About Holy Family · Louisville, Kentucky
Holy Family Parish is a Catholic community in the Camp Taylor neighborhood of Louisville, Kentucky, served by Conventual Franciscan (OFM Conv.) friars. The parish describes itself as 'a community of believers in the risen Lord, Jesus Christ, who welcomes all peoples,' and currently counts roughly 425 registered families (the parish's own history pages reference nearly 1,700 individuals gathering as a community). Established in 1929 and rooted in a parish school launched in 1923, Holy Family ministers today from its present church building (dedicated May 28, 1997) on Poplar Level Road, with daily and Sunday Mass, sacramental preparation, faith formation for all ages, Bible studies, and outreach to the homebound, the Kentucky State Reformatory, and the local Syro-Malabar Catholic community.
- Established
- 1929
- Patron
- The Holy Family (Jesus, Mary, and Joseph)
- Rector
- Rev. George Munjanattu, O.F.M. Conv.
- Diocese
- Archdiocese of Louisville (Metropolitan Archdiocese of Louisville)
Why belong here
Holy Family is a small, multi-generational parish with a deeply local story — its roots in Camp Taylor go back to 1923 — and an international, Conventual Franciscan face today under Fr. George Munjanattu, OFM Conv. Members can worship in English at a daily 8 a.m. Mass or a Sunday 10 a.m. Mass, join a Malayalam Mass on the 2nd and 4th Sundays, send their children through the collaborative Inter-Parish Family Faith Formation (IFFF) program, gather for Women's or Men's Bible Study, and take Communion to the homebound and hospitalized. With a dedicated permanent deacon who also serves the Camp Taylor Fire Department and the Kentucky State Reformatory, and a pastor connected to Bellarmine University Campus Ministry, the parish offers an unusually wide range of ways to pray, serve, and belong.
Mass times at Holy Family
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Saturdays — 3:30–4:00 p.m.
- First Sunday — 9:00–9:30 a.m.
Our History
Holy Family Parish grew directly out of a Catholic school begun in 1923 in the Camp Taylor neighborhood of Louisville, itself a community that had grown up around a World War I Army camp. Residents of the 'Catholic Welfare Club of Camp Taylor' remodeled a soldiers' barracks into two classrooms, and two Sisters of Charity of Nazareth began teaching the seventy-seven children enrolled. Mass was soon offered in one of those classrooms, on an altar improvised from school desks. Camp Taylor was declared a mission in 1924 and a mission church of St. Elizabeth in 1926; a new two-story school opened May 22, 1927, with the second floor serving as a temporary church. Father Francis J. Timoney was appointed first resident pastor in November 1928, and the Archdiocese of Louisville dates the formal establishment of the parish to 1929. A basement church followed in 1939 and served the parish for nearly six decades.
- 1923 — Catholic school opens in remodeled WWI barracks under St. Elizabeth Parish
- 1924 — Camp Taylor becomes a mission; 1926 — becomes mission church of St. Elizabeth
- May 22, 1927 — New two-story school opens; second floor used as temporary church
- November 1928 — Father Francis J. Timoney appointed first resident pastor
- 1929 — Parish formally established
- 1939 — Temporary basement church built
- 1948 — St. Stephen Martyr carved out of Holy Family
- 1957 — Resurrection and Guardian Angels carved out of Holy Family
- July 1996 — Basement church closed
- May 28, 1997 — Present church dedicated
- May 30, 2014 — Holy Family School closes after nearly 90 years
Parish Identity & Patron
The parish is named for the Holy Family — Jesus, Mary, and Joseph — and is observed in the universal Church with the Feast of the Holy Family, traditionally celebrated on the Sunday in the Octave of Christmas. The parish community is described on its own website as 'a community of believers in the risen Lord, Jesus Christ, who welcomes all peoples.' Today the parish is served by Conventual Franciscan (OFM Conv.) friars from India, giving the parish an international character alongside its long-standing Camp Taylor roots.
Meet the Staff
The pastoral and administrative team of Holy Family Parish is small and tightly knit. The pastor and parochial vicar are Conventual Franciscans; the permanent deacon also serves in a number of archdiocesan and civic ministries; and the lay staff handles faith formation, music, finances, and parish communications.
