Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Louisville
Encyclopedia
Louisville, Kentucky
Louisville is the largest city in the U.S. state of Kentucky, and the county seat of Jefferson County. Since 2003, the city's borders have been coterminous with those of the county because of a city-county merger. The city's population at the 2010 census was 741,096...
consists of twenty-four counties in Central Kentucky
Kentucky
The Commonwealth of Kentucky is a state located in the East Central United States of America. As classified by the United States Census Bureau, Kentucky is a Southern state, more specifically in the East South Central region. Kentucky is one of four U.S. states constituted as a commonwealth...
, USA, covering 8124 square miles (21,041.1 km²). It is the seat of the Metropolitan Province
Metropolitan bishop
In Christian churches with episcopal polity, the rank of metropolitan bishop, or simply metropolitan, pertains to the diocesan bishop or archbishop of a metropolis; that is, the chief city of a historical Roman province, ecclesiastical province, or regional capital.Before the establishment of...
of Louisville, which comprises the states of Kentucky and Tennessee
Tennessee
Tennessee is a U.S. state located in the Southeastern United States. It has a population of 6,346,105, making it the nation's 17th-largest state by population, and covers , making it the 36th-largest by total land area...
. The cathedral
Cathedral
A cathedral is a Christian church that contains the seat of a bishop...
church of the archdiocese is the Cathedral of the Assumption.
Statistics
The archdiocese contains 200,000 Catholics in 66,000 households, served by one hundred twenty-two parishes and missions. One half of all Catholics in the Commonwealth reside within the bounds of the Archdiocese of Louisville, and seventy-nine percent of all Catholics in the archdiocese (forty percent of all Catholics in the Commonwealth) reside in the Louisville Metro area. There are fifty-nine Catholic elementary and high schools serving more than 23,400 students. The archdiocese is home to one hundred sixty-six diocesanDiocese
A diocese is the district or see under the supervision of a bishop. It is divided into parishes.An archdiocese is more significant than a diocese. An archdiocese is presided over by an archbishop whose see may have or had importance due to size or historical significance...
priests, one hundred twelve permanent deacons, fifty-two religious order priests, seventy-seven religious brothers, and nine hundred forty-four religious sisters. The archdiocese serves more than 220,000 persons in Catholic hospitals, health care centers, homes for the aged and specialized homes. Services, Mother-Infant Care Program, Senior Social Services, and Rural Ministries Services.
History
The diocese began in 1808 when the Roman Catholic Diocese of BardstownRoman Catholic Diocese of Bardstown
The Roman Catholic Diocese of Bardstown was established on April 8, 1808, along with the dioceses of Boston, New York, and Philadelphia, out of the territory of the Baltimore Diocese, the first Catholic diocese in the US. When founded, the Bardstown Diocese included most of Kentucky, Tennessee,...
was established along with the dioceses of Boston
Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Boston
The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Boston is an ecclesiastical territory or diocese of the Roman Catholic Church in the New England region of the United States. It comprises several counties of the state of Massachusetts...
, New York
Roman Catholic Archdiocese of New York
The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of New York covers New York, Bronx, and Richmond counties in New York City , as well as Dutchess, Orange, Putnam, Rockland, Sullivan, Ulster, and Westchester counties in New York state. There are 480 parishes...
, and Philadelphia out of the territory of the Baltimore Diocese
Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Baltimore
The Metropolitan Archdiocese of Baltimore is a particular church of the Roman Catholic Church in the United States. The archdiocese comprises the City of Baltimore as well as Allegany, Anne Arundel, Baltimore, Carroll, Frederick, Garrett, Harford, Howard, and Washington Counties in Maryland...
