About our Church

    This area of Virginia was first settled by English speaking colonists in the early 1600s.  Almost four centuries passed before the establishment of the first Catholic Church in Isle of Wight County - Good Shepherd Parish.  Prior to 1984,  Catholic families in the county traveled to Suffolk, Portsmouth, Hampton, or Newport News to attend Mass.  By then the local population had grown to 20,000 and it was felt that there might be enough Catholics to establish a parish. 

    In March 1984, a meeting of area priests, a representative of the bishop, and about eighty potential  parishioners was held. As a result, the Catholic community of Smithfield was formed as a mission of St. Mary's Church of Suffolk.  Rev. Christian Haydinger of St. Mary's took on pastoral responsibility for the new community. 

    Christ Episcopal Church in Smithfield graciously offered the use of its facilities for meetings and liturgy.  Our first Mass was celebrated there by Fr. Haydinger on July 21, 1984.

    From the beginning, plans were made toward obtaining our own church.  By 1989, enough progress had been made that Rev. Thomas B. Nee, our second pastor, asked Bishop Walter F. Sullivan, that we be named  a diocesan parish.  The parish's name, Good Shepherd,  was chosen by the bishop from a list submitted by the parishioners.

    A parcel of land near Benns Church had been given to us by the Kirk family, but by the time we were ready to build, newly enacted laws prevented us from proceeding.  Bishop Sullivan authorized  our looking for another place to purchase, and after a search, our current site was found.  Ground was broken in February 1992 for the first phase of construction, the present building.  

    Less than 10 years later, the church community had grown to almost 200 families.  Planning began for an expansion of the church buildings, with the primary focus being a new sanctuary and expanded classrooms for the religious education program.  On July 18, 2004, Bishop Sullivan, Msgr. Thomas Caroluzza, Fr. Ernest Bulinda, Fr. Jun Balarote, Fr. Peter Bialkowski, other parish leaders from around the diocese, and Rev. Gary Barker (from Christ Episcopal Church) joined the Good Shepherd family in celebrating the ground breaking for the expansion.    

    On June 26, 2005, Bishop Emeritus Sullivan joined with the parish in dedicating the new sanctuary.

Dedication of New Worship Space
    Article from the Catholic Virginian - July 4 edition, page 1  - permission to link was requested
    Article from the Smithfield Times - June 29 edition  -  permission to reprint was granted

Parish Profile from the Catholic Virginian - March 10, 2008 - permission to reprint was granted