Beechurst Avenue. The school moved its campus to Evansdale and served grades K-12 until 1990. In 2006, the pre-K to eighth grade school moved to its current location on Guthrie Lane.

Also, during Donahue’s tenure, Saints Peter and Paul Church in Oak Hill opened its grade school in its parish hall in Scarbro in 1913.

Bishop John J. Swint, who served from 1922 to 1962, was nicknamed “God’s Bricklayer.” He oversaw the growth of the Catholic school system, which operated as many as 52 schools and one college, Wheeling College (now Wheeling University).

The Catholic population peaked in the mid 20th century to about 110,000 in 1960, then began a steady decline to 100,000 in 2000, and less than 61,500 in 2024.

This has taken a toll on the Catholic schools. Over time, changes in demographics, including the movement of Catholics to more suburban settings, led to shifts in school enrollment and the need for tough and emotional decisions — mergers and closures.

Bishop Joseph H. Hodges, who succeeded Swint, began his tenure with 43 Catholic schools. At the time of his death in 1985, there were 38 diocesan/parochial schools. In 1974, the boundaries and name of the diocese changed from the Diocese of Wheeling to the Diocese of Wheeling-Charleston.

From 1974 forward, the diocese was inclusive of all of the state of West Virginia. Therefore, the diocese gained its eastern region (from the Diocese of Richmond), and lost the southwestern-most part of Virginia which extended to the Tennessee border.

During the era of Bishop Francis Schulte, the sixth bishop of the diocese from 1985-1989, there were 37 diocesan/parochial schools.

Wheeling native Bishop Bernard Schmitt served the diocese as its seventh bishop from 1989-2005. He was the overseer of much diocesan reorganization, which included the 32 diocesan/parochial schools within its territory.

There were 25 Catholic schools in 2018, when Bishop Michael J. Bransfield, the eighth bishop of the diocese, resigned his position (historical note: ultimately a disciplinary measure was issued by Pope Francis in 2019, banning him from public ministry and residing in the diocese in 2019).

When Bishop Mark Brennan was installed as the diocese’s ninth bishop, within his first week, he put boots on the ground. His first school stop was Our Lady of Peace School in Marshall County, where he arrived before the students so he could greet them personally.

The school’s Facebook post that day — Aug. 26, 2019 — said, “We honestly don’t know who enjoyed the morning more! Bishop Mark Brennan was at OLP bright and early to greet our students and some of our parents and grandparents who dropped off today. It was obvious that OLP was eager and excited to have our new bishop here, but what was so impressive was his genuine happiness to be present with us. We pray for Bishop Brennan as he works hard to keep all of us in our beautiful Mountain State ANCHORED IN CHRIST.”

Our Lady of Peace School is the only Catholic school in the county. They welcomed students from St. Francis Xavier (Moundsville) and St. James and Johns (Benwood) after their closures.

Because of his dedication to the church and the faithful in West Virginia, Brennan became known as an “on the road again” bishop, prioritizing being among the people of the schools and parishes in the state.

Further cementing his reputation as a bishop who values Catholic education and schools with strong Catholic identity, he announced in May 2025 that he was forgiving more than $9.3 million in Catholic school debt.

“This is a blessing to the faithful of the diocese who work, volunteer and support our parishes and Catholic schools in this Jubilee Year of Hope. Many of our principals and current school pastors had inherited the debt that has now been forgiven,” Superintendent Hornyak said. “Since his arrival in August of 2019, Bishop Brennan has always been a strong supporter and promoter of Catholic education and its importance for the children of West Virginia.”

Today, West Virginia Catholic schools include 18 elementary schools, six high schools, plus the newly opened St. Joseph High School with ninth grade only for 2025-26. All of the schools are nationally accredited by COGNIA. The students are 47% Catholic and 43% non-Catholic.

The schools office reported that, in the last three years, Catholic school enrollment has continually increased. In 2022-23 there were 4,370 students and in May 2025 there were 4,673.