Wednesday, November 22, 2017


Province of Louisville


Pope Pius XI established the Province of Louisville in 1937.  The Province consists of the Archdiocese of Louisville and the Dioceses of Covington, Owensboro, and Lexington in Kentucky, and the Dioceses of Nashville, Memphis, and Knoxville in Tennessee.  The Province has 590,000 Catholics, 5 percent of the total population (as of 2015).  The Province has the third lowest percentage of Catholics of the 32 U.S. provinces.  In 2000, the Province had 525,000 Catholics or 6 percent of the total population.

I have seen all the cathedrals and basilicas in the Province, except the new cathedral in Knoxville, which is still under construction.  The Cathedral in Covington is stunning.

Map of the Province


Kentucky

Catholic History of Kentucky


Harrodsburg was established in 1774 as Kentucky’s first permanent settlement.  Among the first settlers was Dr. George Hart, a Catholic and one of the first physicians to settle in Kentucky, and William Coomes, whose wife, Jane, was the both the first white female settler and the first school teacher. Some members of Daniel Boone’s family were also Catholic.  In 1785, 25 families came to Kentucky from St. Mary’s County, Maryland, and settled near the present site of Bardstown.  More Maryland Catholics came the following year.  

Father Charles Whelan, Kentucky’s first resident priest, arrived in the Bardstown area in 1787.  He was followed by a French exile, Father Stephen Badin, the first priest ordained in the United States.  Badin, the “Apostle of Kentucky” arrived at his new post by walking from Baltimore to Pittsburgh and then by taking a flatboat down the Ohio River to what is now Maysville, Kentucky.  Kentucky became the 15th state in 1792 and by the mid-1790s there were over 300 Catholic families in Kentucky, primarily in what are now Nelson, Marion, and Washington Counties.  By the early 1800s, Catholicism was well established in Kentucky, with a Dominican priory (the first in the United States) in Washington County and an order of nuns—the Sisters of Loretto—established in Marion County.  The later had been established with the help of another pioneer priest—Father Charles Nerinckx from Belgium.

Pope Pius VI created the Diocese of Baltimore in 1789, which at the time consisted of the 13 original U.S. states.  Baltimore was raised to an archdiocese by Pope Pius VII in 1808 and four new dioceses were created—Boston, New York, Philadelphia, and Bardstown, Kentucky.  At the time of its founding, the Bardstown diocese covered the states of Kentucky and Tennessee.  However, the diocese’s first bishop, Benedict Flaget, was also give jurisdiction over the relatively few Catholics who lived in an area that now consists of the states of Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Michigan, Missouri, Ohio, Wisconsin, and portions of Arkansas and Minnesota.  He was relieved of this extra responsibility after the creation of the Diocese of Cincinnati in 1821 and the Diocese of Vincennes (now Indianapolis) in 1834.

Louisville was established as a town in 1780 and French priests, including the future bishop, Benedict Flaget, visited in the early 1790s.  The town attracted new residents, including native-born Americans, as well as French, Irish, and Germans.  Bishop Flaget moved his See to Louisville in 1841 due to its growing population, which in that year numbered about 21,000 people.  Among them were 4,000 Catholics in three parishes.  By this time, the Diocese consisted only of the state of Kentucky.  Louisville became part of the Province of Cincinnati when it was established in 1850, at which time there were 35,000 Catholics in Kentucky.

Catholics in Eastern Kentucky tended to be Germans, who settled near Cincinnati, and Irish, who settled around Lexington and Frankfort.  Early churches included St. Mary (1834) and Mother of God (1842) in Covington; St. Francis de Sales (1790s) in White Sulphur near Lexington; and St. Peter (1818) in Lexington.  This growth in the number of Catholics in this region led Pope Pius IX to create the Diocese of Covington in 1853.  At the time, the Covington diocese consisted of the eastern third of Kentucky.  Pope John Paul II created the Diocese of Lexington in 1988. 

Germans and Irish had also come to Western Kentucky, especially near towns along the Ohio River, and by 1860, there were almost 20 Catholic churches in the western third of the state.  Pope Pius XI created the Diocese of Owensboro in 1937 at the same time that he created the Province of Louisville.

Archdiocese of Louisville


The Archdiocese of Louisville consists of 24 counties in central Kentucky. The Archdiocese has 190,000 Catholics (14 percent of the total population) in 102 parishes (as of 2015).  The Diocese of Bardstown was established in 1808.  It became the Diocese of Louisville in 1841 and the Archdiocese of Louisville in 1937.  A good source for a history of the bishops of Bardstown and Louisville is The Faithful Image, by Father Clyde F. Crews.

Bishops of Bardstown


Benedict J. Flaget, S.S. (1763-1850), first Bishop of Bardstown (1808-1832 and 1833-1841) and first Bishop of Louisville (1841-1850).  
·         Born in France and ordained a Sulpician priest in 1788.

Bishop Flaget arrived in Kentucky in 1811 as the first Bishop of Bardstown and was accompanied by two priests and three seminarians (one of whom, Guy Chabret, became the first priest ordained west of the Alleghany Mountains).  Bishop Flaget's diocese consisted of Kentucky and Tennessee, but as noted above, he had responsibility for a territory that consists of what are now several states.  (This vast territory was reduced in 1821 with the creation of the Diocese of Cincinnati.  In 1837, the Diocese consisted only of the State of Kentucky.)  Although the Diocese was large in size, it had few souls.  There were about 6,000 Catholics in Kentucky, and a few others scattered in settlements such as Detroit, Vincennes (Indiana), and Kaskaskia and Cahokia (both in Illinois).  Almost all of the churches were log chapels.  Flaget made frequent pastoral visits throughout this territory and built colleges and a seminary—the first such Catholic institutions in the American West.  (Many of the early leaders of the American Catholic church received their training in these institutions—eight of Flaget’s priests would later become bishops—and he was influential in the selection of U.S. bishops.)  Flaget built St. Joseph’s Cathedral in Bardstown and welcomed many religious congregations to his diocese including the Dominicans, the Jesuits, and the Franciscans, as well as encouraging the establishment of the Sisters of Loretto and the Sisters of Charity of Nazareth.  Bishop Flaget oversaw continued growth in the Diocese and built new parishes—by the late 1830s, the diocese, now only consisting of Kentucky, had 40 churches, 70 mission stations, 51 priests, and several schools.  Flaget established a weekly Catholic paper ("The Catholic Advocate") in 1836 and transferred his See from Bardstown to Louisville in 1841 after it became apparent that Louisville would become the principal city in Kentucky.  He began construction of the Cathedral of the Assumption in Louisville and, in 1848, welcomed a group of French Trappist monks who built the now-famous Abbey of Gethsemani.  Flaget died in 1850 and is one of 19 U.S. bishops to serve 40 or more years as bishop of a single diocese.

John B. David, S.S. (1761-1841), Bishop of Bardstown (1832-1833).  
·       Born in France and ordained a Sulpician priest in 1785.
·       Also served as coadjutor bishop of Bardstown (1819-1832)—he refused to become a bishop for two years before becoming the first bishop consecrated west of the Appalachian Mountains.

