Archdiocese Of Louisville
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The Archdiocese of Louisville is a
Latin Church , native_name_lang = la , image = San Giovanni in Laterano - Rome.jpg , imagewidth = 250px , alt = Façade of the Archbasilica of St. John in Lateran , caption = Archbasilica of Saint Jo ...
ecclesiastical territory or
archdiocese In church governance, a diocese or bishopric is the ecclesiastical district under the jurisdiction of a bishop. History In the later organization of the Roman Empire, the increasingly subdivided provinces were administratively associat ...
of the
Catholic Church The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the List of Christian denominations by number of members, largest Christian church, with 1.3 billion baptized Catholics Catholic Church by country, worldwide . It is am ...
that consists of twenty-four counties in the central
American American(s) may refer to: * American, something of, from, or related to the United States of America, commonly known as the "United States" or "America" ** Americans, citizens and nationals of the United States of America ** American ancestry, pe ...
state of
Kentucky Kentucky ( , ), officially the Commonwealth of Kentucky, is a state in the Southeastern region of the United States and one of the states of the Upper South. It borders Illinois, Indiana, and Ohio to the north; West Virginia and Virginia ...
, covering . As of 2018, the archdiocese contains approximately 200,000 Catholics in 66,000 households, served by one hundred twenty-two parishes and missions staffed by one hundred sixty-six
diocesan In church governance, a diocese or bishopric is the ecclesiastical district under the jurisdiction of a bishop. History In the later organization of the Roman Empire, the increasingly subdivided provinces were administratively associate ...
priests A priest is a religious leader authorized to perform the sacred rituals of a religion, especially as a mediatory agent between humans and one or more deities. They also have the authority or power to administer religious rites; in particu ...
, one hundred twelve permanent
deacons A deacon is a member of the diaconate, an office in Christian churches that is generally associated with service of some kind, but which varies among theological and denominational traditions. Major Christian churches, such as the Catholic Churc ...
, fifty-two
religious institute A religious institute is a type of institute of consecrated life in the Catholic Church whose members take religious vows and lead a life in community with fellow members. Religious institutes are one of the two types of institutes of consecrat ...
priests, seventy-seven
religious Religion is usually defined as a social- cultural system of designated behaviors and practices, morals, beliefs, worldviews, texts, sanctified places, prophecies, ethics, or organizations, that generally relates humanity to supernatur ...
brothers, and nine hundred forty-four religious sisters. One half of all Catholics in the Commonwealth of Kentucky reside within the archdiocese, and seventy-nine percent of all Catholics in the archdiocese (forty percent of all Catholics in the Commonwealth) reside in the
Louisville Louisville ( , , ) is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Kentucky and the 28th most-populous city in the United States. Louisville is the historical seat and, since 2003, the nominal seat of Jefferson County, on the Indiana border. ...
metropolitan area. There are fifty-nine Catholic elementary and high schools serving more than 23,400 students. 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. The
cathedral A cathedral is a church that contains the ''cathedra'' () of a bishop, thus serving as the central church of a diocese, conference, or episcopate. Churches with the function of "cathedral" are usually specific to those Christian denominations ...
church of the archdiocese is the Cathedral of the Assumption. It is the seat of the
metropolitan see Metropolitan may refer to: * Metropolitan area, a region consisting of a densely populated urban core and its less-populated surrounding territories * Metropolitan borough, a form of local government district in England * Metropolitan county, a t ...
of the Province of Louisville, which encompasses the states of Kentucky and
Tennessee Tennessee ( , ), officially the State of Tennessee, is a landlocked U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern region of the United States. Tennessee is the List of U.S. states and territories by area, 36th-largest by ...
. The Archdiocese of Louisville is the oldest ''inland'' diocese in the United States, but not the oldest diocese west of the
Appalachians The Appalachian Mountains, often called the Appalachians, (french: Appalaches), are a system of mountains in eastern to northeastern North America. The Appalachians first formed roughly 480 million years ago during the Ordovician Period. They ...
. That distinction belongs to the
Roman Catholic Archdiocese of New Orleans The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of New Orleans ( la, Archidioecesis Novae Aureliae, french: Archidiocèse de la Nouvelle-Orléans, es, Arquidiócesis de Nueva Orleans) is an ecclesiastical division of the Roman Catholic Church spanning Jefferso ...
, erected in territory under Spanish rule in 1793 that became part of the United States through the
Louisiana Purchase The Louisiana Purchase (french: Vente de la Louisiane, translation=Sale of Louisiana) was the acquisition of the territory of Louisiana by the United States from the French First Republic in 1803. In return for fifteen million dollars, or ap ...
in 1803.