, the first Catholic diocese in the US. Pope Benedict XVI's
Pope Benedict XVI
Benedict XVI is the 265th and current Pope, by virtue of his office of Bishop of Rome, the Sovereign of the Vatican City State and the leader of the Catholic Church as well as the other 22 sui iuris Eastern Catholic Churches in full communion with the Holy See...
visit to the US in April 2008 celebrated the 200th anniversary of the creation of these dioceses and the elevation of Baltimore to an archdiocese. When founded, the Bardstown Diocese included most of Kentucky, Tennessee, Missouri
Missouri
Missouri is a US state located in the Midwestern United States, bordered by Iowa, Illinois, Kentucky, Tennessee, Arkansas, Oklahoma, Kansas and Nebraska. With a 2010 population of 5,988,927, Missouri is the 18th most populous state in the nation and the fifth most populous in the Midwest. It...
, Illinois
Illinois
Illinois is the fifth-most populous state of the United States of America, and is often noted for being a microcosm of the entire country. With Chicago in the northeast, small industrial cities and great agricultural productivity in central and northern Illinois, and natural resources like coal,...
, Indiana
Indiana
Indiana is a US state, admitted to the United States as the 19th on December 11, 1816. It is located in the Midwestern United States and Great Lakes Region. With 6,483,802 residents, the state is ranked 15th in population and 16th in population density. Indiana is ranked 38th in land area and is...
, Ohio
Ohio
Ohio is a Midwestern state in the United States. The 34th largest state by area in the U.S.,it is the 7th‑most populous with over 11.5 million residents, containing several major American cities and seven metropolitan areas with populations of 500,000 or more.The state's capital is Columbus...
and Michigan
Michigan
Michigan is a U.S. state located in the Great Lakes Region of the United States of America. The name Michigan is the French form of the Ojibwa word mishigamaa, meaning "large water" or "large lake"....
.
While Louisville is the oldest inland diocese in the United States, it is not the oldest west of the Appalachians. That distinction belongs to the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of New Orleans
Roman Catholic Archdiocese of New Orleans
The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of New Orleans, officially in Latin Archidioecesis Novae Aureliae, is an ecclesiastical division of the Roman Catholic Church administered from New Orleans, Louisiana...
founded under Spanish rule in 1793.
Benedict Joseph Flaget
Benedict Joseph Flaget
Benedict Joseph Flaget was a U.S. bishop. He served as the Roman Catholic Bishop of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Bardstown between 1808 and 1839, then as bishop of the Diocese of Louisville between 1839 and 1850 when the See was transferred to Louisville in 1839.-Education and Call to Ministry:At...
was the first Bishop of Bardstown. The historic Basilica of Saint Joseph Proto-Cathedral
Basilica of Saint Joseph Proto-Cathedral
The Basilica of Saint Joseph Proto-Cathedral is a Catholic parish church at 310 West Stephen Foster Avenue in Bardstown, Kentucky. It is the former cathedral mother church of the former Roman Catholic Diocese of Bardstown...
, the former cathedral of the Diocese of Bardstown, is now a parish church.
While the French
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
may have had initial influence in the formation of the Catholic community in the Louisville area, eventually immigrants from Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
comprised the bulk of the Archdiocese's communicant strength later in the mid-19th century, particularly in the city of Louisville. However, much of the Catholic population in areas southeast of Louisville is of English
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
extraction, consisting of descendants of recusants who originally settled in Maryland
Maryland
Maryland is a U.S. state located in the Mid Atlantic region of the United States, bordering Virginia, West Virginia, and the District of Columbia to its south and west; Pennsylvania to its north; and Delaware to its east...
in colonial times.
In 1841, the diocese was moved from Bardstown to Louisville, becoming the Diocese of Louisville. The Diocese of Louisville was elevated in 1937 to become the Archdiocese
Archbishop
An archbishop is a bishop of higher rank, but not of higher sacramental order above that of the three orders of deacon, priest , and bishop...
of Louisville, and the metropolitan
Metropolitan bishop
In Christian churches with episcopal polity, the rank of metropolitan bishop, or simply metropolitan, pertains to the diocesan bishop or archbishop of a metropolis; that is, the chief city of a historical Roman province, ecclesiastical province, or regional capital.Before the establishment of...
province for all the dioceses in Kentucky and Tennessee. There are currently three deaneries: Elizabethtown, Lebanon, and Bardstown.
