St. John Neumann Catholic Church stands on Batterson Road in rural Powhatan County, Virginia, just outside Richmond. It is a parish of the Catholic Diocese of Richmond whose roots reach back to the 1890s, when two Drexel sisters founded schools for Black students at Belmead, the 1,600-acre estate they had purchased along the James River. Today the parish gathers around daily Mass, an active faith formation program for every age, and an unusually wide network of community outreach that includes its own food pantry, a sewing ministry that produces shirts for children in chemotherapy, and support for a day care center in Quito, Ecuador.
From Belmead to Flat Rock
The history of St. John Neumann begins with education, not a church building. In 1894 Louise Drexel Morrell and her husband purchased Belmead, and in 1899 her sister, Saint Katharine Drexel, opened St. Francis de Sales for young Black women. Louise had earlier founded St. Emma's Industrial and Agricultural Institute for young Black men. Together those schools became the foundation of the first Catholic community in Powhatan County.
In 1928 Mrs. Morrell built St. Edward's Chapel in memory of her husband. It served students and local Catholics until its destruction in 1970. Following desegregation and the closure of St. Emma's, the Catholic community relocated, and parish records were maintained at St. Francis de Sales, which served as the parish church. In 1976 the parish was renamed St. John Neumann in honor of the Philadelphia-born saint who had been a missionary bishop in the United States.
The community worshipped in several locations before settling at the current Flat Rock site, which was dedicated on November 2, 1986. The original multi-purpose building doubled as worship space and social hall, with a kitchen, classrooms, a chapel, offices, and a large narthex. Subsequent building campaigns added classrooms and offices, and eventually a dedicated worship space. More recently the parish has added a Columbarium and Prayer Garden, expanded parking, and developed outdoor areas for fellowship and reflection. The parish's own mission statement sums up the parish's self-understanding: "We are a Roman Catholic parish, centered in Christ through the celebration of the Eucharist. Through the grace of this sacrament, we are empowered as individuals and in community to imitate Christ through prayer, outreach, fellowship and education."
Weekend and Daily Mass
St. John Neumann offers the full rhythm of Catholic liturgical life. Weekend Masses are celebrated on Saturday at 5:00 PM and on Sunday at 8:30 AM and 11:00 AM. Children's Liturgy of the Word is offered during the Sunday Masses when volunteers are available; children are dismissed shortly after the homily to hear the readings at an age-appropriate level.
Weekday Masses are celebrated on Tuesday at 7:00 AM and on Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday at 9:00 AM. The Sacrament of Reconciliation is heard on Saturday from 3:30 to 4:30 PM, before the Vigil Mass, and at other times by appointment. Eucharistic Adoration is offered on the first Friday of each month from 6:00 to 7:30 PM, with Vespers at 6:00 PM, the Rosary at 7:10 PM, and Benediction to close the hour. A Marian Mass is celebrated on the first Saturday from 9:00 to 10:30 AM, with the Rosary and First Saturday Prayers at 9:30 AM followed by Confession. The Sacrament of Anointing of the Sick is celebrated on the last Sunday of each month at 9:30 AM.
Father Eric Anokye publishes a daily reflection on YouTube, and recordings of the Stations of the Cross and other devotions are available online through the parish's Flocknote account.
The Seven Sacraments
The parish prepares Catholics for every sacrament in the life of the Church.
Baptism. Parents and godparents must be registered and participating in the parish for at least three months before attending the required preparation class, which is held on the first or second Monday every other month. Baptisms are normally scheduled during Sunday liturgy so the community can celebrate them together. A Godparent Attestation Form, Baptism Register Data form, and an interview with the pastor or pastoral associate are required.
First Penance and First Eucharist. Preparation is separate from regular religious education classes and uses a Growing Up Catholic program in which both children and parents attend every session. The child must be in the third grade or older and have participated in religious education the prior year, with proof of Christian baptism. First Reconciliation is celebrated during the fall and First Communion on Mother's Day weekend across all three weekend Masses.
Confirmation. Teens in the tenth grade and at least fifteen years old who have received Baptism, Reconciliation, and Eucharist are invited into a year of preparation. The program is built around weekly meetings, a personal Bible and journal, learning the rosary, a fall retreat, and the celebration of Confirmation, described by the parish as "our personal Pentecost." Candidates choose a sponsor who is at least sixteen, confirmed, and practicing the Catholic faith.
Matrimony. At least one party must be registered and participating in the parish for three months before contacting the pastor, and pre-marital preparation begins six months before the proposed wedding date.
Anointing of the Sick. Parishioners who are hospitalized, homebound, or facing surgery may request a visit by calling the parish office during the week or after hours. The sacrament is also celebrated in the church on the last Sunday of each month.
Adults who have never been baptized or who were baptized in another Christian tradition are welcomed through the Order of Christian Initiation of Adults, now called the O.C.I.A. program, directed by Deacon Jim Tubbs.