History


Background

On 8 April 1808,
Pope Pius VII Pope Pius VII ( it, Pio VII; born Barnaba Niccolò Maria Luigi Chiaramonti; 14 August 1742 – 20 August 1823), was head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 14 March 1800 to his death in August 1823. Chiaramonti was also a m ...
concurrently erected the Diocese of Bardstown, the Diocese of Boston, the Diocese of New York, and the Diocese of Philadelphia in territory taken from the
Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Baltimore The Metropolitan Archdiocese of Baltimore ( la, link=no, Archidiœcesis Baltimorensis) is the premier (or first) see of the Latin Church of the Catholic Church in the United States. The archdiocese comprises the City of Baltimore and nine of M ...
, and simultaneously elevated the Diocese of Baltimore to a metropolitan archdiocese with the four new dioceses as its
suffragans A suffragan bishop is a type of bishop in some Christian denominations. In the Anglican Communion, a suffragan bishop is a bishop who is subordinate to a metropolitan bishop or diocesan bishop (bishop ordinary) and so is not normally jurisdiction ...
. At that time,
Bardstown, Kentucky Bardstown is a home rule-class city in Nelson County, Kentucky, United States. The population was 11,700 in the 2010 census. It is the county seat of Nelson County. Bardstown is named for the pioneering Bard brothers. David Bard obtained a l ...
was a thriving frontier settlement. ( Pope Benedict XVI's visit to the U.S. in April 2008 celebrated the bicentenary of this event). The initial territory of the Diocese of Bardstown included most of the new states of
Kentucky Kentucky ( , ), officially the Commonwealth of Kentucky, is a state in the Southeastern region of the United States and one of the states of the Upper South. It borders Illinois, Indiana, and Ohio to the north; West Virginia and Virginia ...
,
Tennessee Tennessee ( , ), officially the State of Tennessee, is a landlocked U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern region of the United States. Tennessee is the List of U.S. states and territories by area, 36th-largest by ...
,
Missouri Missouri is a state in the Midwestern region of the United States. Ranking 21st in land area, it is bordered by eight states (tied for the most with Tennessee): Iowa to the north, Illinois, Kentucky and Tennessee to the east, Arkansas t ...
,
Illinois Illinois ( ) is a state in the Midwestern United States. Its largest metropolitan areas include the Chicago metropolitan area, and the Metro East section, of Greater St. Louis. Other smaller metropolitan areas include, Peoria and Rock ...
,
Indiana Indiana () is a U.S. state in the Midwestern United States. It is the 38th-largest by area and the 17th-most populous of the 50 States. Its capital and largest city is Indianapolis. Indiana was admitted to the United States as the 19th ...
,
Ohio Ohio () is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern region of the United States. Of the List of states and territories of the United States, fifty U.S. states, it is the List of U.S. states and territories by area, 34th-l ...
, and
Michigan Michigan () is a state in the Great Lakes region of the upper Midwestern United States. With a population of nearly 10.12 million and an area of nearly , Michigan is the 10th-largest state by population, the 11th-largest by area, and t ...
