About Holy Redeemer · Beaver Dam, Kentucky
Holy Redeemer Parish is a Roman Catholic congregation in Beaver Dam, Ohio County, Kentucky, within the Diocese of Owensboro. Founded in the 1950s as a mission staffed by the Glenmary Home Missioners and served from its present church built in 1964, Holy Redeemer today ministers to roughly 150 households that include a large Spanish-speaking community alongside lifelong English-speaking parishioners. The parish shares its pastor with Holy Trinity Parish in neighboring Morgantown and was selected by Bishop William F. Medley as one of the diocese's Jubilee pilgrimage churches for the Holy Year 2025. Worship is offered in both English and Spanish, with a Spanish-language Mass each Saturday evening and a weekday Spanish Mass on Thursdays.
- Established
- 1950s
- Patron
- The Holy Redeemer (Jesus Christ, Our Redeemer)
- Rector
- Fr. Julio Barrera
- Diocese
- Diocese of Owensboro
Why belong here
Holy Redeemer offers small-parish warmth with an unusually rich bilingual (English–Spanish) liturgical life, including a Saturday-evening Spanish Mass and a weekday Spanish Mass on Thursdays in addition to the traditional Sunday morning Mass in English. The parish's roughly 150 families include a thriving Hispanic/Latino community alongside multigenerational Kentucky Catholic families, and its 2025 Confirmation class shows the parish's commitment to forming young people for service — greeting elderly and disabled parishioners at the door in red 'Here to Serve' shirts every weekend. As a designated 2025 Jubilee pilgrimage church under Bishop Medley, Holy Redeemer welcomes visitors who want to share in the graces of the Holy Year in a genuine rural Western Kentucky setting.
Mass times at Holy Redeemer
Weekly Mass schedule
Adoration times
- First Friday 9:00 AM (per parish directory listing on Discover Mass)
Parish Identity & Heritage
Holy Redeemer Parish (Roman-Latin rite) belongs to the Diocese of Owensboro and sits at 107 13th Street in Beaver Dam, Ohio County, Kentucky. The parish traces its origins to the 1950s, when it was organized as a mission staffed by the Glenmary Home Missioners, the religious congregation whose evangelization of rural Appalachia and the U.S. South is woven into the Diocese of Owensboro's own history. The current church building was completed in 1964.
- Founded: 1950s, by Glenmary Home Missioners
- Current church built: 1964
- Diocese: Owensboro
- Rite: Roman-Latin
Pastor & Staff
The current pastor is Fr. Julio Barrera, ordained by Bishop William F. Medley, who also serves as pastor of Holy Trinity Parish in nearby Morgantown. The parish religious education coordinator is Gail Critchelow, who organizes the Confirmation program and other formation work.
- Pastor: Fr. Julio Barrera
- Twinned parish: Holy Trinity, Morgantown
- Religious Education Coordinator: Gail Critchelow
Mass & Worship Schedule
Holy Redeemer offers Mass in both English and Spanish across the week, reflecting its bicultural identity. The diocese listing highlights Saturday at 4:00 PM (English), Saturday at 5:00 PM (Spanish — noted on the diocese page; other directory sources list 5:30 PM), and Sunday at 11:00 AM (English). A 2025 pilgrimage-feature article in the Western Kentucky Catholic lists the fuller schedule including Wednesday evening and Friday morning Masses.
- Wednesday 5:30 PM — English
- Thursday 5:30 PM — Spanish
- Friday 8:00 AM — English (also First Friday)
- Saturday 4:00 PM — English
- Saturday 5:30 PM — Spanish (Misa en Español)
- Sunday 11:00 AM — English
Faith Formation & Religious Education
Religious education is coordinated by Gail Critchelow and serves school-aged parishioners and sacramental preparation, including the Confirmation program. The parish's 2025 Confirmation class adopted the theme 'Here to Serve,' dressing in red shirts to greet every weekend Mass — especially elderly and wheelchair-bound parishioners — and to assist with small acts of service at the church doors.
- Religious Education Coordinator: Gail Critchelow
- 2025 Confirmation class theme: 'Here to Serve' (red-shirt greeting ministry)
- Service focus: greeting elderly and disabled parishioners at weekend Masses
Hispanic & Latino Ministry
Holy Redeemer, twinned with Holy Trinity Parish in Morgantown, has been recognized as one of the Diocese of Owensboro's principal Hispanic/Latino ministry parishes. The weekly Saturday-evening Spanish Mass (with an additional Thursday evening Spanish Mass per recent reporting) provides regular sacramental access for the Spanish-speaking community of Beaver Dam and the surrounding area.
- Saturday evening Spanish Mass
- Thursday evening Spanish Mass
- Outreach alongside Holy Trinity Parish, Morgantown
Jubilee Year 2025 Pilgrimage Site
Bishop William F. Medley designated Holy Redeemer as one of the official Jubilee pilgrimage churches for the Holy Year 2025. According to Fr. Barrera, parishioners were at first surprised and then deeply happy to welcome pilgrims, seeing the designation as both an affirmation of their place in the Universal Church and an opportunity to live out Christian hospitality. Holy Redeemer is the only pilgrimage site in Beaver Dam, joining other Ohio County-area churches named for the Holy Year.
- Designated by Bishop William F. Medley
- One of the diocese's pilgrimage churches for the Holy Year 2025
- Parish known for rural Western Kentucky hospitality
Parish History & Glenmary Mission Roots
Holy Redeemer sits at the intersection of two pioneering missionary stories — the Diocese of Owensboro, which grew up alongside the Glenmary Home Missioners, and the small-town Kentucky parish that grew out of their Glenmary mission. Multiple Glenmary brothers and priests served the parish across the late 20th century, including Br. Jim Dorn (1968–1972), later Fr. Gerald 'Jerry' Dorn, GHM. In the 2000s, Fr. Aaron Wessman, GHM, spent his pre-novitiate year (2005–2006) in Beaver Dam, doing parish ministry at Holy Redeemer and taking classes at Brescia University.
- Glenmary Home Missioners staffed the mission from the 1950s
- Br. Jim Dorn served 1968–1972 (later Fr. Jerry Dorn, GHM)
- Fr. Aaron Wessman (GHM, in formation) served 2005–2006
- Transition to diocesan clergy in later years
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Fr. Julio BarreraPresent pastor
Also serves Holy Trinity Parish in Morgantown; ordained by Bishop William F. Medley.
- Br. Jim Dorn (later Fr. Gerald 'Jerry' Dorn, GHM)1968–1972
Glenmary Home Missioner stationed at Holy Redeemer while still a religious brother.
- Fr. Aaron Wessman, GHM (in formation)2005–2006
Spent pre-novitiate year in Beaver Dam doing ministry at Holy Redeemer while attending Brescia University.