About Cristo Rey · Florence, Kentucky
Cristo Rey Parish is a Roman Catholic parish in Florence, Kentucky, serving the Diocese of Covington. Founded in 2004, it is the Hispanic (Spanish-speaking) parish of the Diocese of Covington, with all Masses celebrated in Spanish. Located at 25 Cavalier Boulevard, the parish offers daily Mass Monday through Friday, a Saturday Vigil Mass, and three Sunday Masses, along with Eucharistic Adoration, a weekly Rosary for men, a Monday prayer for the dying, and Thursday evening prostrations. The parish is led by Parochial Administrator Fr. Roberto Carlos Becerra Reyes and Permanent Deacon Antonio L. Escamilla, supported by a secretary and business manager, and it serves as a spiritual and social hub for the Hispanic Catholic community of Northern Kentucky.
- Established
- 2004
- Patron
- Christ the King (Cristo Rey)
- Rector
- Fr. Roberto Carlos Becerra Reyes (Parochial Administrator)
- Diocese
- Diocese of Covington
Why belong here
Cristo Rey is the Diocese of Covington's Spanish-speaking parish, offering all of its Masses in Spanish along with confession, daily Eucharistic Adoration, and a host of Hispanic devotional traditions including a Monday Prayer for the Dying, a Wednesday Rosary for Men, and Thursday evening Prostrations. The parish is a true community hub: it hosts faith formation for youth and confirmands, supports Hispanic immigrant families through immigration services, ESL and GED programs (in partnership with Northern Kentucky University), housing assistance with Catholic Charities, and tax-preparation help, and it actively invests in its young people — sending its first delegation to NCYC and building a youth group out of that experience. Whether you are a Spanish-speaking Catholic looking for a spiritual home in Northern Kentucky, or a family seeking a vibrant parish with daily Mass and a deep Marian and devotional life, Cristo Rey welcomes you.
Mass times at Cristo Rey
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Saturday 5:30 PM – 8:00 PM (media hora antes y después de la misa; half hour before and after Mass)
Adoration times
- Thursday 10:00 AM – 6:00 PM (with Postraciones/Prostrations at 6:00 PM)
Parish Identity & Welcome
Cristo Rey Parish (Christ the King) is the Spanish-speaking Roman Catholic parish of the Diocese of Covington, located at 25 Cavalier Boulevard in Florence, Kentucky. Founded in 2004, it was established specifically to serve the Hispanic Catholic community of Northern Kentucky and remains the diocese's primary Hispanic-parish mission. All Masses and sacramental celebrations are in Spanish, and the parish welcomes individuals and families alike, focusing on strengthening community bonds through shared worship, formation, and outreach.
- Name: Cristo Rey Parish (Christ the King)
- Diocese: Diocese of Covington
- Language of worship: Spanish
- Founded: 2004
History
Cristo Rey Parish was founded in 2004 by the Diocese of Covington to give the growing Hispanic Catholic population of Northern Kentucky a parish of its own. Prior to its founding, Spanish-speaking Catholics in the region gathered at smaller Masses and groups elsewhere in the diocese. The parish took its name — Cristo Rey (Christ the King) — from the Solemnity of Christ the King, instituted by Pope Pius XI in 1925. The parish has served as a hub of Hispanic ministry and immigrant services in the region. Sister Juana Mendez, a Sister of Charity who began working for the Diocese of Covington in 2000, has run immigration and citizenship services out of the parish office, growing her caseload to around 250 families. She has also helped establish ESL, GED, housing, and tax-preparation programs for immigrants in partnership with Northern Kentucky University and Catholic Charities. In November 2025, Cristo Rey sent its first delegation to the National Catholic Youth Conference (NCYC) in Indianapolis — four teens and a chaperone, with expenses underwritten by the parish and scholarships from the Diocese of Covington. The experience inspired the teens to begin forming a youth group upon their return, a direction parochial administrator Fr. Roberto Becerra Reyes has actively encouraged.
- Founded 2004 by the Diocese of Covington
- First Hispanic parish in the diocese
- Sister Juana Mendez: immigration and citizenship services through the parish office
- Partnerships with Northern Kentucky University (ESL/GED), Catholic Charities (housing), and local tax-prep volunteers
- First NCYC delegation — November 2025, Indianapolis
Devotions & Other Parish Services
In addition to daily Mass, weekly confession, and Thursday Adoration, Cristo Rey keeps a small but deeply traditional set of weekday devotions that reflect the parish's Hispanic Catholic identity. These recurring services are listed on the parish's website alongside the Mass schedule and are open to all parishioners and visitors.
- Monday 6:00 PM — Oración por los agonizantes (Prayer for the Dying)
- Wednesday 7:30 PM — Rosario para Varones (Rosary for Men)
- Thursday 6:00 PM — Postraciones (Prostrations, closing Adoration)
Parish Staff & Clergy
Cristo Rey is led by Parochial Administrator Fr. Roberto Carlos Becerra Reyes, with Permanent Deacon Antonio L. Escamilla assisting. Lay staff include Alicia Aguirre (Secretary) and Thomas Benke (Business Manager). The office is open Tuesday through Friday, 9:00 AM – 5:00 PM. Telephone contact is (859) 538-1175, with fax (859) 538-1181.
- Fr. Roberto Carlos Becerra Reyes — Parochial Administrator
- Deacon Antonio L. Escamilla — Permanent Deacon
- Alicia Aguirre — Secretary
- Thomas Benke — Business Manager
- Office hours: Tuesday – Friday, 9:00 AM – 5:00 PM
Faith Formation & Youth
Cristo Rey prepares young parishioners for the Sacrament of Confirmation, with parishioner-led formation (Maricela Cruz, for example, has helped form confirmands) under the direction of Fr. Roberto Becerra Reyes. In November 2025, the parish sent its very first delegation to the National Catholic Youth Conference in Indianapolis — four teens and a chaperone — funded by the parish and scholarships from the Diocese of Covington. The teens returned inspired to start a youth group, involve more young people in adoration, and grow the parish's young-adult community, exactly the direction Fr. Reyes has hoped for.
- Confirmation preparation (formación de confirmandos)
- Emerging youth group
- NCYC delegation (November 2025) — first in parish history
Outreach & Hispanic Services
Cristo Rey functions as a social-services hub for the Hispanic community of Northern Kentucky. Sister Juana Mendez, a Sister of Charity who works out of the parish office, has built a caseload of roughly 250 families seeking immigration and citizenship assistance. She also helped establish ESL (English as a Second Language) and GED prep programs in partnership with Northern Kentucky University, plus housing assistance through Catholic Charities, and a tax-preparation program for immigrants that continues today.
- Immigration & citizenship casework (Sister Juana Mendez, S.C.)
- ESL program (with NKU)
- GED preparation program (with NKU)
- Housing program (with Catholic Charities)
- Tax-preparation assistance
Visit & Contact
Cristo Rey Parish is located in the heart of Florence, Kentucky, in Boone County, just a short drive from Cincinnati. Visitors are warmly welcomed, and bilingual parish staff are available during office hours to assist with sacramental needs, registrations, and questions about parish life. All Masses are in Spanish; non-Spanish speakers are warmly received but may want to confirm ahead of time about bilingual materials or translations.
- Address: 25 Cavalier Boulevard, Florence, KY 41042-1684
- Phone: (859) 538-1175
- Fax: (859) 538-1181
- Website: http://www.micristorey.com/
- Office hours: Tuesday – Friday, 9:00 AM – 5:00 PM (La Oficina Parroquial Está Abierta de Martes-Viernes 9am-5pm)