About Holy Redeemer · Greensburg, Kentucky
Holy Redeemer is a small Catholic parish in Greensburg, Green County, Kentucky, within the Archdiocese of Louisville. It began in the 1960s as a mission church started by Father George Bowling and grew into a registered parish of roughly 35 families perched on a hillside overlooking U.S. Highway and the south end of Greensburg. Three large crosses mark the grounds of the church, which is clustered with Good Shepherd in Columbia and Holy Spirit in Jamestown under shared Carmelite of Mary Immaculate (C.M.I.) administration. Today the parish offers a Saturday vigil Mass, a seasonal Monday evening Mass, weekly Reconciliation, monthly First Saturday Adoration, and an adult faith-formation program that meets after Monday Mass.
- Established
- 1969 (parish; mission began in the 1960s, church built 1966)
- Patron
- The Most Holy Redeemer (Jesus Christ)
- Rector
- Rev. Johnson Thekkudan, C.M.I.
- Diocese
- Archdiocese of Louisville
Why belong here
Holy Redeemer is a small, close-knit Catholic community where parishioners genuinely know one another and take ownership of parish life together — a place where adult faith formation is actively sought after and adult religious education is offered in a Question-and-Answer format after Monday Mass, complete with pot-luck refreshments. Worship is centered on a Saturday vigil Mass at 4 p.m., a seasonal Monday evening Mass at 5 p.m., weekly Saturday confession, and First Saturday Eucharistic Adoration from 3 to 4 p.m. As a clustered parish sharing clergy with Good Shepherd (Columbia) and Holy Spirit (Jamestown), it offers a welcoming rural Catholic home in Green County for anyone seeking faithful, sacramental Catholic life in south-central Kentucky.
Mass times at Holy Redeemer
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Saturdays — 3:30 p.m.
Adoration times
- First Saturdays — 3:00 p.m.
History of Holy Redeemer Parish
The Catholic parish of Greensburg in Green County began in the 1960s as a mission church founded by Father George Bowling. About twenty Catholics in eight families set up an altar, chairs, and kneeling pads each Sunday morning in the rear storage area of the Kentucky Utilities building before Father Bowling arrived to celebrate Mass. Assisted by the Louisville Archdiocese Mission Promoters (LAMP), the community built Holy Redeemer Church on a hilltop in 1966; the mission formally became a parish in 1969.
- Mission founded by Father George Bowling in the early 1960s
- Early Masses celebrated in the Kentucky Utilities building storage area
- Louisville Archdiocese Mission Promoters (LAMP) assisted with construction
- Church built high on a hillside overlooking Greensburg in 1966
- Established as a parish in 1969
- 50th anniversary celebrated April 6, 2019 with Archbishop Joseph E. Kurtz
Three Crosses on the Hilltop
Three large crosses stand on the Holy Redeemer property, overlooking the south end of Greensburg. They are a visible landmark of the parish's hilltop setting and were a notable feature of the 50th anniversary celebration in 2019.
Clergy and Pastoral Staff
Holy Redeemer is currently served by a Carmelite of Mary Immaculate (C.M.I.) pastor and an associate pastor. The parish is part of a three-parish cluster with Good Shepherd (Columbia) and Holy Spirit (Jamestown).
- Pastor: Rev. Johnson Thekkudan, C.M.I.
- Associate Pastor: Rev. Silvio J. Fonseca Martinez
- Bookkeeper: Julie Belden (parish page) / Shirley Velazquez (2025–2026 Catholic Directory)
Cluster Parishes
Holy Redeemer shares clergy and administration with two neighboring rural parishes in south-central Kentucky, forming a pastoral cluster that stretches across Green, Adair, and Russell counties.
- Good Shepherd Church — Columbia, Kentucky (Adair County)
- Holy Spirit Church — Jamestown, Kentucky (Russell County)
- Holy Redeemer's mailing is handled through Holy Spirit, Jamestown (P.O. Box 247, Jamestown, KY 42629-0247)
Faith Formation and Adult Religious Education
Adult faith formation is a central priority at Holy Redeemer. A Question-and-Answer style adult religious education gathering takes place after the 5 p.m. Monday Mass and includes pot-luck refreshments. Parishioners have consistently identified adult formation as a top need during the Archdiocese's parish discernment process.
- Adult Religious Education (Q&A format) — after the 5 p.m. Monday Mass
- Pot-luck refreshments accompany formation gatherings
- Monday Mass (and education) cancelled on legal holidays such as Memorial Day and Labor Day, or for icy/dangerous road conditions — call (502) 322-2857 to verify
Parish Life and Discernment
Rather than a formal parish council, Holy Redeemer gathers quarterly for 'town hall'-style meetings with a potluck to discuss concerns and plan upcoming events. The community has also participated in the Archdiocese of Louisville's parish discernment process, through which they chose to add the praying of the rosary prior to Mass and establish regular times for Adoration and the Stations of the Cross.
- Quarterly town-hall parish meetings with potluck
- Rosary prayed prior to Mass
- Regular times for Eucharistic Adoration
- Regular times for Stations of the Cross
- Active participation in Archdiocesan parish discernment
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Rev. George Bowling1960s (founding mission pastor)
Founded the mission in the early 1960s; celebrated Mass in the Kentucky Utilities storage area; oversaw construction of the hilltop church in 1966.
- Rev. David W. Naylor
Served as pastor of Holy Redeemer as part of his ministry in rural central Kentucky (also served Holy Spirit Jamestown, Good Shepherd Columbia, and other parishes); later retired.
- Rev. Joseph Thomas, C.M.I.
Carmelite of Mary Immaculate priest from India who served as shared administrator for the Holy Redeemer / Good Shepherd / Holy Spirit cluster.
- Rev. Johnson Thekkudan, C.M.I.Current (2025–2026 directory)
Current pastor; member of the Carmelites of Mary Immaculate.
- Rev. Silvio J. Fonseca MartinezCurrent (2025–2026 directory)
Current associate pastor.