WILLIAMSON – A dual celebration is being planned for Sunday, May 31, at Sacred Heart Church and grade school in honor of the Rev. Harry F. (Father Harry) Dunn.

For eight years, the Rev. Dunn has resided in Williamson while serving as pastor of the Sacred Heart Catholic Church and grade school. The coming weekend will mark his 31st anniversary of priesthood and his 30th year in West Virginia.

The celebration is expected to be a joyous one, although not without feelings of sadness as members of Sacred Heart parish will also begin saying goodbye to Father Dunn and his canine sidekick, “Brandy,” who is referred to as the priest’s associate pastor as well as the school mascot.

Dunn said he will be departing around June 15 for Bancroft, W.Va., and a new parish, St. Patrick’s. He also will be serving two other parishes, at Nitro and Dunbar. The assignment was announced by Bishop Michael Branfield of the Diocese of Wheeling–Charleston.

The new pastor who will succeed Dunn is expected to arrive in Williamson in mid-June. His identity has not yet been announced.

The church service at Sacred Heart Church will begin at 10 a.m. Sunday, celebrating the Feast of the Holy Spirit. The Rev. Dunn’s celebration will be part of the service. Everyone is invited to stop by for a social period to be held in the church-school cafeteria following the service.

“I will share some special thoughts with the people present after the church service,” said the pastor. “This will be an open celebration so know that you are welcome to the service and the social event.”

“I have enjoyed very much being in Williamson and in particular, working with the children in the Sacred HEart School,” he said. “I did better with the kids than I ever thought possible.”

Dunn spoke seriously about his sadness over the drug situation that has developed in the community. “I encourage people to support the police officers and the prosecuting attorney in their efforts to relieve the community of this plague. The judicial system also needs the support of citizens and I encourage them to follow through.”

“The drug or substance abuse is something that is destroying us as a nation,” said the minister. He cited what he sees as the need for a drug crew work force to encourage industry to come to this Mingo County area.

“I regret the growing drug problems that have developed in this area and I hope that people support the police officers and all those who work to erase this stigma on the community,” Dunn said.

He expressed the hope that the state of West Virginia finds help for those who have become addicted to drugs–for the users’ sake and their families.

Dunn will be based in Bancroft (Putnam) County but will also serve Nitro (Kanawha, Putnam) and Dunbar (Putnam).

The Bancroft parish is located in a nice, suburban area, he said. “There are a lot of neighborhoods in which to walk and there are no trains or widely traveled roadways in the area.” Brandy will also have plenty of space in which to stroll.

“I am definitely going to miss the Williamson community,” said the minister. “It’s been a good experience here. I will always keep the people of this community in my thoughts and prayers. I must say that better times are coming. I really feel that there is a future here and that good times will happen here, but everyone needs to work together.”

Dunn’s first assignment the day after his ordination to the priesthood 31 years ago was as chaplain to the Connecticut State Mental Hospital. Following a year of training in counseling, he came to the Diocese of Wheeling-Charleston at the request of Bishop Hodges. He came to Williamson after being pastor of three churches: Hinton, Alderson, and Rainelle, W.Va.

Dunn is a member of a religious community based in Connecticut and called the Missionaries of the Holy Apostles. The missionaries specialize in educating older men to the priesthood to serve the worldwide church.

Born and reared in Rome, N.Y., the Rev. Dunn served in the U.S. Air Force. He served the Diocese of Wheeling-Charleston for 22 years and his assignment in Williamson was his first experience working in one locating.

He stated that when he was offered the parish assignment at Sacred Heart Church, along with the school, he was pleased to accept the challenge. In the succeeding years, he has enjoyed working together with Sister Lillian Jordan, school principal, and with the community of Williamson.

The Rev. Dunn began his service to the local parish by making improvements to the church and school lighting and providing air-conditioning throughout the school structure.

On the lighter side, Sacred Heart has become widely known for its traditional, annual spaghetti dinners that are open to the public.

The Rev. Dunn noted that Sacred Heart parish will be celebrating its 96th year later this year and the 51st anniversary of the school. He said the church community is blessed with great people who are committed to their faith and the overall community of Williamson. He foresees continued growth and development for the church and school.