About Holy Name of Jesus · Henderson, Kentucky
Holy Name of Jesus Catholic Church is a Roman Latin-rite parish in downtown Henderson, Kentucky, serving the Catholic community of Henderson County and the surrounding region as part of the Diocese of Owensboro. The parish traces its origins to 1824 (originally Holy Name in Henderson, mentioned by Bishop Flaget's missions), with its present identity dating to 1891 when the parish's church at the corner of Second and Ingram Streets was completed and the name Holy Name of Jesus was adopted. Today it is led by Fr. Richard Meredith, pastor (since 2023), with Fr. Shibu Cheriyankunnel serving as parochial vicar and five deacons, and operates Holy Name of Jesus Catholic School (founded 1872) as its largest ministry, along with a robust Hispanic/Latino ministry that gathers more than 200 Latino families. The parish is also the custodian of Saint Louis Cemetery on South Main Street, the legacy of the original 1861 St. Louis Catholic Church that preceded Holy Name.
- Established
- 1861
- Patron
- Holy Name of Jesus
- Rector
- Fr. Richard Meredith
- Diocese
- Diocese of Owensboro
Why belong here
Holy Name of Jesus offers a vibrant, multi-generational Catholic life: weekly Mass in English and Spanish, weekday and Saturday confessions, perpetual Eucharistic Adoration in the chapel Monday through Saturday, and a thriving Hispanic/Latino community that hosts the annual Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe. Families benefit from Holy Name of Jesus Catholic School (preschool through 8th grade, 66 staff, 400+ students), a Sunday Religious Education program (K–8), a year-round OCIA process for adults, and an active youth ministry (grades 7–12) with retreats, lock-ins, and a summer mission trip. Outreach runs deep — Social Action, Mary & Martha, a food/utility pantry, two monthly soup-kitchen shifts at the Salvation Army, and the parish-owned Saint Louis Cemetery — making Holy Name a true anchor of Catholic faith and service in Henderson.
Mass times at Holy Name of Jesus
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Saturday 9:00 AM – 10:00 AM (church sanctuary)
- Wednesday 4:15 PM – 5:15 PM (church sanctuary)
- Also by appointment — call the parish office
Adoration times
- Weekdays 8:00 AM – 8:00 PM — Adoration Chapel open
- Sunday 3:30 PM – 4:30 PM — Holy Hour with Eucharistic Exposition and Benediction
Parish History
Between 1824 and 1861 Henderson was without a Catholic church building; Father Elisha J. Durbin pastored scattered Catholics across western Kentucky. St. Louis Catholic Church was built in 1861, and Father William J. Dunn became its first resident pastor in 1866. Father Thomas F. Tierney arrived on January 5, 1881 — the feast of the Holy Name — and over the next two decades renamed the parish Holy Name of Jesus and oversaw construction of the present church, completed in 1891 at Second and Ingram Streets. A list of every pastor from St. Louis through today is preserved on the parish website. The first Bishop of Owensboro, Francis Cotton, originally planned his cathedral here before choosing Owensboro; Holy Name nonetheless became a cornerstone of the diocese (erected 1937).
- St. Louis Catholic Church built in 1861; first resident pastor Fr. William J. Dunn in 1866.
- Parish renamed Holy Name of Jesus under Fr. Thomas F. Tierney (1881–1901).
- Present church completed 1891 at Second & Ingram Streets.
- Renovation of the 1891 church began August 4, 2025.
Parish Staff
The parish is led by the pastor and parochial vicar and supported by a large lay staff of directors, coordinators, and office personnel — including Directors of Religious Education, Youth Ministry, Hispanic Ministry, Liturgy, and Music, plus a Faith Community Nurse and maintenance team.
- Fr. Richard Meredith — Pastor
- Fr. Shibu Cheriyankunnel — Parochial Vicar
- Rose Wheeler — Director of Religious Education and Formation ([email protected])
- Matt Frields — Director of Hispanic Ministry ([email protected])
- Beth Probus — Coordinator of Social Action ([email protected])
- Charyl Farley — Office Manager
- Jan Hays — Admin Assistant ([email protected])
- Ranni Dillard
- Abraham Brown — Maintenance
- Mark Walker — Maintenance Supervisor
- Five deacons: Richard Beaven, John Knight, Joseph Loeffler, John Prough, Jaime Tiu
Holy Name of Jesus Catholic School
Founded September 7, 1872, Holy Name School is the parish's largest ministry. The Sisters of Charity of Nazareth opened the original school on Ingram Street; a new building at Second and Adams Streets was dedicated December 6, 1905. The school once offered classes through high school (last class 1970); today it serves preschool through eighth grade with more than 400 students and 66 employees. Tuition assistance is supported in part by the parish subsidy.
- Established 1872 by four Sisters of Charity of Nazareth.
- Preschool (age 2½) through 8th grade.
- 66 employees, 400+ students.
- Parish subsidizes school budget annually.
Faith Formation and OCIA
Faith Formation (Religious Education) meets Sunday mornings 9:30–10:45 AM for public-school students in Kindergarten through 8th grade, with sacramental preparation for First Communion and Confirmation. OCIA — the Order of Christian Initiation of Adults, formerly RCIA — is a year-round process meeting Thursdays 6:00–7:30 PM in the Parish Hall for inquirers, baptized Christians seeking full communion, and Catholics seeking sacraments. Rose Wheeler serves as Director of Religious Education and Formation.
- Religious Education K–8, Sundays 9:30–10:45 AM.
- OCIA (formerly RCIA): Thursdays 6:00–7:30 PM in the Parish Hall — year-round.
