About Holy Name of Mary · Lebanon, Kentucky
Holy Name of Mary is a historic Roman Catholic parish in the unincorporated community of Calvary in Marion County, Kentucky, established in 1798 and belonging to the Archdiocese of Louisville. The parish serves roughly 180 registered families (about 600 parishioners) and is clustered with Saint Augustine Church in nearby Lebanon, sharing pastoral and administrative staff. Its current church, built in 1891 and beautifully renovated in the early 21st century, is the third on the site and stands as a witness to more than two centuries of Catholic faith on Kentucky's Rolling Fork.
- Established
- 1798
- Patron
- Holy Name of Mary
- Rector
- Rev. Mark M. Hamilton
- Diocese
- Archdiocese of Louisville
Why belong here
Holy Name of Mary offers a small, multigenerational Catholic community with deep roots in the Rolling Fork valley of Marion County, where many parishioners are descendants of the pioneer Spalding, Abell, and other Maryland Catholic families. Weekend and daily Mass, Monday-evening and Saturday confessions, Eucharistic Adoration on Saturdays, a parish school led by Principal Cindy Bland, an active youth ministry and DRE program (Andrea Willett), an RCIA process (Gina Garrett), and a senior citizens' ministry (Kathy Shannon) give every age and stage a place to belong. The recent renovation of the 1891 church, the Lourdes grotto, and the 2005 parish hall make it a beautiful setting to worship, form young disciples, and serve the wider central-Kentucky community.
Mass times at Holy Name of Mary
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Mondays — 6:00 p.m.
- Saturdays — 3:30 p.m.
Adoration times
- Saturdays — 3:30 p.m.
History of Holy Name of Mary Parish
Holy Name of Mary was established in 1798 in the pioneer settlement of Rolling Fork (Buckman's Station) in Marion County, Kentucky. Maryland Catholic families, including the Spaldings and Abells, settled the area after 1790 and shaped both the parish and the young Commonwealth. An Irish Franciscan missionary first served Calvary, followed by an extraordinary succession of frontier priests: Fathers William DeRohan, Stephen Badin, Michael Fournier (the first pastor), and Charles Nerinckx, who laid the cornerstone of the original log church, 'Holy Mary,' in 1805. A small brick church replaced it in 1830, and the present third church was built in 1891, with painted Stations of the Cross installed in honor of the community's devotion to Christ's Passion. The parish celebrated the centennial of its current church in 1991, calling itself 'a community of living faith for the last 200 years.'
- Established 1798
- First pastor: Father Michael Fournier
- Log church cornerstone laid 1805 by Father Charles Nerinckx
- Brick church built 1830
- Third (current) church built 1891
- Parish centennial of current church celebrated 1991
Pioneer Catholic Education
Holy Name of Mary was an educational center almost from its earliest decades. In 1816 the Sisters of Loretto established Calvary Academy on parish grounds, educating young women there until 1900. The Ursuline Sisters of Mount Saint Joseph came to Calvary in 1920 to teach elementary and high school students. Father Thomas Otho Durbin built the parish's second school, which later became a retreat house and then a parish center. Today Cindy Bland serves as school principal, continuing the tradition of parish-based Catholic education.
- Calvary Academy founded 1816 by Sisters of Loretto (closed 1900)
- Ursuline Sisters of Mount Saint Joseph arrived 1920
- Second school built by Father Thomas Otho Durbin
- Current school principal: Cindy Bland
Worship and Liturgy
Mass is celebrated in the 1891 church in English, with a Saturday Vigil Mass at 4:30 p.m., Sunday Mass at 10:00 a.m., and daily Mass Monday through Thursday at 8:00 a.m. Holy Day schedules are published in the parish bulletin.
- Saturday Vigil: 4:30 p.m.
- Sunday: 10:00 a.m.
- Daily Mon–Thu: 8:00 a.m.
- Holy Days: see bulletin
Parish Staff and Clergy
The parish is currently served by Pastor Rev. Mark M. Hamilton and Associate Pastor Rev. Daniel Whelan, with two permanent deacons, Joseph R. Dant and Dennis A. May. The lay pastoral staff — many shared with the clustered Saint Augustine Church in Lebanon — includes a Director of Religious Education and Youth Minister, an RCIA Coordinator, a Business Manager, school principal, ministry and administrative assistants, and a senior citizens coordinator.