Clergy
The parish is currently served by two Conventual Franciscan friars and one permanent deacon.
- Fr. George Munjanattu, OFM Conv. — Pastor. Conventual Franciscan from St. Maximilian Kolbe Province, India; first professed 1994, solemnly professed 1998, ordained December 26, 2000; earned a PhD in Leadership in Higher Education from Bellarmine University in 2023. Also serves Bellarmine University Campus Ministry and the local Syro-Malabar Catholic community.
- Fr. John Pozhathuparambil, OFM Conv. — In Residence. Conventual Franciscan from India; resident at Holy Family Rectory (Franciscan Shanthi Ashram) since 2010; holds a Doctorate in Ministry from Louisville Presbyterian Seminary; co-runs a Ministry for College-Age Young Adults and serves as Director of Campus Ministry at Bellarmine University.
- Deacon Joseph P. (Pat) Wright — Permanent Deacon. Married to Sandy since 1964; four grown children and seven grandchildren; ordained a deacon in 1990 and previously served at the Cathedral of the Assumption and as Pastoral Administrator of St. Boniface. Also chaplain for the Camp Taylor Fire Department, ministers at the Kentucky State Reformatory, and is a presenting couple (with Sandy) for Foundation for Marriage.
Lay & Music Staff
Lay staff and musicians keep the parish's day-to-day ministry running, from faith formation and worship to bookkeeping, communications, and facilities.
- Jennifer Zoeller — Director of Faith Formation and Worship. Holds a Master of Pastoral Studies from Loyola University New Orleans through the Archdiocese of Louisville's LIMEX program; UK graduate; consulting engineer at CBRE/Noveen; mother of one daughter; active in VBS, Bible Study, Communion services, homebound/hospital Communion, and Little Sisters of the Poor volunteering.
- Richard (Rick) Knoop — Part-time Music Director.
- Brent Coomes — Bookkeeper.
- Peggy Boyd — Parish Secretary. With Holy Family since 1999; lives in Cox's Creek with husband Chris; two children, four grandchildren, two great-granddaughters.
- NaomiRose Paulin — Receptionist and Ministry Assistant. Comes to Holy Family after a career in administration with Louisville Metro Government; active at Ronald McDonald House and Senior Care Experts; lifelong Louisville resident with three sons.
- Steve Bronger — Maintenance.
Parish Council & Finance Committee
Lay leadership at Holy Family is provided by a Parish Council chaired by Mrs. Jackie Mudd and a Finance Committee chaired in coordination with Mr. David Nett. Both bodies include parishioners from across the parish community and work with the pastor on pastoral and financial planning.
- Parish Council — Jackie Mudd (Chair), Helen Arnold, Becky Morris, Jim Gast, Michele Osbourn, Elizabeth Hobson, Seena Iype, Bennet Davis, Kathy Gardner.
- Finance Committee — David Nett, Missy Huff, Jean Hall, Beth Feger Garr, Adam Hobson.
Live-Streamed Mass
The Sunday 10:00 a.m. Mass is live-streamed through the parish website, allowing shut-ins and those who have moved away to remain connected to the parish's worship life.
Faith Formation & Lifelong Education
The mission of the parish's Lifelong Formation & Education ministry is 'to teach Catholic beliefs, traditions and values as well as to provide support, formation and training in the context of deepening spirituality.' Programs serve children, youth, and adults, and sacramental preparation is offered for Eucharist, Reconciliation, and Confirmation for all registered families.
Children's Faith Formation (IFFF)
Holy Family participates in the Inter-Parish Family Faith Formation program (IFFF), a collaborative effort among five parishes in the region. It is intended for students in kindergarten through eighth grade who are not attending a parish school and runs from September through May. The model is family-based: weekly lessons are completed at home, and a monthly large-group family event — including prayer, lesson overview, parent enrichment, and a seasonal/liturgical activity — is held at Saint Stephen Martyr or another participating parish.
- K–8 religious education for children not attending Catholic schools
- Weekly at-home lessons plus monthly family gathering
- Sacramental preparation for Eucharist, Reconciliation, and Confirmation
- September through May
OCIC & OCIA (Christian Initiation)
The parish offers both the children's and adult versions of the Order of Christian Initiation for those not yet baptized or fully initiated into the Catholic faith.