David served only five months as Bishop and was succeeded by his predecessor, Bishop Flaget.  Nearing 70, Bishop Flaget resigned his position in 1832 in favor of Guy Chabret, but the Vatican appointed Flaget’s coadjutor bishop, John David, as Bishop instead.  All three priests were surprised and David immediately submitted his resignation to Rome.  Pope Gregory XVI accepted his resignation five months later and reappointed Benedict Flaget as bishop.  Flaget had spent his temporary “retirement” tending to cholera victims. 

Bishops of Louisville


Benedict J. Flaget, S.S. (1763-1850), first Bishop of Bardstown (1808-1832 and 1833-1841) and first Bishop of Louisville (1841-1850). 
·         See above biography.

Martin J. Spalding (1810-1872), Bishop of Louisville (1850-1864).  
  • Born in Marion County, Kentucky, and ordained a priest in 1834 for the Diocese of Bardstown.
  • Also served as coadjutor bishop of Louisville (1848-1850) and Archbishop of Baltimore (1864-1872).
Louisville was blessed with two of the greatest 19th Century U.S. bishops—Flaget and Martin Spalding who, as coadjutor bishop, became Bishop of Louisville in 1850 at the death of Bishop Flaget.  The Kentucky-born Spalding, who led a Diocese of 30,000 Catholics (in 1850), created a parochial school system and invited religious orders, such as the Xaverian Brothers (who were from Belgium and established St. Xavier High School in Louisville in 1864) and Ursuline Sisters (from Germany), to teach in the schools.  He also completed construction of the Cathedral of the Assumption in 1852.  Spalding tended to the needs of large numbers of Irish and German immigrants—the Catholic population of the Diocese more than doubled between 1848 and 1864 despite the creation of the Diocese of Covington in 1853.  The large number of immigrants resulted in a backlash.  Nativist mobs attacked the new immigrants on August 6, 1855 and over twenty people were killed and the homes of 20 Catholic families destroyed.  Bishop Spalding urged restraint and further violence was stopped.  Bishop Spalding remained neutral during the Civil War and supplied chaplains and nurses to both sides.  Spalding, known for being an outstanding speaker, noted author, skilled canon lawyer, and considered to be the most influential American Catholic apologist prior to the Civil War, was appointed by Pope Pius IX to be Archbishop of Baltimore in 1864.  

Peter J. Lavialle (1819-1867), Bishop of Louisville (1865-1867).  
  • Born in France and ordained a priest for Diocese of Louisville in 1844.
Bishop Lavialle built six churches and established a Catholic cemetery.  Lavialle attended the Second Council of Baltimore in October 1866, but became ill and died a few months later, serving only two years as Bishop.

William G. McCloskey (1823-1909), Bishop of Louisville (1868-1909). 
  • Born in Brooklyn and ordained a priest for the Archdiocese of New York in 1852.
  • Prior to becoming Bishop, he served as the first rector of the North American College at Rome.
McCloskey was Bishop of Louisville during a time of growth and he built almost 100 new churches to attend to this growth.  He also invited religious orders to serve in the Diocese (including the Benedictines, the Sisters of Mercy, the Little Sisters of the Poor, and the Franciscan Sisters) and established a seminary in Louisville.  He attended the First Vatican Council in 1870 and two plenary councils in Baltimore.  McCloskey was noted for his piety, but also for his authoritarian nature—he frequently feuded with his clergy, religious orders, and the laity.  At the time of his death in 1909, he was the oldest U.S. Catholic bishop.  McCloskey is one of 19 U.S. bishops to serve 40 or more years as bishop of a single diocese.  

Denis O’Donaghue (1848-1925), Bishop of Louisville (1910-1924).  
  • Born in Indiana and ordained a priest in 1874 for the Diocese of Vincennes.
  • Also served as auxiliary bishop of Indianapolis (1900-1910).
O’Donaghue led the Diocese of Louisville through the First World War and the world-wide influenza epidemic.  He established several new parishes and schools, as well as orphanages and a college.  Ill health forced Bishop O’Donaghue to resign in 1924.

Archbishops of Louisville


John A. Floersh (1886-1968), Bishop of Louisville (1924-1937), and first Archbishop of Louisville (1937-1967).  
  • Born in Nashville and ordained a priest in 1911 for the Diocese of Nashville.
  • Also served as coadjutor bishop of Louisville (1923-1924).
Floersh, who had been appointed coadjutor bishop in 1923, became Bishop upon the resignation of Bishop O’Donaghue.  Pope Pius XI created the Province of Louisville in 1937, naming Floersh the first Archbishop of Louisville and forming western Kentucky into the Diocese of Owensboro.  Archbishop Floersh built many new parishes and schools during the post-war economic boom.  He also established Bellermine University and a seminary.  He established a school board to govern Archdiocesan schools and consolidated charitable activities under the auspices of Catholic Charities.  Floersh also supported the civil rights movement and attended the Second Vatican Council.  Floersh retired in 1967 after serving over 42 years as Bishop and Archbishop—the 8th longest tenure in a single diocese of any U.S. bishop.  

Thomas J. McDonough (1911-1998), Archbishop of Louisville (1967-1981).  
  • Born in Philadelphia and ordained a priest in 1938 for the Archdiocese of Philadelphia.
  • Also served as auxiliary bishop of St. Augustine, Florida (1947-1957), auxiliary bishop of Savannah, Georgia (1957-1960), and Bishop of Savannah (1960-1967).
Archbishop McDonough enthusiastically implemented the decrees of the Second Vatican Council, including the establishment of the permanent diaconate program, ecumenical outreach, liturgical renewal and greater involvement by the laity.  He spoke out against the Supreme Courts legalization of abortion in 1973.  Archbishop McDonough resigned in 1981.

Thomas C. Kelly, O.P. (1931-2011), Archbishop of Louisville (1982-2007). 
  • Born in New York and ordained a Dominican priest in 1958.
  • Also served as auxiliary bishop of Washington D.C., while serving as chief administrative officer and general secretary of the National Conference of Catholic Bishops and of the U.S. Catholic Conference (1977-1982).
Archbishop Kelly established a strategic planning process that guided initiatives in social services, evangelization, lay ministry, multicultural ministry, pastoral care, education, and faith formation.  He also established development campaigns and renovated the Cathedral of the Assumption.  Kelly encouraged the Presbyterian Church (USA) to move its headquarters to Louisville.  The Archdiocese settled a lawsuit in 2003 for $26 million as a result of clergy sexual abuse against 240 victims.  Archbishop Kelly retired in 2007.

Current Archbishop 

Joseph E. Kurtz was appointed Archbishop of Louisville by Pope Benedict XVI in 2007.  He was born in Pennsylvania in 1946 and ordained a priest for the Diocese of Allentown, Pennsylvania, in 1972.  He previously served as a Bishop of Knoxville (1999-2007). 