— the western territories of America to the
Mississippi River The Mississippi River is the List of longest rivers of the United States (by main stem), second-longest river and chief river of the second-largest Drainage system (geomorphology), drainage system in North America, second only to the Hudson B ...
and the
Louisiana Purchase The Louisiana Purchase (french: Vente de la Louisiane, translation=Sale of Louisiana) was the acquisition of the territory of Louisiana by the United States from the French First Republic in 1803. In return for fifteen million dollars, or ap ...
of 1803. The same pope appointed Benedict Joseph Flaget as the first Bishop of Bardstown. Under Bishop Flaget's leadership, the new diocese began construction of St. Joseph Cathedral in 1816, and celebrated the first mass in the structure in 1819 even though construction continued until 1823. That building continued to serve as a parish church after the transfer to of the see to Louisville (see below). On 18 July 2001,
Pope John Paul II Pope John Paul II ( la, Ioannes Paulus II; it, Giovanni Paolo II; pl, Jan Paweł II; born Karol Józef Wojtyła ; 18 May 19202 April 2005) was the head of the Catholic Church and sovereign of the Vatican City State from 1978 until his ...
designated it as a minor basilica. On 19 June 1821,
Pope Pius VII Pope Pius VII ( it, Pio VII; born Barnaba Niccolò Maria Luigi Chiaramonti; 14 August 1742 – 20 August 1823), was head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 14 March 1800 to his death in August 1823. Chiaramonti was also a m ...
erected the
Diocese of Cincinnati The Archdiocese of Cincinnati ( la, Archidiœcesis Cincinnatensis) is a Latin Church ecclesiastical jurisdiction or archdiocese that covers the southwest region of the U.S. state of Ohio, including the greater Cincinnati and Dayton metropolitan ...
, taking its territory from the Diocese of Bardstown. Its initial territory encompassed the entire present states of Ohio, Michigan, Wisconsin, and Minnesota, and portions of North Dakota and South Dakota that are east of the Missouri River. On 6 May 1834,
Pope Gregory XVI Pope Gregory XVI ( la, Gregorius XVI; it, Gregorio XVI; born Bartolomeo Alberto Cappellari; 18 September 1765 – 1 June 1846) was head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 2 February 1831 to his death in 1 June 1846. He ...
erected the
Diocese of Vincennes The Diocese of Vincennes (in Latin, Vincennapolis), the first Roman Catholic diocese in Indiana, was erected 6 May 1834 by Pope Gregory XVI. Its initial ecclesiastical jurisdiction encompassed Indiana as well as the eastern third of Illinois. In 18 ...
, taking its territory from the Diocese of Bardstown. The territory of the new diocese encompassed the present state of Indiana and the eastern portion of Illinois.
Archdiocese of Louisville
' page on ''Catholic Hierarchy'' web site.
On 28 July 1837, the same pope erected the
Diocese of Nashville The Diocese of Nashville ( la, Dioecesis Nashvillensis) is a Latin Church ecclesiastical territory or diocese of the Catholic Church that encompasses 38 counties spread over 16,302 square miles of Middle Tennessee. The Catholic population of the ...
, taking its territory from the Diocese of Bardstown. The territory of the new diocese encompassed the present state of Tennessee. This action reduced territory of the Diocese of Bardstown to that of the present state of Kentucky.