- Pastor: Rev. Mark M. Hamilton
- Associate Pastor: Rev. Daniel Whelan
- Deacon Joseph R. Dant
- Deacon Dennis A. May
- DRE and Youth Minister: Andrea Willett
- RCIA Coordinator: Gina Garrett
- Senior Citizens Coordinator: Kathy Shannon
- Business Manager: Mary Creed
- Part-Time Bookkeeper: Libby Raley
- School Principal: Cindy Bland
- Ministry Assistant: Kim Spalding
- Administrative Assistant: Libby Mattingly
Faith Formation and Youth Ministry
Andrea Willett serves as Director of Religious Education and Youth Minister, coordinating religious education for parish children and faith formation for parish youth. Gina Garrett coordinates the RCIA process for adults preparing to enter the Catholic Church. Together these ministries form the backbone of lifelong faith formation at Holy Name of Mary.
- Religious Education (parish school age)
- Youth Ministry
- RCIA — Coordinator Gina Garrett
Outreach to Senior Parishioners
Long-serving pastoral associate Kathy Shannon coordinates the Senior Citizens ministry for the clustered Saint Augustine / Holy Name of Mary parishes, a hallmark of the parish's care for its older members. Her decades of service to the Lebanon community — including religious education, youth ministry, RCIA, adult formation, and business management — were widely recognized at the time of her retirement.
- Senior Citizens Coordinator: Kathy Shannon
- Pastoral care across clustered parishes
Buildings, Grotto, and Parish Hall
The present 1891 church was renovated in the early 2000s, with additional restoration in recent years. An outdoor grotto to Our Lady of Lourdes was built on the parish grounds using stones salvaged from the foundations of historic parish buildings, and a new parish hall was constructed in 2005 to serve the parish community. The parish was dedicated to Saint Isidore the Farmer.
- Current church built 1891
- Interior renovation early 2000s
- Outdoor Lourdes grotto (stones from historic foundations)
- New parish hall built 2005
- Parish dedicated to Saint Isidore the Farmer
Old Holy Name of Mary Cemetery
The Old Holy Name of Mary Cemetery, originally called Old Calvary Cemetery, lies adjacent to the church and contains the graves of many of the pioneer Catholic families of Marion County. Revolutionary War soldiers John Barton Abell (d. 1820), Benedict Spalding (d. 1821), and Henry Hudson Wathen (d. 1851) are buried in the older section, along with members of the Abell, Spalding, Hayden, Hamilton, and Wathen families who founded the parish. Kentucky Historical Marker #1667 commemorates the cemetery.
- Pioneer Abell, Spalding, and Wathen family graves
- Revolutionary War veterans buried here
- Kentucky Historical Marker #1667
Cluster with Saint Augustine, Lebanon
Since 2004 Holy Name of Mary has been clustered with Saint Augustine Church in Lebanon, about four miles to the north. The two parishes share Pastor Rev. Mark M. Hamilton, much of the lay pastoral staff, and the parish office phone lines and email address ([email protected]). Pastoral associates, the business office, and sacramental preparation are coordinated across both parishes.
- Clustered with Saint Augustine Church, Lebanon (since 2004)
- Shared pastor and pastoral staff
- Shared office phone (270) 692-3019
- Shared office email [email protected]
Visiting Holy Name of Mary
Holy Name of Mary Catholic Church is located at 3295 Highway 208 in the small community of Calvary, Marion County, Kentucky. Because the parish mailing address differs from its location, visitors should write to 235 S. Spalding Avenue, Lebanon, KY 40033-1231, or call the shared parish office at (270) 692-6491 or (270) 692-3019 before traveling. The parish is a small, historic community where newcomers and visitors are warmly received.
- Worship site: 3295 Highway 208, Calvary (Lebanon), KY 40033
- Mailing address: 235 S. Spalding Avenue, Lebanon, KY 40033-1231
- Phone: (270) 692-6491 / (270) 692-3019
- Email: [email protected]
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Father Michael Fournierfirst pastor (late 18th/early 19th c.)
First pastor of the parish; followed an Irish Franciscan missionary and Fathers William DeRohan, Stephen Badin, and Charles Nerinckx on the Kentucky mission circuit.
- Father Charles Nerinckxearly 19th century
Resided at Calvary while riding the Kentucky mission circuit; laid the cornerstone of the original log church (Holy Mary) in 1805.
- Father Thomas Otho Durbinlate 19th/early 20th century
Built the parish's second school; oversaw construction of the second Calvary church in 1920.
- Father Gerald Bell2002– (cluster era)
Became pastor of Saint Augustine in 2002; in 2004 Saint Augustine was clustered with Holy Name of Mary Church in Calvary.
- Father William Bowlingsucceeded Father Bell
Served as pastor of the clustered Saint Augustine / Holy Name of Mary parishes.
- Rev. Mark M. Hamiltonassigned by Archdiocese of Louisville
Born in Lebanon, KY; ordained August 24, 1994, for the Archdiocese of Louisville; studied at the Pontifical North American College and the Pontifical University of St. Thomas Aquinas in Rome; also serves as Ecumenical and Interfaith officer for the Archdiocese.