A Henrico Parish on West Nine Mile Road
Saint John Catholic Church has stood on West Nine Mile Road in Highland Springs since 1917, anchoring a Catholic presence in eastern Henrico County for more than a century. The parish is one of three that make up the Richmond Catholic Cluster, alongside the Pro-Cathedral of Saint Peter in downtown Richmond and Saint Patrick in Church Hill. Sharing clergy and some staff across those three parishes has shaped the way Saint John organizes its sacramental life and reaches out to the surrounding neighborhoods.
Mass Schedule and Languages
Holy Mass is celebrated at Saint John three times a week. Thursday morning Mass is offered at 8:30 AM, Saturday Vigil Mass begins at 4:30 PM, and two Sunday Masses are scheduled: 9:00 AM in English and 12:30 PM in Spanish. The Spanish Mass is the gathering place for the parish's growing Hispanic community, and confessions in Spanish are heard on Sundays after Mass or by appointment. Weekday Mass is available at the Pro-Cathedral of Saint Peter, Monday through Friday at 12:05 PM, and additional Vigil and Sunday Masses are offered at both Saint Patrick and Saint Peter for those who need an alternate time.
Confession and Eucharistic Adoration
The Sacrament of Reconciliation is heard at Saint John on Saturday afternoons at 3:30 PM, half an hour before the Vigil Mass. Confessions are also available Monday through Friday from 11:15 AM to noon at the Pro-Cathedral of Saint Peter and on Saturdays at 4:30 PM at Saint Patrick. Appointments with a priest can be arranged for anyone who cannot make those times.
Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament is offered twice a month at Saint John. Adoration takes place on the first Wednesday of each month at 6:00 PM and on the first Saturday at 7:15 PM. Saint Patrick and Saint Peter also host first-Saturday and first-Friday hours of adoration, respectively.
The Seven Sacraments
Saint John celebrates all seven sacraments of the Catholic Church, treating Baptism as the door to the rest. Parents of infants and children under seven are welcomed into a preparation session that includes godparents; each child needs at least one godparent who is at least sixteen, baptized, confirmed, and living a faith-consistent life. Non-Catholic Christians may serve as a Christian Witness alongside a Catholic godparent.
Children typically prepare for First Reconciliation and First Eucharist in the second grade. Confirmation in the Diocese of Richmond is usually celebrated in the tenth grade, with preparation beginning each fall. Adults who have not yet received a sacrament of initiation are guided through the Rite of Christian Initiation for Adults, commonly called RCIA, which begins with a conversation with the pastor.
Couples preparing for marriage are asked to begin at least six months before their wedding date. The process opens with an initial meeting with the priest or deacon, followed by a series of meetings and an independent marriage preparation course. New baptismal certificates are required, and any previous marriage must be fully resolved before a wedding date can be set. The parish requests a $350 donation from parishioners and $700 from non-parishioners, which covers the wedding coordinator and helps support the church. Weddings are scheduled no later than 2:00 PM on Saturdays.
The Anointing of the Sick is available to anyone facing surgery or a serious hospital stay. Because hospitals release little information under privacy rules, the parish asks families to approach the priest after Mass or call the office (804-737-8028) so that a visit can be arranged. After office hours, a priest can be reached any time at 804-402-1221 for sacramental emergencies.
Religious Education from Pre-K Through Twelfth Grade
The parish runs a full Religious Education Program for children from Pre-Kindergarten through twelfth grade. Classes meet on the first, second, and third Sundays of each month from 10:30 AM to 11:45 AM in the Religious Education Building. Each child receives a Catechism Handbook, thirty-two Gospel-based weekly lessons, online videos and activities, and parent guides so faith formation can continue at home. Students preparing for First Reconciliation, First Communion, and Confirmation attend additional sessions throughout the year. Registration for the 2026-2027 year is open, and forms are available after Mass, at the parish office, or online.
Adults are not left out. The parish offers short prayer and study sessions on a variety of topics throughout the year, and links to daily reflections from the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops and to Busted Halo for young adults who want to dig deeper into the faith.