Transfer to Louisville

On 13 February 1841, the same pope transferred the see from Bardstown to Louisville, changing the title of the diocese to Diocese of Louisville and designating St. Louis Church in Louisville as its new cathedral. However, Bishop Flaget determined that the diocese needed a new cathedral in 1849 and started construction of the Cathedral of the Assumption, but died on 11 February 1850, a few months after laying the cornerstone, leaving it to his successor, Bishop Martin John Spalding, to complete the construction. Bishop Spalding dedicated the new cathedral on 3 October 1852. The new cathedral was built around St. Louis Cathedral, which was then disassembled and carried piece by piece out the doors of the larger structure. On 29 July 1853,
Pope Pius IX Pope Pius IX ( it, Pio IX, ''Pio Nono''; born Giovanni Maria Mastai Ferretti; 13 May 1792 – 7 February 1878) was head of the Catholic Church from 1846 to 1878, the longest verified papal reign. He was notable for convoking the First Vatican ...
erected the
Diocese of Covington The Roman Catholic Diocese of Covington ( la, Dioecesis Covingtonensis) is a Roman Catholic diocese in Northern Kentucky, covering 3,359 square miles (8,700 km2) that includes the city of Covington and the Kentucky counties of Boone, Kent ...
, taking its initial territory, the eastern portion of Kentucky, from the Diocese of Louisville. The
French French (french: français(e), link=no) may refer to: * Something of, from, or related to France ** French language, which originated in France, and its various dialects and accents ** French people, a nation and ethnic group identified with Franc ...
may have had initial influence in the formation of the Roman Catholic community in the Louisville area, but immigrants from
Germany Germany,, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It is the second most populous country in Europe after Russia, and the most populous member state of the European Union. Germany is situated betwee ...
eventually comprised the bulk of the Archdiocese's communicant strength later in the mid-19th century, particularly in the city of
Louisville Louisville ( , , ) is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Kentucky and the 28th most-populous city in the United States. Louisville is the historical seat and, since 2003, the nominal seat of Jefferson County, on the Indiana border. ...
. However, much of the Catholic population in areas southeast of Louisville is of
English English usually refers to: * English language * English people English may also refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * ''English'', an adjective for something of, from, or related to England ** English national ...
extraction, consisting of descendants of recusants who originally settled in
Maryland Maryland ( ) is a state in the Mid-Atlantic region of the United States. It shares borders with Virginia, West Virginia, and the District of Columbia to its south and west; Pennsylvania to its north; and Delaware and the Atlantic Ocean t ...
in colonial times. On 9 December 1937,
Pope Pius XI Pope Pius XI ( it, Pio XI), born Ambrogio Damiano Achille Ratti (; 31 May 1857 – 10 February 1939), was head of the Catholic Church from 6 February 1922 to his death in February 1939. He was the first sovereign of Vatican City f ...
erected the Diocese of Owensboro, taking its territory, the western portion of Kentucky, from the Diocese of Louisville and simultaneously elevating the Diocese of Louisville to a metropolitan archdiocese. and assigning the Diocese of Covington, the new Diocese of Owensboro, and the Diocese of Nashville. On 20 June 1970,
Pope Paul VI Pope Paul VI ( la, Paulus VI; it, Paolo VI; born Giovanni Battista Enrico Antonio Maria Montini, ; 26 September 18976 August 1978) was head of the Catholic Church and sovereign of the Vatican City, Vatican City State from 21 June 1963 to his ...
erected the
Diocese of Memphis In church governance, a diocese or bishopric is the ecclesiastical district under the jurisdiction of a bishop. History In the later organization of the Roman Empire, the increasingly subdivided provinces were administratively associat ...
, taking its territory, the western portion of the state of Tennessee, from the Diocese of Nashville and making it another suffragan of the Archdiocese of Louisville. On 14 January 1988,
Pope John Paul II Pope John Paul II ( la, Ioannes Paulus II; it, Giovanni Paolo II; pl, Jan Paweł II; born Karol Józef Wojtyła ; 18 May 19202 April 2005) was the head of the Catholic Church and sovereign of the Vatican City State from 1978 until his ...
erected the Diocese of Lexington, taking its territory from the Archdiocese of Louisville and the Diocese of Covington and making it another suffragan of the Archdiocese of Louisville. This action established the present territory of the Archdiocese of Louisville. On 27 May 1988, the same pope erected the
Diocese of Knoxville The Diocese of Knoxville ( la, Dioecesis Knoxvillensis) is a Latin Church ecclesiastical territory or diocese of the Catholic Church in Tennessee. It was founded on May 27, 1988 from the eastern counties of the Diocese of Nashville. This dioce ...
, taking its territory, the eastern portion of the state of Tennessee, from the Diocese of Nashville and making it an additional suffragan of the Archdiocese of Louisville. This action established the present configuration of the Metropolitan Province of Louisville.