Bishops
- Benedict Joseph FlagetBenedict Joseph FlagetBenedict Joseph Flaget was a U.S. bishop. He served as the Roman Catholic Bishop of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Bardstown between 1808 and 1839, then as bishop of the Diocese of Louisville between 1839 and 1850 when the See was transferred to Louisville in 1839.-Education and Call to Ministry:At...
P.S.S.Society of Saint-SulpiceThe Society of Saint-Sulpice is a Catholic Society of Apostolic Life named for Eglise Saint-Sulpice, Paris, in turn named for St. Sulpitius the Pious. Typically, priests become members of the Society of St. Sulpice only after ordination and some years of pastoral work. Uniquely, Sulpicians retain...
(1808–1832) resigned - John Baptist Mary DavidJohn Baptist Mary DavidJohn Baptist Mary David P.S.S. was a French prelate of the Roman Catholic Church. He served as Bishop of Bardstown from 1832 to 1833....
P.S.S.Society of Saint-SulpiceThe Society of Saint-Sulpice is a Catholic Society of Apostolic Life named for Eglise Saint-Sulpice, Paris, in turn named for St. Sulpitius the Pious. Typically, priests become members of the Society of St. Sulpice only after ordination and some years of pastoral work. Uniquely, Sulpicians retain...
(1832–1833) succeeded - Benedict Joseph Flaget P.S.S. (1833–1850) died
- Martin John SpaldingMartin John SpaldingMartin John Spalding was an American clergyman of the Roman Catholic Church. He served as Bishop of Louisville and Archbishop of Baltimore .-Early life and education:...
(1850–1864) appointed Archbishop of Baltimore - Peter Joseph LaviallePeter Joseph LaviallePeter Joseph Lavialle was a French-born prelate of the Roman Catholic Church. He served as Bishop of Louisville from 1865 until his death in 1867....
(1865–1867) died - William George McCloskeyWilliam George McCloskeyWilliam George McCloskey was an American Catholic priest, who became Bishop of Louisville, Kentucky.-Life:He was sent to Mount St. Mary's College, Emmitsburg, Maryland in 1835...
(1868–1909) died - Denis O'DonaghueDenis O'DonaghueDenis O'Donaghue was an American prelate of the Roman Catholic Church. He served as Bishop of Louisville from 1910 to 1924....
(1910–1924) Retired - John Alexander FloershJohn A. FloershJohn Alexander Floersh was an American clergyman of the Roman Catholic Church. Becoming Bishop of Louisville in 1924, he was elevated to the rank of Archbishop in 1937 and served until his retirement in 1967....
(1924–1937) elevated to Archbishop
Archbishops
- John Alexander Floersh (1937–1967) retired
- Thomas Joseph McDonoughThomas Joseph McDonoughThomas Joseph McDonough was an American prelate of the Roman Catholic Church. He served as Bishop of Savannah, Georgia and Archbishop of Louisville, Kentucky .-Early life and ministry:...
(1967–1981) resigned - Thomas Cajetan Kelly O.PDominican OrderThe Order of Preachers , after the 15th century more commonly known as the Dominican Order or Dominicans, is a Catholic religious order founded by Saint Dominic and approved by Pope Honorius III on 22 December 1216 in France...
(1981–2007) (Retired) - Joseph Edward Kurtz since 2007
Past and Present Affiliated Bishops
- Bishop James Kendrick Williams (b. 1936), Bishop Emeritus of LexingtonRoman Catholic Diocese of LexingtonThe Roman Catholic Diocese of Lexington is a Roman Catholic diocese in Kentucky. It was founded on January 14, 1988.The past bishops of the diocese are:*James Kendrick Williams *Ronald William Gainer...
- Bishop Guy Ignatius ChabratGuy Ignatius ChabratGuy Ignatius Chabrat P.S.S. was a French Roman Catholic missionary and Coadjutor Bishop of Bardstown, Kentucky . He was the first priest ordained west of the Alleghenies....