A Bilingual Community
The Spanish Mass at 12:30 PM each Sunday is the heart of Saint John's Hispanic ministry. The community is led by Paulita Matheny, the parish's Director of Religious Education, Pastoral Associate, and Hispanic Ministry Coordinator. Catechesis for children from Pre-K through twelfth grade is offered in Spanish on the same first, second, and third Sundays as the English program, from 10:30 AM to 12:00 noon. Adult formation and the Spanish-language Rite of Christian Initiation for Adults are also available, and preparation is offered for the sacraments of Baptism, First Communion, Confirmation, and Matrimonio.
The Hispanic community also celebrates the Quinceañera, a traditional blessing marking a young woman's passage into adulthood. The blessing usually takes place with the Liturgy of the Word on the Saturday before her fifteenth birthday, and the young woman must be participating in the parish's religious education program.
Every Saturday evening at 7:00 PM, the parish hosts the Renovación Carismática Nuevo Pentecostés, a Spanish-language charismatic prayer gathering. The community is led by Joaquín Tepaz as coordinator, with Nicolás Tepaz directing the music.
The Lumen Christi Legacy Society and Parish Support
Saint John has a Saint John chapter of the Lumen Christi Legacy Society, an initiative that encourages and assists parishioners in planning gifts to the parish through wills, living trusts, stocks, retirement accounts, life insurance, and real estate. Recent legacy gifts have paid for a new HVAC system and a renewal of the church interior. The society also serves as a source of end-of-life resources for members in keeping with Catholic teaching.
For day-to-day giving, the parish offers E-Giving through an online platform, a convenient option for recurring contributions or one-time gifts when someone misses Mass. Envelopes are not automatically mailed; parishioners who prefer them can request them by calling the office. Annual budget reports are published and available to anyone who wants to review the parish's finances.
Music and Worship
Music at Saint John is led by Virginia Tilley, the parish's Organist and Choirmaster. The Sunday Masses are celebrated in the English and Spanish liturgical traditions of the Roman Catholic Church, with the Eucharist, the Liturgy of the Word, and the standard prayers and readings of the Roman Missal.
Sharing Clergy Across the Richmond Catholic Cluster
Saint John shares priests and certain staff members with the Pro-Cathedral of Saint Peter in downtown Richmond and Saint Patrick in Church Hill. The Reverend Joseph Christian Indadano serves as Pastor of Saint John, and the Reverend Nicholas E. Redmond serves as Parochial Vicar. Mass times and confession times at all three parishes are listed together so that Catholics in the Richmond area can find a service that fits their week. This cluster model means the same priests are available to hear confessions, celebrate the Anointing of the Sick, and officiate weddings across the three parishes, and that sacramental emergencies after hours are covered by a single on-call line.
Office, Location, and Visitor Information
The parish office sits at 813 West Nine Mile Road in Highland Springs, Virginia 23075, and the mailing address is PO Box 190, Highland Springs, VA 23075. Office hours are Monday through Thursday from 9:00 AM to 2:00 PM and Friday from 9:00 AM to noon. The office phone is 804-737-8028, the fax is 804-328-4683, and the email is [email protected]. For sacramental emergencies, a priest can be reached any time at 804-402-1221. Visitors are welcome to register as parishioners; registration forms are available after Mass, at the parish office, and online in both English and Spanish.
Safe Environment and Reporting
The Diocese of Richmond encourages anyone aware of sexual abuse of a minor by a cleric, lay employee, or volunteer of the Diocese to report the abuse directly to law enforcement, including Child Protective Services at 1-800-552-7096. The Diocesan Victim Assistance Coordinator can also be reached at 1-877-887-9603. The parish itself follows all diocesan safe-environment policies.
Saint John at a Glance
Saint John Catholic Church in Highland Springs is a parish that carries more than a century of Catholic life in eastern Henrico County while remaining firmly bilingual. With Mass in English and Spanish each Sunday, a Pre-K through twelfth-grade religious education program, sacramental preparation for every stage of life, a weekly charismatic prayer gathering in Spanish, and shared clergy across the Richmond Catholic Cluster, the parish offers a full Catholic life to families and individuals on the east side of Richmond and beyond.