Sexual abuse

In 2003, the Archdiocese of Louisville paid $25.7 million directly from its own assets to settle claims of sexual abuse by its clergy. Reports of abuse extended back to the 1940s, were alleged to have continued to 1997, and involved 34 priests, two religious brothers, and three lay people. In 2009, the
Diocese of Covington The Roman Catholic Diocese of Covington ( la, Dioecesis Covingtonensis) is a Roman Catholic diocese in Northern Kentucky, covering 3,359 square miles (8,700 km2) that includes the city of Covington and the Kentucky counties of Boone, Kent ...
paid 243 victims an average of $254,000 after they were victimized by 35 priests. The total settlement, $79 million, was the sixth largest in the US (as of 2017). In 2019, Father Joseph Hemmerle, who was convicted in 2016 for molesting a ten-year-old boy while serving at the Camp Tall Trees summer camp in 1973, lost a bid for appeal. Hemmerle, who was also denied parole in 2017, is serving a seven-year prison sentence for this crime, which was recommended following his conviction. In 2017, he received an additional two years after pleading guilty to molesting another boy at Camp Tall Trees in 1977 and 1978.


Bishops

The lists of bishops and their years of service:


Bishops of Bardstown

# Benedict Joseph Flaget,
S.S. The ''Schutzstaffel'' (SS; also stylized as ''ᛋᛋ'' with Armanen runes; ; "Protection Squadron") was a major paramilitary organization under Adolf Hitler and the Nazi Party in Nazi Germany, and later throughout German-occupied Europe duri ...
(1808–1832), resigned but reappointed in 1833 #
John Baptist Mary David John Baptist Mary David, S.S. (french: Jean-Baptiste-Marie David), (June 4, 1761 – July 12, 1841) was a French-born prelate of the Roman Catholic Church in the United States. He served as bishop of the Diocese of Bardstown in Kentucky from 18 ...
, S.S. (1832–1833;
coadjutor bishop A coadjutor bishop (or bishop coadjutor) is a bishop in the Catholic, Anglican, and (historically) Eastern Orthodox churches whose main role is to assist the diocesan bishop in the administration of the diocese. The coadjutor (literally, "co- ...
1819–1832) # Benedict Joseph Flaget, S.S. (1833–1841), title changed with title of diocese
Guy Ignatius Chabrat Guy Ignatius Chabrat P.S.S. (December 27, 1787 – November 21, 1868) was a French Roman Catholic missionary and Coadjutor Bishop of Bardstown, Kentucky (1834–47). He was the first priest ordained west of the Alleghenies. Biography Guy Ignace ...
, S.S. (
coadjutor bishop A coadjutor bishop (or bishop coadjutor) is a bishop in the Catholic, Anglican, and (historically) Eastern Orthodox churches whose main role is to assist the diocesan bishop in the administration of the diocese. The coadjutor (literally, "co- ...
1834–1841), title changed with title of diocese


Bishops of Louisville

# Benedict Joseph Flaget, S.S. (1841–1850)
- Guy Ignatius Chabrat, S.S. (coadjutor bishop 1841–1847), resigned before succession # Martin John Spalding (1850–1864; coadjutor bishop 1848–1850), appointed Archbishop of Baltimore #
Peter Joseph Lavialle Peter Joseph Lavialle (July 15, 1819 – May 11, 1867) was a French-born prelate of the Catholic Church. He served as Bishop of Louisville from 1865 until his death in 1867. Biography Lavialle was born in Le Vigean, near Mauriac, Canta ...
(1865–1867) #
William George McCloskey William George McCloskey (10 November 1823 – 17 September 1909) was an American Catholic priest, who became the fourth Bishop of Louisville, Kentucky. Life Early life William George McCloskey was born in Brooklyn, New York on November 10, 18 ...
(1868–1909) #
Denis O'Donaghue Denis O'Donaghue (November 30, 1848 – November 7, 1925) was an American prelate of the Catholic Church. He served as Bishop of Louisville from 1910 to 1924. Biography Early life O'Donaghue was born on a farm in Daviess County, Indiana, t ...
(1910–1924) #
John A. Floersh John Alexander Floersh (October 5, 1886 – June 11, 1968) was an American bishop of the Roman Catholic Church. Becoming Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Louisville, Bishop of Louisville in 1924, he was elevated to the rank of archbishop in 1937 ...
(1924–1937); elevated to
Archbishop In Christian denominations, an archbishop is a bishop of higher rank or office. In most cases, such as the Catholic Church, there are many archbishops who either have jurisdiction over an ecclesiastical province in addition to their own archdio ...