P.S.S.Society of Saint-SulpiceThe Society of Saint-Sulpice is a Catholic Society of Apostolic Life named for Eglise Saint-Sulpice, Paris, in turn named for St. Sulpitius the Pious. Typically, priests become members of the Society of St. Sulpice only after ordination and some years of pastoral work. Uniquely, Sulpicians retain...
(1787–1868), Coadjuctor Bishop of BardstownRoman Catholic Diocese of BardstownThe Roman Catholic Diocese of Bardstown was established on April 8, 1808, along with the dioceses of Boston, New York, and Philadelphia, out of the territory of the Baltimore Diocese, the first Catholic diocese in the US. When founded, the Bardstown Diocese included most of Kentucky, Tennessee,...
(1834–1847) - Archbishop Michael HeissMichael HeissMichael Heiss was a German-born prelate of the Catholic Church. He served as the first Bishop of La Crosse and the second Archbishop of Milwaukee .-Biography:...
(1818–1890), Archbishop of Milwaukee (1881–1890) - Bishop Charles Garrett Maloney (1912–2006), Auxiliary BishopAuxiliary bishopAn auxiliary bishop, in the Roman Catholic Church, is an additional bishop assigned to a diocese because the diocesan bishop is unable to perform his functions, the diocese is so extensive that it requires more than one bishop to administer, or the diocese is attached to a royal or imperial office...
of Louisville (1954–1988) - Bishop John McGillJohn McGillJohn McGill may refer to:*Biraban, indigenous Australian leader known to Europeans as John McGill*Jack McGill , hockey player*Jack McGill , hockey player*J. Yancey McGill, South Carolina senator...
(1809–1872), Bishop of RichmondRoman Catholic Diocese of RichmondThe Roman Catholic Diocese of Richmond is an ecclesiastical and episcopal see or diocese of the Roman Catholic Church in the United States. Its current territory was created by Pope Paul VI and encompasses all of central and southern Virginia, Hampton Roads, and the eastern shore...
(1850–1872) - Bishop James RyanJames RyanJames Ryan was an Irish politician. He was elected to the First Dáil at the 1918 general election and, apart from the Third Dáil , held his seat for Wexford until his retirement at the 1965 general election...
(1848–1923), Bishop of AltonRoman Catholic Diocese of Springfield in IllinoisThe Roman Catholic Diocese of Springfield in Illinois is an ecclesiastical territory or diocese of the Roman Catholic Church in the south central Illinois region of the United States...
(1888–1923) - Bishop John Lancaster Spalding (1840–1916), Bishop of PeoriaRoman Catholic Diocese of PeoriaThe Roman Catholic Diocese of Peoria is an ecclesiastical territory or diocese of the Roman Catholic Church in the central Illinois region of the United States.-Territory:...
(1876–1908)
Archbishop Kelly
The Most Reverend Thomas C. Kelly, O.P.Dominican Order
The Order of Preachers , after the 15th century more commonly known as the Dominican Order or Dominicans, is a Catholic religious order founded by Saint Dominic and approved by Pope Honorius III on 22 December 1216 in France...
was the ninth ordinary and third Archbishop and first member of the Dominican Order
Dominican Order
The Order of Preachers , after the 15th century more commonly known as the Dominican Order or Dominicans, is a Catholic religious order founded by Saint Dominic and approved by Pope Honorius III on 22 December 1216 in France...
to head the Archdiocese of Louisville. He succeeded Archbishops Thomas J. McDonough (1967-1981) and John A. Floersh (1937-1967).
High schools
Nine Catholic secondary schools serve more than 6,300 students. Eight of the schools are located in Jefferson County and one in Nelson County. Four of the schools enroll only girls, three enroll only boys, and two are coeducational.Boys
- St. Francis DeSales High School, Louisville
- St. Xavier High School, Louisville
- Trinity High SchoolTrinity High School (Louisville)Trinity High School is a Catholic, all-boys, college preparatory high school located in St. Matthews, Kentucky, a city within the Louisville Metro governmental area. Trinity first opened its doors in 1953, when Archbishop John Floersh anticipated the growth of Louisville's eastern suburbs by...
