About Holy Cross · Loretto, Kentucky
Holy Cross Church, located at 59 New Haven Road in Loretto, Kentucky, is widely known as the birthplace of Catholicism in Kentucky. Founded in 1785 by a 'league' of sixty Catholic families from Maryland who migrated together to settle along Pottinger's Creek in present-day Marion County, the parish is the oldest Catholic congregation in the state and the first Catholic church west of the Allegheny Mountains. The current brick church was completed in 1823 under Belgian missionary Father Charles Nerinckx, replacing the original 1792 log chapel built by Father William DeRohan. Holy Cross is now clustered with neighboring St. Francis of Assisi Church under one pastor, the Reverend Richard T. Goodin, and serves roughly 400 parishioners in the rural 'Kentucky Holy Land.'
- Established
- 1785
- Patron
- Holy Cross (the true Cross of Christ)
- Rector
- Rev. Richard T. Goodin
- Diocese
- Archdiocese of Louisville
Why belong here
Holy Cross welcomes anyone who wants to worship at the very first Catholic parish in Kentucky — a place where the faith has been kept alive by the same hardy farming families for more than two centuries. Weekend Mass is offered Sunday morning at 8:00 a.m. at the historic 1823 brick church on New Haven Road, with weekday Masses on Wednesday and Friday mornings and Reconciliation before Sunday Mass. Worship is in English in a small, tight-knit rural community of about 400 parishioners, and the parish shares its pastor and offices with neighboring St. Francis of Assisi — so families can tap a wider circle of ministries and events, including the famous annual church picnic and turkey supper, while still belonging to a parish rooted in pilgrimage, history, and the 'Kentucky Holy Land.'
Mass times at Holy Cross
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Sunday 7:00 – 7:50 a.m. at Holy Cross Church
- Saturday 3:00 – 3:50 p.m. at St. Francis of Assisi Church
- By appointment
Adoration times
- Friday 9:30 a.m. (Eucharistic Adoration)
History of Holy Cross Parish
Founded in 1785 by sixty Catholic families from Maryland who migrated together to Pottinger's Creek, Holy Cross is the oldest Catholic parish in Kentucky and its first Catholic church — the original 1792 log chapel built by Father William DeRohan was the first Catholic church west of the Allegheny Mountains. Father Stephen Badin, the first priest ordained in the United States, served Holy Cross from 1793 and used it as his base for the entire state. The present brick church was completed in 1823 under Belgian missionary Father Charles Nerinckx, on land donated by Basil Hayden Sr.
- 1785 — League of sixty Maryland Catholic families organizes the settlement
- 1787 — Mass first celebrated in private homes by Father Whelan
- 1792 — Father DeRohan builds the first log chapel (first Catholic church west of the Alleghenies)
- 1793 — Father Stephen Badin, 'Apostle of Kentucky,' arrives
- 1805 — Trappist monks fleeing the French Revolution settle at Holy Cross
- 1823 — Present brick church completed under Father Charles Nerinckx
- 1880 — Father Edward Lynch builds the first frame school
- 1911 — Stained-glass windows installed in the 1823 church
- 1914 — Three Ursuline Sisters of Mount St. Joseph arrive; convent built
- 1935 — 150th anniversary celebrated
- 1958 — Fire destroys the two-story frame school; brick replacement begun
- 1976 — Ursuline Sisters end their 62-year ministry at the parish
- 1985 — 200th anniversary draws more than 1,000 people (Sept. 15)
- 1995 — Clustered with St. Francis of Assisi under one pastor
- 2025 — Designated a Jubilee Year pilgrimage site by Archbishop Shelton J. Fabre
Architecture and Historic Site
Worship still takes place in the 1823 brick church, built under Father Charles Nerinckx on land donated by Basil Hayden Sr. Stained-glass windows were added to the interior in 1911. A grotto on the grounds marks the site of the original 1792 log chapel — the first Catholic church west of the Allegheny Mountains — and a separate grotto depicting Our Lady of Lourdes and St. Bernadette stands in the adjacent cemetery. A relic of the True Cross, obtained during Father Nerinckx's pastorate, is venerated on the left side of the high altar.
- 1823 brick church (Father Charles Nerinckx, builder)
- Stained-glass windows (1911)
- Grotto marking site of 1792 log chapel
- Our Lady of Lourdes / St. Bernadette grotto in cemetery
- True Cross relic on the left of the high altar
Pastor and Parish Staff
Holy Cross and St. Francis of Assisi share one pastor, the Reverend Richard T. Goodin. The parish office is staffed by an office manager and a bookkeeper who serve both clustered parishes.
