Most Rev. Mark Brennan, bishop of the Diocese of Wheeling-Charleston, will join community members in honoring the history and legacy of Blessed Martin de Porres Catholic School on January 24, 2023, at 6:30 p.m., at the Central Catholic High School Gymnasium located on the corner of 13th and Jacob streets in Wheeling.
The site is the former home of the Blessed Martin de Porres Catholic School, which opened in 1942 for African American boys and girls. Religious women from the Congregation of the Sisters of St. Joseph taught and administered the school.
During the ceremony, works from Central Catholic High School students will be displayed as well as presentations by Ron Scott, Director of the Cultural Diversity and Community Outreach Program at the YWCA, Bishop Brennan, and former Blessed Martin students. An exact replica of the Blessed Martin statue that welcomed students to the school will be blessed and a plaque dedicated in honor of all who
attended the school.
A detailed history of the school is available here http://www.archivingwheeling.org/blog/blessed-martinsegregated-catholic-school-wheeling.