Faith Formation for Every Age
The Christian Formation office, directed by Jeannie Kennedy, offers programs for children, youth, and adults under the conviction that "faith formation is ongoing for life."
Elementary (Grades 1-5). Family Catechesis classes are held on designated Sundays between Masses. The curriculum combines St. Mary's Press Discover! Finding Faith in Life for grades 1-3 with Pflaum's Gospel Weeklies: Venture for grades 4-5, and includes the diocesan safe-environment component at every grade level.
Middle School (Grades 6-8). Sixth through eighth grade meets as one unit on Sundays between Masses in Father Val Hall using Life Teen's Edge program. Service projects and other activities are added as parent volunteers are available, and middle-school youth join the diocesan pilgrimage to the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception with their parents each fall.
High School (Grades 9-12): NeuWaves. The youth ministry program meets most Sunday evenings from 6:30 to 8:00 PM and balances four elements: WORD through Life Teen catechesis, WORSHIP through prayer and praise, SERVICE through direct projects and attention to global social-justice issues, and COMMUNITY through retreats, social activities, and diocesan youth conferences. Youth Minister Elizabeth Papelino leads the program.
Vacation Bible School. A week-long summer program is held for children, built around skits, music, crafts, games, and snacks. The parish is always seeking volunteers, both adults and older youth, to lead activities.
Adult Faith Formation. Three ongoing offerings carry adult formation throughout the year. Breaking Open the Word meets every Sunday morning from 9:45 to 10:30 AM in the multi-purpose room or library to discuss the upcoming Sunday readings. The Hispanic Bible Study (Estudio de la Biblia Española) meets Tuesdays from 6:30 to 8:00 PM for Spanish speakers. Thursday Night Theology offers short six-to-ten-week sessions on a topic in Catholic thought, with both afternoon and evening options.
Protecting God's children is taken seriously. Any adult working with minors in any parish program must complete a diocesan background check and VIRTUS training, with ongoing online participation in the VIRTUS program thereafter.
Music and Liturgical Service
Margaret Storti leads the parish music ministry as Minister of Music, with Lynn DiChristina serving as Liturgical Coordinator. The choir, open to ages seventeen and up, sings a wide repertoire that includes chant, classical pieces, praise anthems, and contemporary Christian music, supported by talented instrumentalists on violin, flute, trumpet, bassoon, guitar, bass, and drums. Rehearsals are held on Wednesdays from 6:30 to 8:00 PM, and the choir assembles thirty minutes before the Masses it sings at, alternating weekends between the 8:30 AM and 11:00 AM services. The choir takes its main break between Trinity Sunday and Labor Day.
Liturgical lay ministry is organized through an online scheduler so that parishioners can sign up to serve. Lay lectors proclaim the scriptural readings, altar servers assist the priest at the altar, extraordinary ministers of Holy Communion distribute the Eucharist at Mass and bring it to the sick and homebound, and ushers welcome, seat, and assist the assembly. Hospitality ministers prepare coffee, juice, and treats after Mass once a month, arriving thirty minutes before Mass and staying thirty minutes after to clean up. Children's Liturgy of the Word leaders are always being sought.
Pastoral Care, Prayer Line, and Bereavement
Deacon Jim Tubbs serves as Pastoral Associate alongside Father Anokye, coordinating the parish's care for the sick, the bereaved, the homebound, and those in need. The parish Prayer Line receives requests via a dedicated email and sends them weekly to volunteer prayer warriors; written intentions can also be added to a Prayer Line Intentions book kept in the St. John Neumann niche inside the church. Requests remain active for two weeks.
The Bereavement Ministry is led by clergy and lay ministers who have themselves experienced the loss of a spouse, child, or parent. Group gatherings are held on the first Sunday of each month after the 11:00 AM Mass, with lunch and an informal forum to share thoughts and feelings. The ministry is connected to the Richmond-area Bereavement Coalition and offers one-on-one pastoral counseling, prayer services on holy days, and structured support-group referrals.
The Homebound and Hospital Ministry arranges visits and brings Holy Communion to parishioners who cannot attend Mass. Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion take the Eucharist to Catholic patients at Johnston Willis Hospital during April, August, and December. The Helping Hands ministry provides greeters, servers, and food for funeral receptions, shopping for supplies and setting up Father Val Hall to give grieving families a few hours of relief.
A Separated and Divorced Support Group is also part of the pastoral-care umbrella.
Outreach in Love, the Food Pantry, and Beyond
Outreach is a defining mark of the parish. Three long-standing ministries carry most of that work.