Archbishops of Louisville

# John A. Floersh (1937–1967) # Thomas Joseph McDonough (1967–1981) #
Thomas Cajetan Kelly Thomas Cajetan Kelly (July 14, 1931 – December 14, 2011) was an American prelate of the Roman Catholic Church. A member of the Dominican Order, Kelley served as archbishop of the Archdiocese of Louisville in Kentucky from 1982 until his retire ...
, O.P (1981–2007) # Joseph Edward Kurtz (2007–2022) # Shelton Fabre (2022–present)


Auxiliary bishop

*
Charles Garrett Maloney Charles Garrett Maloney (9 September 1913 – 30 April 2006) served as the auxiliary bishop of Louisville and titular bishop of Bardstown, Kentucky. Education Maloney attended high school and college at Saint Joseph's College in Rensselaer, Indi ...
(1954–1988)


Other priests of this diocese who became bishops

* John McGill, appointed Bishop of Richmond in 1850 *
John Lancaster Spalding John Lancaster Spalding (June 2, 1840 – August 25, 1916) was an American author, poet, advocate for higher education, the first bishop of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Peoria from 1877 to 1908 and a co-founder of The Catholic University of Ameri ...
, appointed Bishop of Peoria in 1876 *
Michael Heiss Michael Heiss (April 12, 1818 – March 26, 1890) was a German-born prelate of the Roman Catholic Church who served as the first bishop of the Diocese of La Crosse in Wisconsin (1868–1880) and the second archbishop of the Archdiocese of Milwau ...
, appointed Bishop of La Crosse in 1868 and later
Archbishop of Milwaukee The Archdiocese of Milwaukee ( la, Archidiœcesis Milvauchiensis) is a Latin Church ecclesiastical territory or archdiocese of the Catholic Church headquartered in Milwaukee, Wisconsin in the United States. It encompasses the City of Milwaukee, ...
* James Ryan, appointed Bishop of Alton in 1888 * Theodore Henry Reverman, appointed Bishop of Superior in 1926 *
Francis Ridgley Cotton Francis Ridgley Cotton O.P. (September 19, 1895—September 25, 1960) was an American prelate of the Roman Catholic Church. He served as the first bishop of the new Diocese of Owensboro in Kentucky from 1938 to 1960. Biography Early life On ...
, appointed Bishop of Owensboro in 1937 * James Kendrick Williams, appointed auxiliary bishop of Covington in 1984 and later Bishop of Lexington * William Francis Medley, appointed Bishop of Owensboro in 2009 * Charles Coleman Thompson, appointed Bishop of Evansville in 2011 and later
Archbishop of Indianapolis The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Indianapolis ( la, Archidioecesis Indianapolitana) is a division of the Roman Catholic Church in the United States. When it was originally erected as the Diocese of Vincennes on May 6, 1834, it encompassed all of ...
* J. Mark Spalding, appointed Bishop of Nashville in 2018