- Rev. Richard T. Goodin — Pastor ([email protected])
- Carol Blanford — Office Manager ([email protected])
- Donna Essex — Bookkeeper ([email protected])
Cluster Parish: St. Francis of Assisi
Since 1995 Holy Cross has been clustered with St. Francis of Assisi Church in St. Francis, Kentucky, under one pastor and one parish office in Loretto. Originally called 'Chicago,' the St. Francis community was served from 1854 by Dutch Father Francis Wuyts, and its first resident pastor, Father John Creary, built a rectory. The current brick church was dedicated December 27, 1900; the parish once ran St. Clare Academy (1880–1958) and St. Francis High School in Loretto (1951–1970), and today the old high school building serves as a parish activity center. About 1,100 parishioners belong to St. Francis.
- Clustered with Holy Cross since 1995 — one pastor, one parish office
- Current brick church dedicated December 27, 1900
- St. Clare Academy of Chicago (1880–1958)
- St. Francis High School in Loretto (1951–1970, now parish activity center)
- Approximately 1,100 parishioners
- Address: 6785 Highway 52, Loretto, KY 40037
Ministries, Devotions, and Parish Life
Liturgical ministries (lector, Eucharistic minister, altar server, sacristan) are coordinated across both clustered parishes. The parish calendar is anchored by the annual church picnic (June) and the famous turkey supper (October). The church grounds also function as a pilgrimage site — designated by Archbishop Shelton J. Fabre for the 2025 Jubilee Year — with the Our Lady of Lourdes grotto in the cemetery offering a quiet place to conclude a visit.
- Liturgical Ministers program
- Annual parish church picnic
- Annual turkey supper
- Eucharistic Adoration (Friday 9:30 a.m.)
- Pilgrimage site (2025 Jubilee Year)
Education and Convent History
Catholic education at Holy Cross began in 1880 when Father Edward Lynch built the first frame school. In 1914 three Ursuline Sisters of Mount St. Joseph arrived, a convent was added, and the school was enlarged; the Ursulines taught there until 1976. A 1958 fire destroyed the two-story frame school that had housed both grade and high school classes; a brick replacement was begun two weeks later.
- 1880 — Father Edward Lynch builds the first frame school
- 1914 — Three Ursuline Sisters of Mount St. Joseph arrive; convent built
- 1958 — Fire destroys the two-story frame school; brick school built
- 1976 — Ursuline Sisters end their 62-year ministry
Contact, Office, and Locations
The clustered Holy Cross / St. Francis of Assisi parishes operate out of one parish office in Loretto, with a separate mailing address. The parish office is open Monday through Thursday, 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., with a lunch break from noon to 1:00 p.m.
- Parish Office Phone: (270) 865-2521
- Parish Office Fax: (270) 865-2071
- Parish Email: [email protected]
- Office Hours: Monday–Thursday, 8:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m. (lunch 12–1 p.m.)
- Office Physical Address: 3540 N. St. Francis Road, Loretto, KY 40037
- Parish Mailing Address: P.O. Box 74, Loretto, KY 40037
- Holy Cross Church: 59 New Haven Road, Loretto, KY 40037
- St. Francis of Assisi Church: 6785 Highway 52, Loretto, KY 40037
The Holy Cross Cemetery and Grotto
The cemetery that surrounds Holy Cross Church is itself a historic site, holding generations of the founding Maryland Catholic families — many of whose surnames still populate the parish rolls today — along with grave markers for American Revolution patriots and eight Trappist monks from the 1805 community. A grotto depicting Our Lady of Lourdes and St. Bernadette sits to the left of the church in the cemetery and is the customary place for pilgrims to conclude a Jubilee Year visit.
- Generations of original 1785 settler families
- Grave markers for American Revolution patriots
- Burial site of eight Trappist monks (1805 community)
- Our Lady of Lourdes / St. Bernadette grotto (Jubilee pilgrimage stop)
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Father Whelan1787–c.1790
First priest to serve the Pottinger's Creek community; said Mass in private homes for three years.
- Father William DeRohan (Fr. William de Rohan)c.1790s
Built the first chapel in 1792 — the first Catholic church west of the Allegheny Mountains.
- Father Stephen Badin1793 onward
First priest ordained in the United States; 'Apostle of Kentucky.' Cared for the entire state from Holy Cross.
- Father Charles NerinckxFall 1822 – August 1824
Belgian missionary. Initiated construction of the present brick church in 1823. Died August 1824.
- Father Robert ByrneAfter 1824 – 1854
Raised in neighboring Nelson County; pastor of Holy Cross for twenty years; retired 1854 and died 1856.
- Father Edward LynchLate 19th century
Built the first frame school at Holy Cross in 1880.