- Sacramental preparation for First Communion and Confirmation.
- Director: Rose Wheeler — [email protected], ext. 306.
Youth Ministry
Holy Name's Youth Ministry serves grades 7–12, with separate Middle School and High School groups meeting roughly 25 Sunday evenings a year for fellowship, study, prayer, and service (20–80 youth per night). Activities include Trunk-or-Treat, lock-ins, trivia with senior citizens, Salvation Army soup-kitchen service, and three annual weekend retreats plus a senior discernment retreat. A weeklong summer mission trip is offered to deepen faith and community.
- Grades 7–12, Middle School & High School groups.
- Three weekend retreats plus a senior discernment retreat.
- Annual weeklong summer mission trip.
- Service at Salvation Army soup kitchen and Thursday morning prayer group.
Hispanic / Latino Ministry
The Hispanic/Latino Ministry welcomes and integrates the area's growing Spanish-speaking Catholic community, now numbering more than 200 Latino families. The parish celebrates a Spanish Mass every Sunday at 2:00 PM and hosts the annual Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe — the largest such celebration in the region. The office interprets at courts and medical visits, translates documents, and runs the annual Latino Health Fair — the largest in the Tri-state.
- Spanish Mass every Sunday at 2:00 PM.
- Annual Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe.
- Annual Latino Health Fair — largest in the Tri-state.
- Interpretation (courts, medical) and Spanish document translation.
- Director: Matt Frields — [email protected].
Outreach, Social Action, and Cemetery
Holy Name's outreach network includes a Monday/Wednesday/Friday food and utility pantry (9–11 AM) serving anyone in Henderson County, twice-monthly shifts at the Salvation Army soup kitchen, and the Mary & Martha fund — financed by 5% of regular weekly collections. The Social Action Ministry addresses respect for life, poverty, modern slavery, the environment, elderly/disabled, homelessness, and hunger through mission trips, the Aging Mastery Program, Giving Tree, Tree of Hope, Feed My Starving Children meal packing, Getting Ahead, Just Faith, voter registration, and community service days. The parish also owns Saint Louis Cemetery on South Main Street (7,672 ground spaces, two mausoleums with 128 crypts, two columbariums with 72 niches), which dates to the original St. Louis Catholic Church of the 1860s.
- Outreach pantry: Mon/Wed/Fri 9:00–11:00 AM (utilities, rent, food, propane, gas, medical).
- Salvation Army soup kitchen twice monthly.
- Mary & Martha Outreach (5% of weekly collections).
- Social Action: Giving Tree, Tree of Hope, Just Faith, mission trips, Feed My Starving Children.
- Saint Louis Cemetery, 1400 block of South Main St. — 7,672 ground spaces.
Sacraments
Information on preparing for and celebrating each sacrament is published on the parish website. Baptisms require parent preparation, with instruction held the first Sunday of each month. Couples must contact the parish office at least six months before any anticipated wedding. Reconciliation is offered Saturday mornings and Wednesday afternoons in the sanctuary, plus by appointment. OCIA serves those seeking Baptism, full communion, or completion of initiation.
- Baptism — instruction first Sunday of each month.
- Reconciliation — Sat 9–10 AM, Wed 4:15–5:15 PM, or by appointment.
- First Communion and Confirmation — through Faith Formation / OCIA.
- Marriage — 6-month notice required before any plans.
- Anointing of the Sick — by appointment.
Get Involved: Stewardship of Ministry
The parish publishes a 2026 Ministry Booklet inviting parishioners to share their time, talent, and treasure. Opportunities range from catechist, OCIA sponsor, and youth mentor to choir, lector, Eucharistic Minister, Men's Club fundraiser, Social Action volunteer, and Hispanic Ministry bridge-builder. The Men's Club has served the parish for over 40 years; the Family Life Ministry launched in fall 2018 with Backpack Blessings, Easter Egg Hunt, and Trunk-or-Treat.
- 2026 Ministry Booklet available on the parish website.
- Volunteer roles: catechist, OCIA sponsor, youth mentor, choir, lector, Eucharistic Minister.
- Holy Name Men's Club — 40+ years of service.
- Family Life Ministries — began fall 2018.
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Fr. William J. Dunn1866–
First resident pastor of St. Louis Parish, the predecessor of Holy Name.
- Fr. Dominic F. Crane
Pastor of St. Louis Parish.
- Fr. Thomas J. Jenkins
Pastor of St. Louis Parish; requested the Sisters of Charity of Nazareth to found the parish school (1872).
- Fr. A. M. Coenen
Pastor of St. Louis Parish.
- Fr. William Van der Hagen
Pastor of St. Louis Parish.
- Fr. Thomas F. Tierney1881–1901
Arrived in Henderson on the feast of the Holy Name (Jan. 5, 1881); renamed the parish Holy Name of Jesus; oversaw construction of the 1891 church.
- Fr. Edward J. Lynch1901–1920
Built the 1905 Holy Name School on Second and Adams Streets.
- Fr. B. J. Boland1920–1927
- Fr. P. J. Dalton1927–1934
- Fr. W. P. Lennartz1934–1938
- Fr. Francis Smith1938–1939
- Fr. Robert J. Gipperich1939–1965
- Fr. Joseph V. Rhodes1965–1969
- Fr. Ernest E. Willett1969–1983
- Fr. C. Phillip Riney1983–1989
- Fr. Thomas Clark1989–1995
- Fr. J. Edward Bradley1995–2011
- Fr. Larry McBride2011–2023
- Fr. Richard Meredith2023–present
Current pastor; oversees parish during 2025 church renovation.