, St. Matthews
Girls
- Assumption High School, Louisville
- Mercy Academy, Louisville
- Presentation AcademyPresentation AcademyPresentation Academy, a college-preparatory high school for young women, is located just south of Downtown Louisville, Kentucky in the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Louisville...
, Louisville - Sacred Heart Academy, Louisville
Coeducational
- Bethlehem High School, Bardstown
- Holy Cross High School, Louisville
Elementary schools
Forty Catholic parish, regional and special elementary schools serve more than 15,500 students in seven counties of the Archdiocese of Louisville.- Saint Mary Academy, began in 2007 as a merger of Mother of Good Counsel Elementary School and Immaculate Conception School
Metropolitan Province of Louisville
The Metropolitan Province of Louisville covers the states of Kentucky
Kentucky
The Commonwealth of Kentucky is a state located in the East Central United States of America. As classified by the United States Census Bureau, Kentucky is a Southern state, more specifically in the East South Central region. Kentucky is one of four U.S. states constituted as a commonwealth...
and Tennessee
Tennessee
Tennessee is a U.S. state located in the Southeastern United States. It has a population of 6,346,105, making it the nation's 17th-largest state by population, and covers , making it the 36th-largest by total land area...
, and comprises the following dioceses:
- Archdiocese of Louisville
- Diocese of CovingtonRoman Catholic Diocese of CovingtonThe Roman Catholic Diocese of Covington is a Roman Catholic diocese in Northern Kentucky, covering that includes the city of Covington and the following Kentucky counties: Boone, Kenton, Campbell, Gallatin, Carroll, Grant, Owen, Pendleton, Harrison, Bracken, Robertson, Mason, Fleming, and Lewis. ...
- Diocese of KnoxvilleRoman Catholic Diocese of KnoxvilleThe Roman Catholic Diocese of Knoxville is a Roman Catholic diocese in Tennessee. It was founded on May 27, 1988 from the eastern counties of the Diocese of Nashville. This diocese covers most of East Tennessee; in addition to the see city of Knoxville, it includes Chattanooga and Johnson City....
- Diocese of LexingtonRoman Catholic Diocese of LexingtonThe Roman Catholic Diocese of Lexington is a Roman Catholic diocese in Kentucky. It was founded on January 14, 1988.The past bishops of the diocese are:*James Kendrick Williams *Ronald William Gainer...
- Diocese of MemphisRoman Catholic Diocese of MemphisThe Roman Catholic Diocese of Memphis is a Roman Catholic diocese in Tennessee. It was founded on June 20, 1970, when Pope Paul VI removed the counties in the state west of the Tennessee River from the Diocese of Nashville, which, prior to that time, encompassed the entire state.The diocese is...
- Diocese of NashvilleRoman Catholic Diocese of NashvilleThe Roman Catholic Diocese of Nashville is a Roman Catholic diocese in Tennessee. It was founded on July 28, 1837 by the Dominican Bishop Richard Pius Miles. The Cathedral Church of the Incarnation is the seat of the Bishops of Nashville....
- Diocese of OwensboroRoman Catholic Diocese of OwensboroThe Roman Catholic Diocese of Owensboro is a Roman Catholic diocese in Kentucky. It was founded on December 9, 1937. It is currently a suffragan see of the Archdiocese of Louisville...
Notable figures in the history of the archdiocese
- Thomas MertonThomas MertonThomas Merton, O.C.S.O. was a 20th century Anglo-American Catholic writer and mystic. A Trappist monk of the Abbey of Gethsemani, Kentucky, he was a poet, social activist, and student of comparative religion...