The Cathedral


Cathedral of the Assumption
443 South 5th Street
Louisville, Kentucky  40402

The Cathedral is named for Mary, the mother of Jesus, and therefore, the Mother of God.  From the earliest days of the Church, Christians believed that Mary, upon her death, was assumed body and soul into Heaven by her Son.  This belief was formalized in 1950 by Pope Pius XII, who declared that the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary was a dogma of the Catholic Faith.  The Feast of the Assumption is celebrated on August 15.  

O most sweet Lady and our Mother, by the merits of your happy death, obtain for us holy perseverance in the divine friendship that we may finally quit this life in God’s grace; and unite with the blessed spirits in praising you and singing your glories as you deserve. Amen.

When Bishop Flaget first arrived in Kentucky in 1810, he established his cathedral at St. Stephen’s Church in Loretto.  This small log chapel no longer exists.  In 1816, St. Thomas’ church, a small brick church that still stands just outside of Bardstown, became the cathedral.  That same year, Flaget began work on the construction of St. Joseph’s Cathedral in Bardstown, now known as the Proto-Cathedral, which was completed in 1819.  St. Joseph’s was essentially “hand-made” by local Kentucky Catholics.  The brick building has Corinthian columns and a steeple with a clock tower and a bell chamber.   St. Joseph’s contains a number of artistic treasures, including paintings by Rubens and Van Dyke donated by Pope Leo XII and Louis Philippe, who later became King of France.  It must have been an impressive sight for an early 19th Century visitor to Bardstown.  The Proto-Cathedral was given the title of basilica in 2001. 


Old St. Thomas Cathedral from the parish website.

When Bishop Flaget moved the diocesan See to Louisville in 1841, he chose St. Louis Church as his cathedral.  St. Louis was the first Catholic church in Louisville--opened on Christmas Day, 1811.  It was initially located at 10th and Main but was replaced by a new building, resembling St. Joseph’s Cathedral.  The new church, located on 5th Street, was consecrated in 1830.

The current cathedral, the Cathedral of the Assumption, was built around the old St. Louis Cathedral, and opened in 1852.  The Cathedral is the third oldest cathedral in the country in continuous use and the fourth oldest building in downtown Louisville.  The cathedral was built in the Gothic Revival style by William Keeley and Isaiah Rogers.  The cathedral was recently renovated and seats 1,000 people.  St. Thomas, St. Joseph, and Assumption churches are all listed on the National Register of Historic Places.


From the Cathedral website.

The Cathedral’s steeple, 287 feet high, was the tallest spire in North America at the time it was built in 1858.  The bell tower has three bells, the largest of which weighs more than two tons and was a gift from the Archbishop of Mexico.  The interior walls are painted in a faux technique that looks like limestone blocks.  The floor is made from white oak.  The cathedral’s ceiling consists of 8,000 24-karat gold leaf stars on a blue background.  A ceiling fresco depicts the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary created by a Cincinnati artist.  

The baptismal font is made of pink granite and bronze and the marble surrounding the pool is taken from the original communion rail.  The main altar has a base of gray marble with a red granite table.  The marble was taken from the original high altar during a 1972 renovation.  The altar has carvings of Catholic symbols.  The ambo has a similar design as that of the main altar.

The Coronation window depicts the crowning of Mary as the Queen of Heaven.  It was designed by the Blum Art Company of Louisville in 1883 and is one of the oldest and largest hand-painted glass windows in the United States.  The four large oil paintings in the sanctuary were given to Bishop Flaget by Pope Gregory XVI and depict four minor saints.  These paintings were used originally at St. Peter’s Basilica in Rome during the 1825 ceremonies when their subjects were beatified. The Cathedral pipe organ was made by the Steiner-Reck Company of Louisville in 1983.  The organ is a mechanical-action tracker organ with 43 ranks and 36 Stops.  The casework is hand-carved mahogany. 

Additional information can be found on the Cathedral’s website, cathedraloftheassumption.org and on the Archdiocesan website, archlou.org.  The Cathedral is located in downtown Louisville and has four weekend masses to serve 1,300 parish families.  The Cathedral also has a Mass in the Syro-Malabar Rite celebrated twice a month.












All pictures are from the Cathedral website.

Also located in the Archdiocese

Basilica is an honorary title bestowed on a church by the Pope because of the church’s antiquity, dignity, historical importance, or significance as a center of worship.  There are two basilicas in the Archdiocese of Louisville, specifically in Nelson County.  Nelson County is one of only five counties in the United States that have two or more basilicas.  The others are Cook County, Illinois (Chicago) and Kings County, New York (Brooklyn) with three each, and Mahoning County, Ohio (Youngstown), and the City of St. Louis, Missouri, each with two. 

St. Joseph’s Proto-Cathedral in Bardstown was discussed above.  Additional information can be found on its website at stjosephbasilica.org.





The top two pictures are from flickr and the last two are from the parish website.

The other basilica is Our Lady of Gethsemani Abbey in Trappist, Kentucky.  Gethsemani Abbey was founded in 1848 by French Reformed Cistercian monks (better known as Trappists).  It is probably the best known monastery in the United States due in part to the fact that noted author, Thomas Merton, spent the last 27 years of his life here.  Pope Pius XII designated the monastery chapel as a basilica in 1949—the sixth church in the United States to receive such a designation.  The website is monks.org.



The top picture is from the abbey website and the second by pininterest.

Diocese of Covington


The Diocese consists of 14 counties in northern Kentucky.  The Diocese has 91,000 Catholics (18 percent of the total population) in 47 parishes (as of 2015).

Bishops of Covington


George A. Carrell, S.J. (1803-1868), first Bishop of Covington (1853-1868).  
·         Born in Pennsylvania and ordained a Jesuit priest in 1827.

When Carrell became Bishop, there were 7,000 Catholics, 10 churches, and 7 priests in the Diocese.  The former president of St. Louis University and rector of St. Xavier College (in Cincinnati) spent much of his time organizing his new Diocese and building the churches, schools, and other institutions needed to keep pace with a 200 percent growth in the number of Catholics in the Diocese during his time as bishop.  He invited several religious orders, including the Sisters of Charity of Nazareth, Visitation nuns, Ursuline nuns, and Benedictine priests and nuns, to work in the Diocese.  Bishop Carrell died 1868.

Augustus M. Toebbe (1829-1884), Bishop of Covington (1869-1884). 
  • Born in Germany and was ordained a priest in 1854 for the Archdiocese of Cincinnati.
Like his predecessor, Bishop Toebbe built many new parishes to keep up with the growth in the number of Catholics.  Toebbe was responsible for bringing the Sisters of Notre Dame to the Diocese.  Bishop Toebbe died in 1884.

Camillus P. Maes (1846-1915), Bishop of Covington (1884-1915). 
·         Born in Belgium and ordained a priest in 1868 in Belgium.

Bishop Maes built the Cathedral Basilica of the Assumption and worked zealously to care for the people living in the mountainous areas of Eastern Kentucky, who were mostly poor and non-Catholic.  He established 3 diocesan newspapers, encouraged the establishment of The Catholic University in Washington D.C., and Catholic historical groups, and led several organizations that promoted the Eucharist.  Bishop Maes died in 1915.

