Christ the King

About Christ the King Catholic Church

Christ the King Catholic Church is a Roman Catholic parish in Madisonville, Kentucky, in the Diocese of Owensboro. The parish's mission is 'to be a vibrant faith community that proclaims the good news of Jesus Christ through worship, education, service and fellowship.' More than 300 families are part of the community today, served by a pastor, a sacramental minister for the Hispanic community, parish staff, and a wide network of lay ministries.

Our History

Madisonville was long described as the largest town in the United States without a Catholic church. That changed in the late 1960s when Christ the King was dedicated by Bishop Henry J. Soenneker on June 15, 1968. The first pastor, Fr. Gerald Glahn, served a founding community of 125 families. A major renovation in 2006 added flowing water to the baptismal font, tile flooring throughout, stained-glass windows, devotional niches, and a choir area. Over the years the campus grew to include the school, Learning and Growth Center, parish hall, rectory, and devotional outdoor spaces — while the parish itself grew to more than 300 families.

• Dedicated June 15, 1968 by Bishop Henry J. Soenneker
• Land donated by Mr. and Mrs. Albert Whittington
• First pastor: Fr. Gerald Glahn (125 founding families)
• Major church renovation in 2006
• Pavilion behind the school named for former pastor Fr. Jerry Calhoun

Parish Staff & Clergy

The parish is led by pastor Fr. Steve Hohman, with Fr. Carmelo Jimenez serving as Sacramental Minister to the Hispanic Community and Sr. Gloria Ramos Hernandez as Director of Hispanic Ministry. Lay staff coordinate religious education, liturgy, finance, school administration, and maintenance.

• Fr. Steve Hohman — Pastor
• Fr. Carmelo Jimenez — Sacramental Minister to the Hispanic Community
• Sr. Gloria Ramos Hernandez — Director of Hispanic Ministry
• Jeff Lebahn — Director of Religious Ed. / OCIA Minister
• Susan Tuta — Administrative Assistant / Bookkeeper
• Mark Missig — Sunday Liturgy Coordinator; School Aide
• Barb Schnapf — Faith Formation contact (859-489-0993)
• Director of Maintenance (parish staff)

Faith Formation & Religious Education

All students not attending Christ the King Catholic School, from Kindergarten through high school, participate in Faith Formation classes. All grades — except high school, which is taught monthly by Fr. Steve — meet weekly between Sunday Masses from 9:15 to 10:15 AM. The program includes First Communion Preparation and Confirmation Preparation.

• K–Grade 8: Sunday classes 9:15–10:15 AM between Masses
• High School: taught monthly by Fr. Steve Hohman
• First Communion Preparation
• Confirmation Preparation
• Contact: Barb Schnapf, 859-489-0993
• Registration forms available on the table in the Church, with any Catechist, or in the Church Office

Christ the King Catholic School

Christ the King Catholic School is a fully accredited parochial school serving Pre-Kindergarten through elementary grades in Madisonville and Hopkins County. Its mission emphasizes academic excellence alongside a daily faith life: students attend Mass and pray together, and the school community is described as 'a faith filled community of Christians who come together to make Christ present in a special way.'

• Fully accredited parochial school, Pre-K through elementary
• Principal: Lesley Mills
• Office Manager: Erin Clark
• Phone: (270) 821-8271
• Daily Mass and prayer with students
• Mission: every child valued, loved, and expected to achieve at the highest levels

Learning & Growth Center

The Learning & Growth Center is the parish's early-childhood program for children aged 1 to 3 years old. It shares the campus with the church and school and is staffed by parish and school personnel.

• Nurturing environment for children ages 1–3
• Located on the Christ the King campus
• Contact via the parish office: (270) 821-5494

Hispanic Ministry

Christ the King has an active Hispanic Ministry serving Spanish-speaking parishioners and the wider community. The ministry is led by Fr. Carmelo Jimenez as Sacramental Minister and Sr. Gloria Ramos Hernandez as Director of Hispanic Ministry, and it is centered on the parish's weekly Sunday Spanish Mass.

• Sunday Spanish Mass at 2:00 PM
• Fr. Carmelo Jimenez — Sacramental Minister to the Hispanic Community
• Sr. Gloria Ramos Hernandez — Director of Hispanic Ministry

Outreach & Community Service

Outreach is central to Christ the King's identity. In December 2021 the parish became a regional hub for tornado relief after the devastating western Kentucky storms, with then-pastor Fr. Carl McCarthy, school principal Lesley Mills, the parish youth, and many volunteers transforming the school gym into a community resource center. The parish received more than $132,000 in donations for survivors and continues to support resettlement efforts.

• December 2021 tornado relief hub (school gym became community resource center)
• Donation total for survivors reported at $132,911.63 as of mid-March 2022
• Support from Owensboro Bishop William F. Medley
• Local charities supported: Christian Food Bank, Door of Hope, Special Olympics, BirthRight, Right to Life, ARC for the Handicapped

Devotions, Outdoor Campus & Sacred Art

Beyond the renovated worship space, the parish grounds invite prayer outside the church walls. A full-sized replica of Michelangelo's Pietà sits south of the church next to a rosary walk, and outdoor Stations of the Cross climb a hill to an outdoor altar beneath three large crosses. The Rosary is prayed regularly 30 minutes before each weekend Mass, and the parish maintains devotional niches and stained-glass windows inside the church.

• Full-sized replica of the Pietà (south of the church)
• Rosary walk
• Outdoor Stations of the Cross
• Outdoor altar with three large crosses
• Rosary prayed 30 minutes before each weekend Mass
• Stained-glass windows and devotional niches (added in 2006 renovation)

Sacraments

Christ the King prepares parishioners for the sacraments through the Faith Formation program and the OCIA process. The renovated baptismal font with flowing water is a focal point of the 2006 church renovation.

• Baptism (baptismal font with flowing water)
• First Communion Preparation
• Confirmation Preparation
• Marriage preparation (contact parish office)
• OCIA — Order of Christian Initiation of Adults (Jeff Lebahn, Director of Religious Ed./OCIA Minister)

Facilities & Parish Life

The Kingsway Drive campus is more than a church — it is a full Catholic campus serving school, parish, and community. The parish hall contains a gym, cafeteria, conference room, and the parish offices, and it has been pressed into service during emergencies such as the 2021 tornado response. The pavilion and barbecue pits behind the school host the annual parish picnic, a beloved community tradition.

• Rectory
• Christ the King Catholic School
• Christ the King Learning and Growth Center (ages 1–3)
• Parish hall with gym, cafeteria, conference room, and parish offices
• Fr. Jerry Calhoun Pavilion (behind the school)
• Barbecue pits — center of the annual parish picnic

Sunday Resources & Online Worship

For those unable to attend in person — at home or traveling — Christ the King offers a Sunday Resource hub on its website. It includes the parish bulletin, daily readings, and a live stream of Sunday Mass (notably the 10:30 AM Mass).

• Live-stream of Sunday Mass on ctkmadisonville.org
• Parish bulletin online
• Daily readings online
• Kids' bulletin

Contact & Visit

The parish office is open during the week for questions about the Catholic faith, sacraments, registration, or general inquiries. Visitors are warmly invited to attend Mass or any of the parish's many ministries.

• Address: 1600 Kingsway Drive, Madisonville, KY 42431
• Phone: (270) 821-5494
• Email: [email protected]
• Inquiries about the Catholic faith: Susan Tuta, [email protected]
• Faith Formation questions: Barb Schnapf, 859-489-0993