(January 31, 1915 – December 10, 1968) – American TrappistTRAPPISTTRAPPIST is Belgian robotic telescope in Chile which came online in 2010, and is an acronym for TRAnsiting Planets and PlanetesImals Small Telescope, so named in homage to Trappist beer produced in the Belgian region. Situated high in the Chilean mountains at La Silla Observatory, it is actually...
monk and author, famed for his work in Buddhist-Christian relations. Entered the Abbey of GethsemaniAbbey of GethsemaniThe Abbey of Our Lady of Gethsemani is a Trappist monastery near Bardstown, Kentucky in Nelson County—situated on more than 2,000 acres of farmland, and considered to be the "mother house" of all Trappist and Trappistine monasteries in the United States of America...
in the Archdiocese of Louisville in 1941. - Bishop Benedict Joseph FlagetBenedict Joseph FlagetBenedict Joseph Flaget was a U.S. bishop. He served as the Roman Catholic Bishop of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Bardstown between 1808 and 1839, then as bishop of the Diocese of Louisville between 1839 and 1850 when the See was transferred to Louisville in 1839.-Education and Call to Ministry:At...
(1763–1850) was the first and only Bishop of BardstownBardstown, KentuckyAs of the census of 2010, there were 11,700 people, 4,712 households, and 2,949 families residing in the city. The population density was . There were 5,113 housing units at an average density of...
and the first Bishop of Louisville. Invariably called "the saintly Flaget," Bishop Flaget served as bishop from 1810 until his death in 1850. - Father Stephen T. BadinStephen BadinReverend Fr. Stephen Theodore Badin was ordained a priest by Bishop John Carroll on May 25, 1793. His was the first Roman Catholic priest ordination in the United States.-Early life:...
(1768–1853) – The "circuit rider priest." Served the area that would become the Diocese of BardstownBardstown, KentuckyAs of the census of 2010, there were 11,700 people, 4,712 households, and 2,949 families residing in the city. The population density was . There were 5,113 housing units at an average density of...
(and later the Archdiocese of Louisville.) The first priest to be ordained in the United States, Father Badin was known as overly strict but zealous. - Father John L. Spalding (1840–1916) helped found Catholic UniversityThe Catholic University of AmericaThe Catholic University of America is a private university located in Washington, D.C. in the United States. It is a pontifical university of the Catholic Church in the United States and the only institution of higher education founded by the U.S. Catholic bishops...
in Washington, D.C.Washington, D.C.Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
, and was called the "Catholic EmersonRalph Waldo EmersonRalph Waldo Emerson was an American essayist, lecturer, and poet, who led the Transcendentalist movement of the mid-19th century...
" because of his many books of essays. Father Spalding later became the Bishop of Peoria, Illinois. - Father James C. Maloney (1911–1998) – founded Boys’ Haven in Louisville in 1948. His brother is Bishop Charles MaloneyCharles Garrett Maloney (bishop)Charles Garrett Maloney served as the Auxiliary Bishop of Louisville and titular Bishop of Bardstown, Kentucky.-Education:...
. - Monsignor Alfred F. HorriganAlfred F. HorriganMonsignor Alfred F. Horrigan was born in 1914. He is notable for being the founding president of Bellarmine University. Ordained in 1940, he was named a monsignor by Pope Pius XII. Msgr. Horrigan was frequently involved in social justice issues and headed the Louisville, Kentucky Human Relation...
(1914–2005) was the founding president of Bellarmine College, now Bellarmine UniversityBellarmine UniversityBellarmine University is an independent, private, Catholic university in Louisville, Kentucky. The liberal arts institution opened on October 3, 1950, as Bellarmine College, established by Archbishop John A. Floersh of the Archdiocese of Louisville and named after the Cardinal Saint Robert...
. He also headed the city’s Human Relations commission and was a friend of Thomas MertonThomas MertonThomas Merton, O.C.S.O. was a 20th century Anglo-American Catholic writer and mystic. A Trappist monk of the Abbey of Gethsemani, Kentucky, he was a poet, social activist, and student of comparative religion...
.