Ferdinand Brossart (1849-1930), Bishop of Covington (1916-1923). 
·         Born in Germany and ordained a priest in 1872 for the Diocese of Covington.

Brossart is the only priest of the Diocese to become its Bishop.  Because he was born in Germany, Brossart faced discrimination during the First World War.  As a result, he directed that all churches use only Latin and English in their liturgies.  He also translated several German theological books into English.  Bishop Brossart worked to complete the interior of the Cathedral Basilica of the Assumption, but was forced to resign in 1923 due to poor health.  

Francis W. Howard (1867-1944), Bishop of Covington (1923-1944).  
·         Born in Ohio, and ordained a priest for the Diocese of Columbus in 1891.

An advocate of education, Bishop Howard worked to improve educational facilities and opportunities in the Diocese, including the establishment of special schools with classical curricula, and served as secretary general (1903-1928) and president (1928-1936) of the National Catholic Education Association.  He also helped victims of the devastating Ohio River flood of 1937.  Bishop Howard died in 1944.

William T. Mulloy (1892-1959), Bishop of Covington (1944-1959).  
·         Born in North Dakota and ordained a priest in 1916 for the Diocese of Fargo.

A former president of the National Rural Life Conference, Bishop Mulloy, was also dedicated to civil rights.  Bishop Mulloy died in 1959.

Richard Ackerman, C.S.Sp. (1903-1992), Bishop of Covington (1960-1978).  
·         Born in Pennsylvania and ordained a priest for the Congregation of the Holy Spirit in 1926.
·         Also served as auxiliary bishop of San Diego, California (1956-1960).

Bishop Ackerman attended the Second Vatican Council and co-founded the Congregation of the Sisters of St. Joseph the Worker in 1973.  Bishop Ackerman retired in 1978.

William A. Hughes (1921-1913), Bishop of Covington (1979-1995).  
·         Born in Ohio and ordained a priest for the Diocese of Youngstown, Ohio, in 1946.
·         Also served as auxiliary bishop of Youngstown, Ohio, (1974-1979).

During his time as Bishop, the Diocese of Covington was reduced to its current size with the creation in 1988 of the Diocese of Lexington.  Bishop Hughes implemented the decisions of the Second Vatican Council including the creation of a permanent diaconate program, a youth ministry, and a Diocesan pastoral council.  Hughes also reinstituted the Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults program and created a pro-life office, a development office, and offices to manage clergy education and lay employee pension plans.  Hughes also created five new parishes.  Bishop Hughes retired in 1995.

Robert W. Muench (1942-    ), Bishop of Covington (1996-2001).  
  • Born in Louisville and ordained a priest for the Archdiocese of New Orleans in 1968.
  • Also served as auxiliary bishop of New Orleans (1990-1996) and serves as Bishop of Baton Rouge, Louisiana (since 2001).
Bishop Muench directed the renovation of the Cathedral Basilica of the Assumption.  [I don’t have anything else on his time in Covington.] Muench was appointed Bishop of Baton Rouge, Louisiana, in 2001.

Current Bishop 

Roger J. Foys was appointed Bishop of Covington by Pope John Paul II in 2002.  He was born in Chicago in 1945 and ordained a priest for the Diocese of Steubenville, Ohio, in 1973.  He previously served in several capacities in the Diocese of Steubenville.

The Cathedral


Cathedral Basilica of the Assumption
1130 Madison Avenue
Covington, Kentucky  41011

The Cathedral is named for Mary, the mother of Jesus, and therefore, the Mother of God.  From the earliest days of the Church, Christians believed that Mary, upon her death, was assumed body and soul into Heaven by her Son.  This belief was formalized in 1950 by Pope Pius XII, who declared that the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary was a dogma of the Catholic Faith.  The Feast of the Assumption is celebrated on August 15.  

Father in heaven, all creation rightly gives you praise, for all life and all holiness come from you. In the plan of your wisdom she who bore the Christ in her womb was raised body and soul in glory to be with him in heaven. May we follow her example in reflecting your holiness and join in her hymn of endless love and praise. We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen.

When Bishop Carrell became the first bishop of Covington in 1853, he chose Covington’s first Catholic church, St. Mary’s, as his cathedral.  St. Mary’s had been established in 1834.  By the time it became a cathedral, it was apparent that the existing church building was inadequate and a new St. Mary’s was begun in 1853 on Eighth Street, between Greenup Street and Scott Boulevard.  The Cathedral parish had outgrown this second building when Camillus Maes became bishop in 1885.  Bishop Maes began making plans for a new cathedral building and laid the cornerstone in 1895.  The new Cathedral of the Assumption was dedicated for use in 1901, although construction continued until 1910. 




The top picture is from pinterest.  The rest were taken by me.

The Cathedral Basilica’s exterior was modeled on the Cathedral of Notre Dame in Paris and its interior on the Abbey Church of St. Denis, near Paris.  The cathedral was designed in the Gothic style by architect Leon Coquard of Detroit and it contains the largest stained glass window in any church in the world measuring 24 by 67 feet.  The window portrays the Coronation of the Virgin Mary, the Council of Ephesus (which in 431 proclaimed Mary as the Mother of God), and Fathers of the Church.  In all, the cathedral contains 82 stained glass windows, most from the Mayer Company in Germany.  The Cathedral also has paintings by Covington-native Frank Duveneck and has 26 gargoyles that were carved in Italy.  The carving of the Assumption was done by Clement Barnhorn of Cincinnati.  A beautiful Marian shrine was added in 1959.  The Cathedral is an unexpected treasure in a Cincinnati suburb.

Pope Pius XII named the Cathedral a basilica in 1953—the eighth such church to be honored in the United States and the second U.S. cathedral.  The Cathedral is also listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

Additional information can be obtained on the Cathedral’s website, covcathedral.com, and on the diocesan website at covdio.org.  The Cathedral is located near downtown Covington and has four weekend masses.












The first three pictures are from the parish website, the fourth is from flickr, and the rest were taken by me.

Diocese of Owensboro


The Diocese consists of 32 counties in western Kentucky.  The Diocese has 50,000 Catholics (6 percent of the total population) in 79 parishes (as of 2015).

Bishops of Owensboro


Francis R. Cotton (1895-1960), first Bishop of Owensboro (1937-1960).  
·         Born in Bardstown, Kentucky, and ordained a priest in 1920 for the Diocese of Louisville.

Bishop Cotton convened the first Diocesan Synod in 1943 to establish statutes for the new Diocese.  He also helped establish Brescia University in Owensboro. Bishop Cotton died in 1960.

Henry J. Soenneker (1907-1987), Bishop of Owensboro (1961-1982).  
·         Born in Minnesota and ordained a priest in 1934 for the Diocese of St. Cloud, Minnesota.

Bishop Soenneker attended all four sessions of the Second Vatican Council and retired in 1982.

John J. McRaith (1934-2017), Bishop of Owensboro (1982-2009).  
·         Born in Minnesota and ordained a priest in 1960 for the Diocese of New Ulm, Minnesota.

