About Guardian Angels · Louisville, Kentucky
Guardian Angels Catholic Church is a small, deliberately traditional Catholic parish in the Newburg/Poplar Level area of Louisville, Kentucky (Archdiocese of Louisville), located at 6000 Preston Highway. Canonically established in 1957, the parish was built together with its school and now centers its life on the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass, celebrating both the Ordinary Form and the Extraordinary Form of the Latin Rite. With roughly 400 registered families, it runs daily and weekend Masses, a full confession schedule, a weekly Scripture study, and supports a number of devotional and community groups, including the Holy Spirit Community of the Secular Order of Discalced Carmelites, which meets on the property monthly.
- Established
- 1957
- Patron
- The Holy Guardian Angels
- Rector
- Rev. Jeffrey P. Leger
- Diocese
- Archdiocese of Louisville
Why belong here
Guardian Angels is a small, deliberately traditional Catholic parish in southeast Louisville where the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass is the center of parish life, with both the Ordinary and Extraordinary Forms of the Latin Rite celebrated. Daily Mass is offered five days a week, confession is heard six days a week, and a Wednesday-evening Scripture study builds parish fellowship. The parish also hosts the Holy Spirit Community of the Secular Order of Discalced Carmelites and supports five major annual activities that bring parishioners together in service. For Catholics who want a tight-knit, Mass-centered community with a traditional devotional life, Guardian Angels offers a direct, reverent welcome.
Mass times at Guardian Angels
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Tuesday: 11:30 AM – 11:50 AM
- Wednesday: 5:30 PM – 5:50 PM
- Thursday: 11:30 AM – 11:50 AM
- Friday: 5:30 PM – 5:50 PM
- Saturday: 8:00 AM – 8:20 AM
- Saturday: 3:00 PM – 3:40 PM
Parish History
Guardian Angels was canonically erected on July 23, 1957, by Archbishop John A. Floersh as a new parish for the growing southeast side of Louisville. The first pastor, Rev. Dominic Altieri, celebrated the parish's first Masses in the Durrett High School cafeteria while the permanent church and school were under construction. The cornerstone of the new church was laid in June 1958, and the first Mass was offered in the completed church on October 26, 1958, the Feast of Christ the King. Bishop Charles G. Maloney consecrated the building in January 1959.
- Established July 23, 1957 (Archbishop John A. Floersh)
- First pastor: Rev. Dominic Altieri (August 1957)
- Cornerstone laid June 1958; cost of church + school = $252,090
- First Mass in new church: October 26, 1958 (Feast of Christ the King)
- Church consecrated January 1959 by Bishop Charles G. Maloney
Guardian Angels School & Thomas Merton Academy
Guardian Angels School opened in 1958 with grades one through eight, staffed by the Sisters of Loretto. By 1962 enrollment had reached 700 students. As the student population declined over the following decades, the school merged in 1990 with St. Ignatius and Resurrection schools to form the regional Thomas Merton Academy, which Guardian Angels hosted in its school building until Thomas Merton closed in 2003. Pitt Academy then occupied the school building until 2015.
- School opened 1958, grades 1–8, taught by Sisters of Loretto
- Peak enrollment ~700 students in 1962
- Merged 1990 with St. Ignatius and Resurrection to form Thomas Merton Academy
- Thomas Merton Academy closed 2003
- Pitt Academy occupied the school building 2003–2015
Resurrectionist Fathers & the Resurrection Parish Merger
In 1996 Archbishop Thomas C. Kelly, O.P., invited the Resurrectionist Fathers (Order of the Resurrection, C.R.) to take over pastoral care of Guardian Angels, and in 1999 Resurrection parish was administratively merged into Guardian Angels. Masses continued to be offered at the old Resurrection Church as an outreach of Guardian Angels for several years. The Resurrection Church was closed in early January 2005; the building and grounds were later sold by the Archdiocese.
- Resurrectionist Fathers invited to staff the parish in 1996 by Archbishop Thomas C. Kelly, O.P.
- Resurrection parish merged into Guardian Angels in 1999
- Resurrection Church closed January 2005
- Rev. Daniel Lobsinger, C.R., served as pastor of Guardian Angels around the time of the Resurrection closure
Clergy & Staff
The parish is currently served by its pastor, Rev. Jeffrey P. Leger, who has recently marked his Silver Jubilee (25th anniversary of priestly ordination) and is also heard on a weekly Catholic Radio program with Vince Hueser. Pastoral staff includes a part-time bookkeeper. The Archdiocese of Louisville lists Rev. Jeffrey P. Leger as the current pastor.
