About Holy Guardian Angels · Irvington, Kentucky
Holy Guardian Angels Parish is a small Roman Catholic parish in Irvington, Breckinridge County, Kentucky, in the western part of the state. It belongs to the Diocese of Owensboro and is currently served by Fr. Michael Charles Abiero, who also pastors nearby St. Rose of Lima Parish in Cloverport. The parish offers Mass on Saturday afternoon and Sunday morning, with Mass times listed in the Eastern Time Zone on the diocesan listing. It traces its roots back to a 19th-century mission church at nearby Mount Merino and has served the Catholic families of Breckinridge County continuously since the early 1850s.
- Established
- 1854
- Patron
- The Holy Guardian Angels
- Rector
- Fr. Michael Charles Abiero
- Diocese
- Diocese of Owensboro
Why belong here
Holy Guardian Angels is a faithful, family-sized Catholic parish in Breckinridge County with deep local roots going back to the 1850s. It offers the regular rhythm of weekend Mass (Saturday 4:00 PM and Sunday 11:00 AM) in the Roman-Latin rite and is cared for by an experienced diocesan priest who also serves neighboring Cloverport. Visitors and parishioners can expect a welcoming, small-town Catholic community in the heart of Irvington.
Mass times at Holy Guardian Angels
Weekly Mass schedule
History of Holy Guardian Angels Parish
Holy Guardian Angels has roots that reach back nearly 170 years into the Catholic history of Breckinridge County, Kentucky. The parish began in 1854 at the small community of Mount Merino, a few miles outside what is now Irvington. Its early home was on land that the Wathen brothers — Dr. Benedict and Dr. Richard M. Wathen — had purchased in 1832 and developed into a Roman Catholic seminary by 1838. After the seminary closed in 1843, the Mount Merino farm became the site of Holy Guardian Angel Catholic Church, organized as a mission of St. Theresa Parish at Rhodelia. By 1930 the original Mount Merino church had fallen into serious disrepair, and parishioners chose to build a new home for the community closer to where people actually lived. According to the local history recorded on Wikipedia's entry for Irvington, Kentucky, the Roman Catholic church was moved from Mount Merino to High Street in Irvington in 1933. The parish has remained at 301 W. High Street in Irvington ever since.
- 1832 — Wathen brothers purchase land at Mount Merino
- 1838 — Roman Catholic seminary established at Mount Merino
- 1843 — Seminary closes
- 1854 — Holy Guardian Angel Catholic Church established at Mount Merino as a mission of St. Theresa Parish, Rhodelia
- 1930 — Decision made to build a new church closer to the population center
- 1933 — Church relocated to High Street in Irvington
- Present — Continues at 301 W. High St., Irvington, KY 40146
Pastor and Clergy
Holy Guardian Angels is pastored by Fr. Michael Charles Abiero, who also serves as pastor of St. Rose of Lima Parish in Cloverport — a common arrangement for small rural parishes in the Diocese of Owensboro. Fr. Abiero was ordained to the priesthood on May 30, 2015 for the Diocese of Owensboro and has served in multiple western Kentucky parishes since then. He is the primary contact listed for the parish on the diocesan directory, and his diocesan email is the official contact for Holy Guardian Angels.
- Fr. Michael Charles Abiero — Pastor (also St. Rose of Lima, Cloverport)
- Ordained May 30, 2015 for the Diocese of Owensboro
- Born in Kenya to an Anglican family; led his family into the Catholic Church by age eight
- Became a U.S. citizen on Aug. 30, 2024 at the Worldfest Naturalization Ceremony in Louisville
Parish Life and Community
Although the parish does not publish an extensive ministries directory online, Holy Guardian Angels is an active part of small-town Irvington life. A parish Facebook group exists under the name 'Holy Guardian Angels Catholic Church in Irvington, KY' where parishioners and visitors can follow announcements. The parish also hosts an annual community picnic and auction (a Holy Guardian Angel Catholic Church Picnic, Auction and Car Show has been listed publicly) — a traditional fundraiser and gathering that reflects the tight-knit, rural Catholic character of the community.
- Annual parish picnic, auction and car show
- Active parish Facebook group for announcements and community connection
- Twinned pastorate with St. Rose of Lima, Cloverport
Diocese and Wider Catholic Family
Holy Guardian Angels is part of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Owensboro, which covers the western part of the Commonwealth of Kentucky. The diocese maintains the parish's official directory listing, including contact information, pastor name, Mass schedule and the parish's own website link. The parish's formal entry in GCatholic's worldwide church database is recorded under ID 26145.
- Diocese: Owensboro
- GCatholic Church ID: 26145
- Diocesan listing: owensborodiocese.org/listing/holy-guardian-angels-parish/
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Fr. Michael Charles Abierocurrent (also pastor of St. Rose of Lima, Cloverport)
Ordained May 30, 2015 for the Diocese of Owensboro. Born in Kenya, raised Anglican, brought his family into the Catholic Church by age eight. Became a U.S. citizen on Aug. 30, 2024 at the Worldfest Naturalization Ceremony in Louisville.