Other notable figures related to of the archdiocese

*Father Stephen T. Badin (1768–1853) – The "circuit rider priest". Served the area that would become the Diocese of
Bardstown Bardstown is a home rule-class city in Nelson County, Kentucky, United States. The population was 11,700 in the 2010 census. It is the county seat of Nelson County. Bardstown is named for the pioneering Bard brothers. David Bard obtained a l ...
(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) - co-founder of
Catholic University Catholic higher education includes universities, colleges, and other institutions of higher education privately run by the Catholic Church, typically by religious institutes. Those tied to the Holy See are specifically called pontifical uni ...
in Washington, D.C., and was called the "Catholic Emerson" because of his many books of essays. Father Spalding later became the Bishop of Peoria, Illinois. *Father
Thomas Merton Thomas Merton (January 31, 1915 – December 10, 1968) was an American Trappist monk, writer, theologian, mystic, poet, social activist and scholar of comparative religion. On May 26, 1949, he was ordained to the Catholic priesthood and g ...
, O. C. S. O. (January 31, 1915 – December 10, 1968) – American Trappist monk of the
Abbey of Gethsemani The Abbey of Our Lady of Gethsemani is a Catholic monastery in the United States near Bardstown, Kentucky, in Nelson County. The abbey is part of the Order of Cistercians of the Strict Observance (''Ordo Cisterciensis Strictioris Observantiae''), ...
in the Archdiocese of Louisville (entered in 1941) and author, famed for his writings on Christian spirituality and his work in Buddhist-Christian relations. *Father James C. Maloney (1911–1998) – founde
Boys' Haven
in Louisville in 1948. His brother is Bishop Charles Maloney. *Monsignor
Alfred F. Horrigan Monsignor Alfred F. Horrigan (1914–2005) was the first president of Bellarmine University from 1949 till his resignation in 1972. He was fundamental in establishing the framework for the new university's future success. He, also, was a prominent ...
(1914–2005) - the founding president of Bellarmine College, now
Bellarmine University Bellarmine University (BU; ) is a private Catholic university in Louisville, Kentucky. It opened on October 3, 1950, as Bellarmine College, established by Archbishop John A. Floersh of the Archdiocese of Louisville and named after Saint Ro ...
. He also headed the city's Human Relations commission and was a friend of
Thomas Merton Thomas Merton (January 31, 1915 – December 10, 1968) was an American Trappist monk, writer, theologian, mystic, poet, social activist and scholar of comparative religion. On May 26, 1949, he was ordained to the Catholic priesthood and g ...
.


Coat of arms


Education


High schools

Ten 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 School, St. Matthews


Girls

* Assumption High School, Louisville * Mercy Academy, Louisville *
Presentation Academy Presentation Academy, a college-preparatory high school for young women, is located in Downtown Louisville, Kentucky, United States, just north of Old Louisville in the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Louisville. Founded in 1831 by Mother Cather ...
, Louisville * Sacred Heart Academy, Louisville


Coeducational

* Bethlehem High School, Bardstown * Holy Cross High School, Louisville


Other

*
Pitt Academy Pitt Academy is located in Louisville, Kentucky, United States. It was founded in 1949 by Monsignor Felix Newton Pitt, for special needs children. The school participates in the Special Olympics. There is a yearly barbecue in May of each year ...
, Louisville (special needs school)


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 *St. Andrew Academy was established in 2005 following the regionalization of three parish schools in Southwest Jefferson County. The three parish schools that united to combine St. Andrew were Our Lady of Consolation, St. Clement and St. Polycarp. In April 2008, the parishes of St. Clement, Our Lady Help of Christians, Our Lady of Consolation, St. Polycarp and St. Timothy combined to form St. Peter the Apostle. St. Andrew Academy is now the parish school of St. Peter the Apostle. * Notre Dame Academy is a regional K8 school located in
Louisville, Kentucky Louisville ( , , ) is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Kentucky and the 28th most-populous city in the United States. Louisville is the historical seat and, since 2003, the nominal seat of Jefferson County, on the Indiana border ...
. The school was formed in 2004 from the merger of St. Denis, St. Helen, and St. Lawrence Schools. *Immaculata Classical Academy is an independent Catholic School in Louisville. It enrolls grades PK-12th. It focuses on teaching the traditional ways of the catholic church, students learn Latin and attend Latin mass. Immaculata is known for its inclusion of children with special needs, most notably children with Down Syndrome. It is the first catholic school that includes children with Down Syndrome in an inclusive classroom. About 20% of students at Immaculata have an identified special need.