The Powhatan Food Pantry is housed on a separate parcel accessed through the St. John Neumann parking lot at 2500 Batterson Road. St. John Neumann parishioners started the original "HEN Pantry" (for the Hungry, Elderly and Needy of Powhatan County) out of a small walk-in closet in the church. In 2011 the current 2,000-square-foot building, with built-in refrigeration and freezer units, was constructed to accommodate a partnership with the Coalition of Powhatan Churches, a coalition of roughly fifty-five churches of varying denominations of which about twenty-five are active monthly. The pantry is a Partner Agency of the Central Virginia Food Bank and a member of Feeding America; food is normally distributed on Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday mornings from 10:00 AM to 12:00 PM.
Outreach in Love is a religious education program for people living with intellectual and physical challenges, fostering community and support among participants, families, group homes, and the parish. Sponsored by a coalition of seven parishes in Richmond, Chesterfield, and Powhatan, the program offers peer interaction, sacramental preparation, liturgical participation, and exposure to prayer, Mass, Scripture, and Tradition.
ZipShirt Ministry began in 2011 when a nurse designed a shirt with an invisible zipper at the shoulder so a young oncology patient could access an IV port without removing his clothing. Since then, St. John Neumann parishioners have helped purchase, cut, and sew the shirts; over 4,000 shirts have been delivered free of charge to oncology units in the Richmond and Powhatan area.
The parish also supports the Ecuador Day Care at the Fundacion Cristo de Miraville in Quito, providing Christian education, healthcare, and meals for the children of working-poor families. Parishioners "adopt" individual students through an annual $200 sponsorship that helps pay for academic support, nutritional supplements, and parental formation in Christian values.
Habitat for Humanity volunteers and donations assist needy Powhatan families in building and buying a home. The Powhatan Habitat Re-Store, located at 1922 Urbine Road, accepts donations of building materials and household goods.
The parish also partners with the Free Clinic of Powhatan and Cumberland Community Cares for additional local support.
Parish Groups and Service Organizations
A wide circle of groups keeps the parish connected beyond Sunday Mass.
The Catholic Women's Organization meets on the second Wednesday of the month from September through June in the multi-purpose room, with refreshments at 6:30 PM and the meeting at 7:00 PM. Members host hospitality after the 8:30 AM Mass on the first Sunday of each month, support the Knights of Columbus with the Pumpkin Patch and Lenten Fish Fry Dinners, run an annual indoor yard sale, lead a Lenten retreat, and direct charitable giving to organizations such as the Powhatan Food Pantry, the Powhatan YMCA, the American Cancer Society, From the Heart, Powhatan Christmas Mother, ZipShirt Ministry, and the parish's own Vacation Bible School and NeuWaves Youth Group.
The Knights of Columbus council serves the parish through service, fraternity, and faith.
The Scouts program includes Troop 832 (Scouts BSA), Troop 1833, a Cub Scouts pack, and a Sea Scouts ship, drawing young people from the parish and surrounding area.
The Bread of Life Bakers provide baked goods for parish events and outreach. The Gardening Angels and the Prayerful Hands Garden tend the parish grounds. The Prayer Shawl Ministry knits and crochets shawls that are given to parishioners experiencing illness or loss.
The parish also maintains a close relationship with Blessed Sacrament-Huguenot Catholic School, a college-preparatory school on Academy Road in Powhatan that teaches PS-12 under the auspices of the Office of Catholic Schools of the Diocese of Richmond. Although BSH is not formally a parish school, St. John Neumann considers it "our Catholic school" and supports its academic, spiritual, and extracurricular life.
Stewardship, Giving, and the Venue at Flat Rock
Parishioners can support St. John Neumann through ParishSoft Giving, which allows one-time or recurring gifts by bank account, credit card, Apple Pay, Google Pay, or PayPal. Legacy gifts through trusts, bequests, or endowments are also accepted, as are contributions to the Diocesan Annual Appeal. Online giving, sanctuary-flower sponsorships, and the parish bulletin are accessible through Flocknote.
The parish shares its campus with The Venue at Flat Rock, a banquet and event hall that hosts weddings, receptions, and other gatherings. The Venue operates as a separate rental ministry with its own coordinator, extending the parish's hospitality into the wider community.
The Columbarium and Funeral Planning
St. John Neumann maintains a Columbarium and Prayer Garden on the parish grounds for the inurnment of cremated remains of parishioners and their families. Funeral planning is coordinated through the Liturgical Coordinator, and the parish's Helping Hands ministry supports families with funeral receptions in Father Val Hall. The Bereavement Ministry continues its ministry of accompaniment in the months that follow.
From the schools founded by Saint Katharine Drexel on the bluffs above the James to the multi-purpose building on Batterson Road and the prayer garden that has grown around it, St. John Neumann has carried a single vocation: to serve Christ and one another by living out the Gospel through Christian love. In its daily Masses, its classrooms, its food pantry, its choir loft, and its quiet prayer garden, the parish continues to keep that vocation alive.