McRaith was a former executive director of the Catholic Rural Life Conference.  Bishop McRaith established an African-American ministry and a ministry to serve the growing number of Hispanic Catholics in the Diocese.  He bought homes for the homeless—he lived in a double-wide trailer—and took part in Jubilee2000, an ecumenical event.  Bishop McRaith retired in 2009 due to poor health.  According to press accounts, after he died, Bishop McRaith’s casket was taken to a cemetery 15 miles from Owensboro on a flatbed between bales of hay and towed by a tractor.  According to his successor, Bishop Medley, "all along the way, farmers parked their tractors and farm equipment along the road and stood there in silent salute. It was one of the most moving things I have ever seen."

Current Bishop

William F. Medley was appointed Bishop of Owensboro by Pope Benedict XVI in 2009.  He was born in Marion County, Kentucky, in 1952, and ordained a priest for the Archdiocese of Louisville in 1982.  He previously served in several capacities in the Archdiocese, including pastor. 

The Cathedral


St. Stephen Cathedral
614 Locust Street
Owensboro, Kentucky  42301

The cathedral is named for St. Stephen, the Church’s first martyr.  St. Stephen was one of the first deacons appointed to assist the Apostles.  Stephen belonged to a group of early Christians who believed they would have to separate themselves from Judaism.  These views led to his being stoned to death outside of Jerusalem.  His feast day is celebrated on December 26.

O Great St. Stephen, the scriptures tell us that your face was like that of an angel as you witnessed to the truth of Christ. Please ask the Most Holy Trinity to fill my soul and the souls of all my brothers and sisters throughout the world with a deep hunger for the truth that comes from the Heart of Jesus, and also with the loving courage to embrace and profess the truth even amid difficulties, confusion, and persecution.  May the serenity and peace which were yours at the hour of your stoning be ours as well as we wait in hope for the coming of the Lord Jesus who lives and reigns forever and ever.  Amen.

St. Stephen parish was founded in 1839, the first parish in Owensboro.  This church was located at Second and Cedar Streets and was replaced by a larger church at the same location in 1856.  The present Italianate brick building was completed in 1926 and became the cathedral when the diocese was created in 1937.



The top picture is from the Diocesan website and the bottom picture was taken by me.

The Cathedral was renovated in 2012.  The stained-glass windows date to the dedication of the Cathedral and the current Bishop’s chair was installed in 1938, shortly after St. Stephen’s became a cathedral.

The Cathedral website is ststephencathedral.org and the diocesan website is owensborodiocese.org.  The Cathedral website has a slideshow about the renovation.  The Cathedral is located in downtown Owensboro and has four weekend masses to serve 600 parish families.



Both pictures are mine.

Diocese of Lexington


The Diocese consists of 50 counties in eastern Kentucky.  The Diocese has 46,000 Catholics (3 percent of the total population) in 48 parishes (as of 2015).

Bishops of Lexington


James K. Williams (1936-    ), first Bishop of Lexington (1988-2002).  
·         Born in Athertonville, Kentucky, and ordained a priest for the Archdiocese of Louisville in 1963.
·         Also served as the first auxiliary bishop of Covington (1984-1988).

Williams served on the Board of Catholic Missions and fostered ecumenical relations with other churches.  He resigned in 2002 under allegations of sexual misconduct.

Ronald W. Gainer (1947-    ), Bishop of Lexington (2003-2013).  
·         Born in Pennsylvania and ordained a priest for the Diocese of Allentown, Pennsylvania, in 1973.
·         Serves as Bishop of Harrisburg, Pennsylvania (since 2013).

I have no information on Bishop Gainer, except that he was appointed Bishop of Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, in 2013.

Current Bishop

John Stowe was appointed Bishop of Lexington by Pope Francis in 2015.  He was born in Ohio in 1966 and ordained a priest for the Conventual Franciscans in 1995.  He previously served as vicar provincial of the Conventual Franciscan Province of Our Lady of Consolation, Mount St. Francis, Indiana, and rector of the Basilica and National Shrine of Our Lady of Consolation in Carey, Ohio.

The Cathedral

Cathedral of Christ the King
299 Colony Blvd.
Lexington, Kentucky  40502

The cathedral’s name refers to Jesus Christ as King of all Creation.  As King, all people owe him honor, praise, and fidelity, in all aspects of our lives.  The Feast of Christ the King is celebrated on the last Sunday of the Church year. 

Almighty and merciful God, you break the power of evil and make all things new in your Son Jesus Christ, the King of the universe. May all in heaven and earth acclaim your glory and never cease to praise you. We ask this through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever.

Christ the King parish was founded in July 1945 with an original congregation of about 100 people.  The parish moved to its current site in May 1946 and masses were held in a prefabricated structure.  The current church was designed by Cincinnati architect Edward J. Schulte in modern and art deco styles and was built between 1965 and 1967 at a cost of $1.5 million.  When the Diocese of Lexington was formed in 1988, Christ the King was named the Cathedral church for the Diocese.  The Cathedral has brightly colored stained glass windows.

The Cathedral website is cathedralctk.org and the diocesan website is cdlex.org.  The Cathedral is located two miles southeast of downtown Lexington and has five weekend masses to serve 2500 parish families.  The parish elementary school has an enrollment of 450.





The first picture is mine, the next two are from pinterest, and the last is from Wikipedia.

Tennessee

Catholic History of Tennessee


A number of Spanish and French explorers, including Hernando De Soto and Father Jacques Marquette, visited the area that is now Tennessee as early as the 1500s.  By the late 1600s, Franciscan priests likely offered the first Mass in Tennessee near what is now Memphis.  Other Catholics came through the future State during the 1700s, but none of these visits resulted in any significant Catholic presence in Tennessee. 

Bishop John David, the auxiliary bishop of Bardstown, visited Nashville with Father Robert Abell, in 1821.  At that time—25 years after Tennessee became the 16th state—there were probably only about 100 Catholics in Tennessee.  Father Abell continued to visit Nashville periodically over the next few years.  In 1830, the first parish in Tennessee was established—Holy Rosary in Nashville—to serve Irish construction workers and the descendants of French fur trappers.  Holy Rosary church was located on what are now the State Capitol grounds.

In 1837, Pope Gregory XVI separated Tennessee from the Diocese of Bardstown, Kentucky, and Nashville became the See of the new bishop.  The first bishop of Nashville presided over a diocese that initially consisted of only a few hundred Catholics.  Railroad construction in the 1840s brought many Irish Catholic laborers to Tennessee and they were served by priests who rode horses from camp to camp to say Mass and administer the sacraments.  The Diocese continued to grow, and by the time of the Civil War, there were almost a dozen Catholic churches in cities and towns across the state, mostly in middle Tennessee

Nevertheless, Tennessee never received large waves of Catholic immigrants as did states in the East and Midwest.  Until 1970, the Diocese of Nashville included all of Tennessee.  It was in that year that Pope Paul VI created the Diocese of Memphis to serve Catholics in west Tennessee.  There were few Catholics in east Tennessee—there were only three Catholic churches there in 1900—until Catholics came to the area in the 1930s and 1940s to work for the Tennessee Valley Authority, Alcoa Aluminum, and the Oak Ridge National Laboratory.  Pope John Paul II created the Diocese of Knoxville in 1988 to serve the Catholics in east Tennessee.