- Pastor: Rev. Jeffrey P. Leger
- Part-Time Bookkeeper: Aaron Burns
Mass & Liturgical Life
Guardian Angels is a deliberately traditional Catholic parish that centers its life on the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass. Both the Ordinary Form and the Extraordinary Form of the Latin Rite are celebrated, 'with the intention of glorifying God and fostering the devotional life of the people so that they can effectively call others to true life in Christ via their charity and good example' (Archdiocese of Louisville). Weekend Masses are offered Saturday evening and Sunday morning, with daily Mass five days a week and a full confession schedule before each Mass.
- Ordinary Form of the Roman Rite (English)
- Extraordinary Form of the Roman Rite (Traditional Latin Mass)
- Both forms celebrated to foster reverent, devotional liturgy
Parish Devotions & Meetings
The parish hosts a Wednesday-evening Scripture study and welcomes a Carmelite third-order community that meets monthly on the property.
- Scripture Study – Wednesday at 7:00 PM
- Secular Order of Discalced Carmelites – Holy Spirit Community meets at Guardian Angels on the third Sunday of each month
Parish Ministries & Community Life
In addition to its liturgical life, Guardian Angels supports ongoing formation through a Wednesday-evening Scripture study, hosts the Kentucky chapter of the Secular Order of Discalced Carmelites (the 'Holy Spirit Community'), and runs five major annual parish activities in which large numbers of parishioners contribute services to finance parish operations. The parish office and cafeteria can be reached at the numbers listed on the Contact page.
- Scripture Study (Wednesday evenings)
- Secular Order of Discalced Carmelites – Holy Spirit Community (third Sunday of the month)
- Five major annual parish activities and fundraisers
Secular Order of Discalced Carmelites – Holy Spirit Community
The Holy Spirit Community, the Kentucky chapter of the Secular Order of Discalced Carmelites (OCDS), meets at Guardian Angels Church on the third Sunday of each month. The community is composed of lay Catholics committed to Carmelite spirituality under the protection of Our Lady of Mount Carmel; meetings include business, formation, evening prayer, and adoration. Members commit to daily Mass, the Liturgy of the Hours, mental prayer, and wearing the brown scapular.
- Meets third Sunday of each month at Guardian Angels
- Lay Carmelite spirituality under the protection of Our Lady of Mount Carmel
- Includes evening prayer and adoration at monthly meetings
Contact, Location & Parish Info
Guardian Angels is located on Preston Highway in the Newburg/Poplar Level area of southeast Louisville. The parish office can be reached by phone, fax, or email, and the parish cafeteria has a separate line. The Archdiocese of Louisville lists roughly 397 registered families.
- Address: 6000 Preston Highway, Louisville, KY 40219
- Parish phone: (502) 968-5421
- Fax: (502) 962-1080
- Cafeteria: (502) 964-9072
- Email: [email protected]
- Website: http://guardianangelslouisville.org/
- Registered families: ~397
Resources & Media
The parish's Resources page links to the Archdiocese of Louisville website and notes that Fr. Leger hosts a weekly Catholic radio program with Vince Hueser. The parish does not appear to maintain a publicly verified Facebook, Instagram, or YouTube page based on the sources reviewed.
- Links to the Archdiocese of Louisville on the parish Resources page
- Fr. Jeffrey P. Leger hosts a weekly program on Catholic Radio with Vince Hueser
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Rev. Dominic Altieri1957–
First pastor of Guardian Angels; appointed by Archbishop John A. Floersh in August 1957, celebrated the first parish Masses in the Durrett High School cafeteria.
- Rev. Daniel Lobsinger, C.R.c. 1999–2004
Resurrectionist Father who was pastor of Guardian Angels when Resurrection Church was closed in early 2005; oversaw the 1999 merger of Resurrection parish into Guardian Angels.
- Rev. Jeffrey P. Legercurrent
Current pastor; recently marked his Silver Jubilee (25th anniversary of priestly ordination); hosts a weekly Catholic radio program with Vince Hueser.