Metropolitan Province of Louisville

The Metropolitan Province of Louisville covers the states of
Kentucky Kentucky ( , ), officially the Commonwealth of Kentucky, is a state in the Southeastern region of the United States and one of the states of the Upper South. It borders Illinois, Indiana, and Ohio to the north; West Virginia and Virginia ...
and
Tennessee Tennessee ( , ), officially the State of Tennessee, is a landlocked U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern region of the United States. Tennessee is the List of U.S. states and territories by area, 36th-largest by ...
, and comprises the following dioceses: *Archdiocese of Louisville *
Diocese of Covington The Roman Catholic Diocese of Covington ( la, Dioecesis Covingtonensis) is a Roman Catholic diocese in Northern Kentucky, covering 3,359 square miles (8,700 km2) that includes the city of Covington and the Kentucky counties of Boone, Kent ...
*
Diocese of Knoxville The Diocese of Knoxville ( la, Dioecesis Knoxvillensis) is a Latin Church ecclesiastical territory or diocese of the Catholic Church in Tennessee. It was founded on May 27, 1988 from the eastern counties of the Diocese of Nashville. This dioce ...
* Diocese of Lexington *
Diocese of Memphis In church governance, a diocese or bishopric is the ecclesiastical district under the jurisdiction of a bishop. History In the later organization of the Roman Empire, the increasingly subdivided provinces were administratively associat ...
*
Diocese of Nashville The Diocese of Nashville ( la, Dioecesis Nashvillensis) is a Latin Church ecclesiastical territory or diocese of the Catholic Church that encompasses 38 counties spread over 16,302 square miles of Middle Tennessee. The Catholic population of the ...
* Diocese of Owensboro


See also

*
Catholic Church by country The Catholic Church is "the Catholic Communion of Churches, both Roman and Eastern, or Oriental, that are in full communion with the Bishop of Rome (the pope)." The church is also known by members as the People of God, the Body of Christ, the ...
*
Catholic Church hierarchy The hierarchy of the Catholic Church consists of its bishops, priests, and deacons. In the ecclesiological sense of the term, "hierarchy" strictly means the "holy ordering" of the Church, the Body of Christ, so to respect the diversity of gifts ...
*
List of the Catholic dioceses of the United States This is the list of the Catholic dioceses and archdioceses of the United States which includes both the dioceses of the Latin Church, which employ the Roman Rite and other Latin liturgical rites, and various other dioceses, primarily the eparchi ...
*
Religion in Louisville, Kentucky Religion in Louisville, Kentucky, includes religious institutions of various faiths; including Christianity, Judaism, Islam, Hinduism, Buddhism and Sikhism. Christianity Roman Catholic Church There are 135,421 Roman Catholic Louisvillians who ...


Notes


External links


Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Louisville Official SiteThe Cathedral of the Assumption
{{authority control 1808 establishments in Kentucky Christianity in Louisville, Kentucky
Louisville Louisville ( , , ) is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Kentucky and the 28th most-populous city in the United States. Louisville is the historical seat and, since 2003, the nominal seat of Jefferson County, on the Indiana border. ...
Catholic Church in Kentucky
Louisville Louisville ( , , ) is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Kentucky and the 28th most-populous city in the United States. Louisville is the historical seat and, since 2003, the nominal seat of Jefferson County, on the Indiana border. ...
Louisville Louisville ( , , ) is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Kentucky and the 28th most-populous city in the United States. Louisville is the historical seat and, since 2003, the nominal seat of Jefferson County, on the Indiana border. ...
Roman Catholic Ecclesiastical Province of Louisville Religious organizations based in Louisville, Kentucky