Diocese of Nashville


The Diocese consists of 38 counties in central Tennessee.  The diocese has 81,000 Catholics (3 percent of the total population) in 52 parishes (as of 2015).

Bishops of Nashville


Richard P. Miles, O.P. (1791-1860), first Bishop of Nashville (1838-1860).
·         Born in Maryland, grew up in Kentucky, and ordained a Dominican priest in 1816.

Richard Miles was appointed the first Bishop of Nashville in 1837 and arrived on horseback a year later to find himself the only resident priest in Tennessee to serve a Catholic population of 300.  He invited some of his fellow Dominicans to staff St. Peter’s parish in Memphis and brought in the Sisters of Charity of Nazareth and the Dominican Sisters to establish schools and an orphanage.  He also built St. Mary’s Cathedral in Nashville.  Ten years after its creation, the Diocese had 1,500 Catholics served by six priests and nine churches and chapels.  Bishop Miles made an annual trip by horseback to the Catholic communities throughout the State and he was noted for his preaching and musical talents.  By the time of his death in 1860, the Diocese’s 12,000 Catholics were served by 13 priests, 14 churches, more than 30 chapels and missions, a seminary and other schools, and an orphanage. 

James Whelan, O.P. (1822-1878), Bishop of Nashville (1860-1864). 
·         Born in Ireland and ordained a Dominican priest in 1846.
·         Also served as coadjutor bishop of Nashville (1859-1860).

James Whelan, the coadjutor bishop, became Bishop of Nashville upon Bishop Miles’ death.  Whelan became Bishop at a difficult time as many battles were fought in Tennessee during the Civil War.  He job was made even more difficult by his loyalty to the Union.  He invited the Dominican Sisters to Nashville, who established St. Cecilia Academy.  He also enlarged the Cathedral and started an orphanage.  Bishop Whelan resigned in 1864 and retired to a Dominican community.

Patrick A. Feehan (1829-1902), Bishop of Nashville (1865-1880). 
·         Born in Ireland and ordained a priest in 1852 for the Archdiocese of St. Louis.
·         Also served as the first Archbishop of Chicago (1880-1902).

Feehan became Bishop when there were only three diocesan priests and many damaged Catholic buildings due to the Civil War.  He restored the Diocese spiritually and physically by increasing the number of churches in the diocese to 30, of which 18 had resident priests, building schools and an orphanage, and recruiting priests from Ireland.  He brought religious orders to the Diocese, which resulted in the establishment of Nashville’s St. Bernard Academy and of schools run by the Christian Brothers in Memphis.  He also attended the First Vatican Council.  Many Tennesseans were stricken with cholera and yellow fever during the 1870s and Bishop Feehan and other priests and religious worked to take care of the victims of these epidemics.  Many priests and nuns died caring for others.  Feehan was named the first Archbishop of Chicago in 1880. 

Joseph Rademacher (1840-1900), Bishop of Nashville (1883-1893).
·         Born in Michigan and ordained a priest for the Diocese of Fort Wayne, Indiana, in 1863.
·         Also served as Bishop of Fort Wayne, Indiana (1893-1900).

The Diocese was without a Bishop for almost three years until the appointment of Joseph Rademacher in 1883.  Many Catholics came to the Diocese during Bishop Rademacher’s tenure and he built churches and other buildings to serve them.  He was beloved by clergy and laity for his acts of charity, despite being in ill-health during his time in Nashville.  Rademacher was named Bishop of Fort Wayne, Indiana, in 1893. 

Thomas S. Byrne (1841-1923), Bishop of Nashville (1894-1923). 
·         Born in Ohio and ordained a priest in 1869 for the Archdiocese of Cincinnati.

Bishop Byrne organized the Diocese by establishing parish boundaries and strong administrative controls and by paying of the Diocese’s debts.  He chaired the first diocesan synod in 1905 with 34 priests attending.  He built many churches and schools, including some for African Americans, and brought in religious orders of nuns to administer hospitals and nursing homes.  His most notable building was the Cathedral of the Incarnation in Nashville.  He was an outspoken Bishop and noted author.  He supported the Spanish American War and the establishment of the Catholic University of America.  Bishop Byrne died in 1923.

Alphonse J. Smith (1883-1935), Bishop of Nashville (1924-1935).  
·         Born in Indiana and ordained a priest for the Diocese of Indianapolis in 1908.

Bishop Smith greatly increased the number of Tennessee-born priests and increased the number of Tennessee-born seminarians from 10 to 60.  Smith invited the Sisters of Mercy to establish St. Mary’s Hospital in Knoxville and the Poor Clares to open a monastery in Memphis.  He also opened several new parishes and schools, including Father Ryan High School in Nashville, Sacred Heart High School in Memphis, and Knoxville Catholic High School.  Bishop Smith died in 1935.

William L. Adrian (1883-1972), Bishop of Nashville (1936-1969).  
·         Born in Iowa and ordained a priest in 1911 for the Diocese of Davenport, Iowa.

William Adrian served as Bishop of Nashville for 33 years.  He saw a huge growth in the Catholic population in Tennessee—from fewer than 40,000 Catholics in 1950 to more than 90,000 in 1970.  To serve these new Catholics, Bishop Adrian built 65 churches, five high schools, 33 elementary schools, two hospitals, and he ordained 100 priests.  He also started a Diocesan newspaper and a chapter of the National Council of Catholic Women.  He held a Diocesan synod and reorganized the Diocesan Curia.  He attended the Second Vatican Council.  Bishop Adrian retired in 1969.

Joseph A. Durick (1914-1994), Bishop of Nashville (1969-1975). 
·         Born in Dayton, Tennessee, and ordained a priest for the Diocese of Mobile, Alabama, in 1940.
·        Also served as auxiliary bishop of Mobile—Birmingham (1955-1964), coadjutor bishop of Nashville (1964-1966), and apostolic administrator of Nashville (1966-1969).

Durick served as apostolic administrator of Nashville from 1966 to 1969 due to the poor health of Bishop Adrian. Bishop Durick implemented the decrees of the Second Vatican Council and integrated Catholic institutions.  He brought the Diocese’s priests together to develop clerical guidelines and formed a priest’s senate for advice and a priest’s personnel board.  He also instituted a program to provide Diocesan priests and laity with a better understanding of the Second Vatican Council.  Durick’s leadership in the civil rights movement and his opposition to the Vietnam War and the death penalty led to criticism and to occasional boycotts of his public appearances.  He was active in prison ministry during and after his time as Bishop. Bishop Durick resigned in 1975 due to heart problems.

James D. Niedergeses (1917-2007), Bishop of Nashville (1975-1992).  
·         Born in Lawrenceburg, Tennessee, and ordained a priest for the Diocese of Nashville in 1944.