- OCIC (Order of Christian Initiation for Children) — for unbaptized children of catechetical age (7+), held as needed to fit family schedules.
- OCIA (Order of Christian Initiation for Adults) — prepares unbaptized adults to receive Baptism, Confirmation, and/or Eucharist at the Easter Vigil; held as needed to fit schedules.
Bible Studies & Vacation Bible School
Adult formation is offered through parish Bible studies for women and men, and children are welcomed to a week-long Vacation Bible School each summer.
- Women's Bible Study — uses the Walking with Purpose series, open to the parish and wider community.
- Men's Bible Study — weekly gatherings on Saturdays, open to the parish and wider community.
- Vacation Bible School — annual summer program with Bible lessons, arts and crafts, games, refreshments, and music.
Sacraments
Holy Family prepares parishioners for and celebrates the seven Catholic sacraments, with the parish office as the point of contact for scheduling and preparation. Sacramental preparation for Eucharist, Reconciliation, and Confirmation is offered for all registered families through the IFFF and parish programs. The OCIC and OCIA processes welcome the unbaptized — children and adults — into full communion with the Church.
Outreach & Community Ministries
Beyond the parish campus, Holy Family parishioners and clergy serve the wider Louisville community in a number of ways, drawing on the parish's Franciscan charism and the ministry of its permanent deacon.
Campus & Syro-Malabar Ministry
The parish's Conventual Franciscan friars extend the parish's ministry beyond its own boundaries. Fr. George Munjanattu and Fr. John Pozhathuparambil together direct the parish's college-age young adult ministry and serve as the Director of Campus Ministry at Bellarmine University. The friars also minister to the local Syro-Malabar Catholic community, who gather at Holy Family for a Malayalam-language Mass on the 2nd and 4th Sundays of the month at 3:00 p.m.
- Bellarmine University Campus Ministry
- Ministry for College-Age Young Adults
- Syro-Malabar Catholic community (Malayalam Mass on 2nd and 4th Sundays, 3:00 p.m.)
- Franciscan Shanthi Ashram (parish rectory)
Healthcare, Civic & Prison Ministry
Through the parish's permanent deacon and its lay faithful, Holy Family reaches into local institutions of care, public safety, and corrections, while also supporting marriage preparation and the Little Sisters of the Poor.
- Communion to the Homebound and Hospital
- Deacon Pat Wright — Chaplain, Camp Taylor Fire Department
- Kentucky State Reformatory ministry (with archdiocesan priests)
- Foundation for Marriage — Marriage Preparation (presenting couple: Deacon Pat and Sandy Wright)
- Volunteer support for the Little Sisters of the Poor
- Community Health Ministry
Giving & Supporting the Parish
Holy Family offers online giving through its website, designed both for current parishioners and for those who have moved away but wish to continue supporting the parish's mission. The parish also partners with the Kroger Community Rewards Program, which donates to Holy Family based on everyday shopping once a Shopper's Card is linked to the parish.
- Online giving via the parish website
- Kroger Community Rewards Program (link Shopper's Card to Holy Family)
- Additional rewards programs posted as they become available
Visit, Contact, and Service Times
Parishioners and visitors can reach Holy Family by phone, fax, or email, and Sunday Mass is live-streamed for those who cannot attend in person.
- Address — 3938 Poplar Level Road, Louisville, KY 40213-1463
- Phone — (502) 459-6066
- Fax — (502) 456-9198
- Parish email — [email protected] (Parish Secretary, Peggy Boyd)
- Website — http://www.holyfamilyky.org/
- Live-streamed Sunday Mass — 10:00 a.m.
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Rev. Francis J. Timoney1928–
Appointed first resident pastor in November 1928; led the parish as it transitioned from mission status and built its first basement church in 1939.
- Rev. Harry Gelthaus
Pastor at the time of the February 2014 announcement that Holy Family School would close at the end of that academic year (school closed May 30, 2014).
- Rev. George Munjanattu, O.F.M. Conv.present
Current pastor; Conventual Franciscan from St. Maximilian Kolbe Province, India; also serves Bellarmine University Campus Ministry and the local Syro-Malabar Catholic community; earned a PhD in Leadership in Higher Education from Bellarmine in 2023.