About Church of the Good Shepherd · Campton, Kentucky
Catholic Church of the Good Shepherd is a small Roman Catholic mission parish located at 532 Main Street in Campton, the seat of Wolfe County in the Appalachian region of eastern Kentucky. It belongs to the Catholic Diocese of Lexington and is part of a three-parish cluster together with Holy Cross in Jackson and Mother of Good Counsel in Hazard, all serving the rural Mountain East Deanery. Because of its size, the parish is led day-to-day by a full-time Parish Life Director, Kirsten Thorstad, while three priests — Fr. Bob Damron, Fr. Bob Dueweke, OSA, and Fr. Livinus Uba — rotate in as Sacramental Ministers. Sunday Mass is celebrated at 9:00 AM and the parish is known for its outreach to the wider Wolfe County community through a thrift store and a food pantry.
- Established
- 1987
- Patron
- Good Shepherd (Jesus Christ, the Good Shepherd)
- Rector
- Fr. Livinus Uba (Sacramental Minister — parish is led by a Parish Life Director rather than a resident pastor)
- Diocese
- Catholic Diocese of Lexington, Kentucky
Why belong here
Good Shepherd welcomes families looking for a small, close-knit Catholic community in Wolfe County where they can worship together at a 9:00 AM Sunday Mass and put their faith into action. The parish is a hub of outreach — its Main Street thrift store (open Thursday, Friday, and Saturday mornings) helps raise funds to feed neighbors in need, and the community food pantry opens Wednesdays to support families across the county. With a Parish Life Director coordinating parish life and rotating priests celebrating the sacraments, members can be deeply involved in serving their Appalachian neighbors.
Mass times at Church of the Good Shepherd
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- 10 minutes before Sunday Mass (and by request before or after Mass)
About Good Shepherd Parish
Catholic Church of the Good Shepherd is a Roman Catholic mission parish in Campton, Kentucky, in the Catholic Diocese of Lexington. The parish is part of a cluster of three small parishes — together with Holy Cross in Jackson and Mother of Good Counsel in Hazard — each served by a full-time Parish Life Director and sharing rotating Sacramental Ministers. The parish warmly welcomes new members and asks anyone interested in serving to reach out by email or phone.
- Parish Life Director: Kirsten R. Thorstad, MA, MBA
- Sacramental Ministers: Fr. Bob Damron, Fr. Bob Dueweke, OSA, and Fr. Livinus Uba
- Sunday Mass at 9:00 AM
- Part of a three-parish cluster: Good Shepherd (Campton), Holy Cross (Jackson), Mother of Good Counsel (Hazard)
Mass & Worship
Good Shepherd celebrates Sunday Mass at 9:00 AM and currently livestreams the Mass on its Facebook page for those unable to attend in person. The Sacrament of Reconciliation is heard 10 minutes before Sunday Mass, and confessions can also be arranged before or after Mass on request.
- Sunday Mass: 9:00 AM
- Confession: 10 minutes before Sunday Mass and by request
- Livestreamed Sunday Masses posted on Facebook
Clergy & Parish Staff
Because Good Shepherd is a small mission, pastoral leadership is shared between a Parish Life Director and rotating priests. Kirsten Thorstad serves as the full-time Parish Life Director; Fr. Bob Damron, Fr. Bob Dueweke, OSA, and Fr. Livinus Uba rotate in as Sacramental Ministers. The diocesan directory also lists Rev. Richard Watson as Presbyteral Moderator for the parish.
- Parish Life Director — Kirsten R. Thorstad, MA, MBA ([email protected])
- Sacramental Minister — Fr. Bob Damron
- Sacramental Minister — Fr. Bob Dueweke, OSA (Augustinian)
- Sacramental Minister — Fr. Livinus Uba
- Presbyteral Moderator — Rev. Richard Watson
Community Outreach — Catholic Thrift Store
The Catholic Thrift Store is located on Main Street in Campton (at the light) and offers a variety of clothing and household items at low prices. Funds raised through the store help the parish purchase food for the community. The store also assists families in crisis. It operates three days a week.
- Location: Main Street, Campton (at the light)
- Thursday & Friday: 8:30 AM – 2:00 PM
- Saturday: 9:30 AM – 12:00 PM
- Funds raised support the parish food pantry
Community Outreach — Food Pantry
Good Shepherd runs a Community Food Pantry serving many Wolfe County families. The pantry is open from 10:00 AM to 2:00 PM on Wednesdays for the first four weeks of the month; holiday schedules may cause changes, which the parish announces on its calendar.
- Open Wednesdays, 10:00 AM – 2:00 PM
- Open the first four Wednesdays of each month
- Holiday schedules may vary — check parish calendar
Parish Cluster
Good Shepherd is one of three small parishes in the Mountain East Deanery that share rotating Sacramental Ministers. Holy Cross in Jackson serves Breathitt County and Mother of Good Counsel in Hazard serves Perry, Knott, and Leslie counties. The cluster model allows the limited number of priests in the region to keep sacramental life active in each community.
- Holy Cross, Jackson (Breathitt County)
- Mother of Good Counsel, Hazard (Perry / Knott / Leslie counties)
- Good Shepherd, Campton (Wolfe County)
Giving & Online Support
The parish encourages online giving through Vanco, where donors can choose the date, frequency, and amount of their contribution. The platform supports the parish's small mission budget and its outreach work in Wolfe County.
- Online giving available via Vanco on the parish website
Diocese of Lexington — Wider Context
Good Shepherd belongs to the Catholic Diocese of Lexington, which covers 50 counties of central and eastern Kentucky and includes 59 parishes and missions, two oratories, and about 41,000 members. The diocese is led by Most Rev. John Stowe, OFM Conv., and uses Parish Life Directors to shepherd several of its smallest rural parishes like Good Shepherd, which the 2023 diocesan directory lists with 23 households.
- Bishop of Lexington: Most Rev. John Stowe, OFM Conv.
- Mountain East Deanery
- Parish recorded with 23 households in the 2023 directory
- Handicap access ramp available
Visiting & Contacting Good Shepherd
Parishioners and visitors can reach Good Shepherd by mail, phone, or email. The mailing address is P.O. Box 742, Campton, KY 41301, and the church is located at 532 Main Street. The phone number is (606) 668-3731 and the Parish Life Director can be emailed at [email protected]. The parish also maintains a Facebook page where livestreamed Sunday Masses are posted.
- Mailing: P.O. Box 742, Campton, KY 41301
- Phone: (606) 668-3731
- Email: [email protected]
- Facebook: facebook.com/catholicchurchcamptonky