Bishop Niedergeses was a noted ecumenist and he opened parishes and missions in several small cities in the Diocese.  He expanded Catholic Charities in the Diocese, renovated the Cathedral, and built a new Bishop Ryan High School.  Bishop Niedergeses retired in 1992.  

Edward U. Kmiec (1936-    ), Bishop of Nashville (1992-2004).  
·         Born in New Jersey and ordained a priest for the Diocese of Trenton in 1961.
·         Also served as auxiliary bishop of Trenton (1982-1992) and serves as Bishop of Buffalo, New York (since 2004).

Bishop Kmiec’s developed and implemented a long-range strategic plan, a program to increase vocations to the priesthood, and reinstated the permanent diaconate program. He also opened five new schools, including Pope John Paul II High School in Hendersonville.  Kmiec was appointed Bishop of Buffalo, New York, in 2004.

David R. Choby (1947-2017), Bishop of Nashville (2005-2017). 
·         Born in Nashville and ordained a priest for the Diocese of Nashville in 1974.

Bishop Choby ordained 30 new priests and sought better relationships with other faith traditions.  He also opened a new Diocesan pastoral center.  Bishop Choby died in 2017 as a result of a fall. 

Current Bishop

J. Mark Spalding was appointed Bishop of Nashville by Pope Francis in 2017.  He was born in Kentucky in 1965 and ordained a priest for the Archdiocese of Louisville in 1991.  He previously served the Archdiocese as a pastor and vicar general.

The Cathedral


The Cathedral of the Incarnation
2001 West End Avenue
Nashville, Tennessee  37203

The Incarnation refers to the act of God the Son, the second person of the Trinity, becoming fully human as the son of the Virgin Mary, without losing the fully divine nature of God.  

The leap of divine joy: God knows that the time has come when the mystery of salvation, hidden from the beginning of the world, will shine into human darkness and confusion. It is as if the Trinity were to say, “Let us work the redemption of the whole human race; let us respond to the groaning of all creation.”

When Bishop Miles came to Nashville in 1838 as its first bishop, he used Holy Rosary church as his first cathedral.  Work was begun on a new cathedral, named St. Mary’s of the Seven Sorrows, in 1844, and the new Cathedral was dedicated in 1847.  Holy Rosary was eventually converted to a Catholic hospital, and was abandoned in 1856.  The Tennessee State Capitol, completed in 1859, is near the site of the old cathedral.  St. Mary’s, located at 330 Fifth Avenue North, in downtown Nashville, is the oldest church in Nashville.  St. Mary’s was designed by William Strickland of Boston, who also designed the State Capitol.  St. Mary’s features an altar made from Bottocino marble, the same type used for the altar in St. Peter’s Basilica in Rome.  The wood for the cross comes from the Argonne Forest in Germany.  During the Civil War, the Cathedral was used as a military hospital.  The old cathedral is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.



Old St. Mary's from the parish website.

Bishop Thomas Byrne decided to build a new Cathedral and work on the current Cathedral began in 1910 under the direction of Nashville architect, Fred Asmus.  The new Cathedral of the Incarnation was dedicated in 1914, built at a cost of $500,000.  The basilica-style Cathedral of the Incarnation is built of yellow glazed brick with a red tile roof and features a 100-foot bell tower. 



From flickr.

The interior of the Cathedral, which seats 1,000 people, was designed in a 13th Century Italian Renaissance style.  The ceiling of the Cathedral is particularly stunning and is made with rigalico—a type of ornamental plaster—and contains symbols of the birth and death of Jesus.  The beautiful clerestory windows were made by the Louisville Art Glass Company.  The baptismal font came from St. Mary’s and is a smaller replica of the Michelangelo-designed font in St. Peter’s Basilica in Rome.  Sculptures of the evangelists look down from the four corners of the Cathedral.  Behind the main altar is a crucifixion scene that was sculpted in Italy and installed in the Cathedral in 1937.  Paintings of God the Creator and His angels are attached to the dome rising above the sanctuary.

Additional information can be found on the Cathedral website, cathedralnashville.org and on the diocesan website, dioceseofnashville.com.  The Cathedral is located less than a mile southwest of downtown Nashville, near Vanderbilt University, and has four weekend masses to serve 2,300 parish families.














The first picture is from the Cathedral website and the second from flickr.  The rest are mine.

Diocese of Memphis


The Diocese consists of 21 counties in western Tennessee.  The Diocese has 65,000 Catholics (4 percent of the total population) in 42 parishes (as of 2015).

Bishops of Memphis


Carroll T. Dozier (1911-1985), first Bishop of Memphis (1971-1982).  
  • Born in Virginia and ordained a priest for the Diocese of Richmond, Virginia, in 1937.
Dozier implemented the reforms of the Second Vatican Council, including those involving the liturgy and the role of the laity in diocesan affairs. He also established the Diocesan Housing Corporation, a Diocesan Catholic Charities, a ministry to the sick, and a weekly Diocesan newspaper.  Dozier was an early opponent of the Vietnam War, advocated the desegregation of public schools and the elimination of capital punishment.  He also supported ecumenism and women’s rights.  Dozier resigned in 1982 due to poor health.

Francis Stafford (1932-    ), Bishop of Memphis (1982-1986).  
  • Born in Baltimore and ordained a priest for the Archdiocese of Baltimore in 1957.
  • Also served as auxiliary bishop of Baltimore (1976-1982), Archbishop of Denver (1986-1996), President of the Vatican’s Pontifical Council for the Laity (1996-2003), and served as the Vatican’s Major Penitentiary of the Apostolic Penitentiary (2003-2006).  Pope John Paul II named him a Cardinal in 1998.
Bishop Stafford revised the structure of the Pastoral Office, improved the fiscal conditions of the Diocese, and concentrated on the evangelization of African Americans.  Stafford was named Archbishop of Denver in 1986.  

Daniel M. Buechlein, O.S.B. (1938-    ), Bishop of Memphis (1987-1992).  

  • Born in Indiana and ordained a Benedictine priest in 1964.
  • Also served as Archbishop of Indianapolis (1992-2011).
Buechlein became the Archbishop of Indianapolis in 1992.  

J. Terry Steib, S.V.D. (1940-    ), Bishop of Memphis (1993-2016).  
  • Born in Louisiana and ordained a priest of the Divine Word in 1967.
  • Also served as auxiliary bishop of St. Louis (1984-1993). 
The Aquinas Institute of Theology gave Bishop Steib its 2012 “Great Preacher Award” for his preaching abilities, for reopening some Catholic schools in the Diocese, and promoting a culturally diverse Diocese.

Current Bishop

Martin D. Holley was appointed Bishop of Memphis by Pope Francis in 2016.  He was born in Florida in 1954 and ordained a priest for the Diocese of Pensacola-Tallahassee in 1987.  He previously served as auxiliary bishop of Washington, DC (2004-2016).

The Cathedral


Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception
1695 Central Avenue
Memphis, Tennessee 38104

Many Christians believe that humans are born into sin—known as original sin.  This sin is erased through baptism and the saving grace of Jesus Christ.  Catholics believe that Mary, through the grace of God, was conceived without the stain of original sin—the Immaculate Conception.  She was given the honor because of her role as the Mother of God.  The Feast of the Immaculate Conception is celebrated on December 8.

O Lord, who, by the Immaculate Conception of the Virgin Mary, did prepare a fitting dwelling for your Son, we beseech you that as by the foreseen death of your Son, you did preserve her from all stain of sin, grant that through her intercession, we may be favored with the granting of the grace that we seek for at this time... (State your intention here...) O Mary of the Immaculate Conception, Mother of Christ, you had influence with your Divine Son while upon this earth; you have the same influence now in heaven. Pray for us and obtain for us from him the granting of my petition if it be the Divine Will. Amen.

Immaculate Conception parish was established in 1921.  The first combination church and school building was located at the corner of Rozelle Street and Central Avenue and is now the Cathedral Elementary School.  Construction began on the current church building in 1927 and was completed in 1938.  Immaculate Conception became the cathedral church for the newly created Diocese of Memphis in 1971.

The Cathedral was designed by Richard J. Regan in a combination of Romanesque and Spanish Colonial Revival styles.  Regan used churches in Chicago for his inspiration.  The Cathedral has 112-foot twin towers with copper covered domes and is made from stone, steel, cream-colored brick, concrete, and red tile.  The building is 173 feet long by 106 feet wide and has three rose windows.  The Cathedral seats 1,200 and was restored in 2001 by Conrad Schmitt Studies.  Changes included decorative painting and a new apse mural.

According to the “Liguori Guide to Catholic USA,” the Cathedral uses animal imagery to convey religious truths.  A peacock is an ancient symbol of immortality.  A stag (traditional enemy of snakes) represents Christ’s conquest of Satan.  A pelican (thought by the ancients to feed its young with its own blood) symbolizes our redemption through the death of Jesus.  A unicorn represents the Incarnation (because unicorns could only be captured by a virgin).  A butterfly represents eternal life after our mortal life.

Additional information can be found on the Cathedral’s website, iccathedral.org, and on the diocesan website, cdom.org. The Cathedral is located two miles southeast of downtown Memphis and has five weekend masses, including one in Spanish, to serve 800 parish families.  The parish school (K-12) enrolls 400 students.





The first three pictures are from pinterest and the last from Wikipedia.

Diocese of Knoxville


The diocese consists of 36 counties in eastern Tennessee.  The diocese has 67,000 Catholics (3 percent of the total population) in 49 parishes (as of 2015).

Bishops of Knoxville


Anthony J. O’Connell (1938-2012), first Bishop of Knoxville (1988-1998).  
·         Born in Ireland and ordained a priest for the Diocese of Jefferson City, Missouri, in 1963.
·         Also served as Bishop of Palm Beach, Florida (1998-2002).

O’Connell was appointed the first Bishop of Knoxville in 1988 and began to organize the new diocese.  He established a diocesan newspaper and the Office of Hispanic Ministry.  In his ten years as bishop, the number of Catholics increased from 32,000 to 46,000 and the number of parishes from 38 to 44.  He was named Bishop of Palm Beach, Florida, in 1998.

Joseph E. Kurtz (1946-    ), Bishop of Knoxville (1999-2007).  
·         Born in Pennsylvania, and ordained a priest of the Diocese of Allentown, Pennsylvania, in 1972.
·         Serves as Archbishop of Louisville (since 2007).

Kurtz reached out to the people of the Diocese by preaching and celebrating Mass at two or three locations each weekend.  He also learned to speak Spanish in order to better serve the diocese’s Hispanic population.  He was named Archbishop of Louisville in 2007.

Current Bishop

Richard F. Stika was appointed Bishop of Knoxville by Pope Benedict XVI in 2009.  He was born in Missouri in 1957 and ordained a priest for the Archdiocese of St. Louis in 1985.  He previously served as pastor and Archdiocesan official for the Archdiocese.  As a priest, he has had bi-ritual faculties as a Roman Catholic priest and as a Maronite Catholic (an Eastern-rite Catholic Church) priest.  

The Cathedral


Cathedral of the Sacred Heart of Jesus
711 Northshore Drive
Knoxville, Tennessee  37919

St. John Eudes was a 17th Century French priest who preached the loving nature of the Sacred Heart of Jesus.  Later in the same century, a French nun, St. Margaret Mary Alacoque had visions of Jesus revealing that his Sacred Heart was filled with love and mercy for all people.  The Feast of the Sacred Heart of Jesus is celebrated on the Friday after the second Sunday after Pentecost.  Many Catholics also show devotion to the Sacred Heart by attending Mass and receiving the Body and Blood of Christ on the first Friday of each month. 

O Sacred Heart of Jesus, for whom it is impossible not to have compassion on the afflicted, have pity on us miserable sinners and grant us the grace which we ask of you, through the Sorrowful and Immaculate Heart of Mary, your tender Mother and ours.

In the early 1950s, the Bishop of Nashville, William Adrian, saw a need for a new parish on Knoxville’s west side and the Diocese of Nashville purchased six acres of farmland, costing $25,000, for the new parish.  Sacred Heart parish was founded in 1956 as Knoxville’s third Catholic parish.  At the time, the parish community consisted of about 200 families.  The church was designated the first Cathedral of the Diocese of Knoxville when the diocese was formed in 1988 by Pope John Paul II.

Ground was broken in April 2015 for a larger Cathedral on the same site as the current Cathedral.  The new Sacred Heart Cathedral will have 25,000 square feet of worship space and will seat 1,000.  It was designed by McCrery Architects and Barber McMurry Architects.  The Cathedral is expected to open in early 2018.  I will have an update at that time.  

Additional information can be obtained on the Cathedral’s website at shcathedral.org (including information about the new Cathedral) and on the Diocesan website at dioknox.org.  The Cathedral is located three miles southwest of downtown Knoxville and has five weekend masses, including one in Spanish, to serve 1,600 parish families.  The parish elementary school has an enrollment of just under 200.


Current cathedral from Wikipedia.


Drawing of the new cathedral from the cathedral website.

Also located in the Diocese

The Basilica of Sts. Peter and Paul is located in Chattanooga.  Sts. Peter and Paul parish was established in 1853—Chattanooga’s first Catholic parish and the only one until 1937.  The current Gothic church, completed in 1890, is made of brick and stone and once featured 174-foot twin towers.  The Basilica’s 14 stained-glass windows were designed by Louis Comfort Tiffany and depict events from the life of St. Peter on the east side and of St. Paul on the west side of the Basilica.  The windows are 30 feet high and contain over 12,000 pieces of glass.  The Basilica also features polychrome Stations of the Cross designed by a French artist who is said to have spent 17 years designing them and three years producing the Stations.  They contain more than 300 figures.  Pope Benedict XVI designated the church as a basilica in 2011—the first in Tennessee.  Basilica is an honorary title bestowed on a church by the Pope because of the church’s antiquity, dignity, historical importance, or significance as a center of worship.  The Basilica is also listed on the National Register of Historic Places.  Additional information can be found on the Basilica’s website, stpeterandpaulbasilica.com.







 All pictures by me.


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