About Holy Spirit · Jamestown, Kentucky
Holy Spirit Parish is a Roman Catholic mission church serving Jamestown and Russell County in south-central Kentucky, within the Archdiocese of Louisville. Founded in 1953 to bring the sacraments to a rural area near Lake Cumberland, it grew out of Masses first offered at the Cumberland Lodge Restaurant in 1951 to serve the tourists who came after the completion of Wolf Creek Dam. Today the parish counts roughly 80–150 registered families, celebrates a bilingual Sunday Mass, runs a Community Thrift Store, and is pastored together with neighboring Good Shepherd (Columbia) and Holy Redeemer (Greensburg) parishes.
- Established
- 1953
- Patron
- Holy Spirit
- Rector
- Rev. Johnson Thekkudan, C.M.I.
- Diocese
- Archdiocese of Louisville
Why belong here
Holy Spirit offers a close-knit, bilingual Catholic community in the heart of Russell County, with a Sunday Mass that welcomes both English- and Spanish-speaking worshippers. The parish combines traditional sacramental life — weekday Mass, Eucharistic Adoration, and Reconciliation before Sunday Mass — with hands-on outreach, most visibly through its long-running Community Thrift Store that serves needy neighbors. It is also a parish that welcomes Lake Cumberland visitors and a growing population of retired couples, making it easy for newcomers and seasonal residents to feel at home.
Mass times at Holy Spirit
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Sunday, 10:30 a.m. – 11:00 a.m. (Before Sunday Masses)
Adoration times
- First Thursday, 7:15 a.m.
- Before Sunday Masses
History of Holy Spirit Parish
Catholic presence in Russell County dates to 1951, when the first Mass was offered at the Cumberland Lodge Restaurant by visiting priests from St. Mildred in Somerset. The parish was formally founded in 1953 with the purchase of property from the local Nazarene Church, and the present church building was completed in 1968 thanks in large part to financial support from Holy Spirit Parish in Louisville. In 1972 the first resident priest moved into an apartment at the rear of the church, and in 1975 the Archdiocese of Louisville realigned the Southern Kentucky Missions, pairing Holy Spirit with Good Shepherd in Columbia under Father Thomas Clark.
- 1951 – First Mass in Russell County at Cumberland Lodge Restaurant
- 1953 – Parish founded; property purchased from Nazarene Church
- 1968 – Current church building completed (with support from Holy Spirit, Louisville)
- 1972 – First resident priest takes up residence in the church's rear apartment
- 1975 – Paired with Good Shepherd, Columbia; Fr. Tom Clark first resident pastor
- 1985 – Community Thrift Store building completed
- 1993 – Deacon Jerry Antle ordained to serve Holy Spirit and Good Shepherd
- 2001 – Death of Deacon Jerry Antle
- 2007 – Holy Redeemer, Greensburg, added to the cluster under Fr. Kevin Bryan
- 2012 – Fr. David Naylor assigned to the three-parish cluster
Religious Sisters Who Have Served
The presence of religious sisters has been a hallmark of Holy Spirit since the mid-1970s. Sisters of Charity of Nazareth, Ursuline Sisters of Louisville, Ursuline Sisters of Mount St. Joseph, and Dominicans of Springfield, Illinois have all ministered here, leaving a significant ecumenical mark on the local community.
- Sr. Dorothy McMannon, O.L.V.M.
- Sr. Rosella McCormick, O.S.U.
- Sr. Eileen Carney, O.S.U.
- Sr. Vera Gardner, O.S.U.
- Sr. Marietta Wethington, O.S.U.
- Sr. Karen Freund, O.P.
- Sr. Marian Stenken, S.C.N.
Clergy & Pastoral Staff
Holy Spirit is currently served by a Carmelite of Mary Immaculate pastor and an associate pastor, with administrative support from a parish bookkeeper. Father Thekkudan, a member of the C.M.I., was ordained on January 5, 2002 and has served in India, France, Madagascar, and the Diocese of Covington before his appointment by the Archdiocese of Louisville.
- Rev. Johnson Thekkudan, C.M.I. — Pastor (also pastor of Good Shepherd, Columbia, and Holy Redeemer, Greensburg)
- Rev. Silvio J. Fonseca Martinez — Associate Pastor
- Julie Belden — Bookkeeper
Community Thrift Store
Since 1985 Holy Spirit has operated a Community Thrift Store out of a building on parish property. The store serves needy neighbors in Russell County and is a tangible expression of the parish's social concern. It is open Friday and Saturday mornings from 9:00 a.m. to noon.
- Opened: 1985 (building completed on parish property)
- Hours: Friday and Saturday, 9:00 a.m. – 12:00 noon
- Purpose: serves needy neighbors in the community
Becoming Catholic (RCIA / OCIA)
Adults who wish to become Catholic, or who are seeking full communion with the Church, are welcomed into the parish's RCIA / OCIA (Order of Christian Initiation of Adults) program. Inquiries can be directed to the parish office.
- RCIA / OCIA program offered through the parish
Visitor & Community Notes
Holy Spirit is located near beautiful Lake Cumberland in south-central Kentucky and welcomes community members, seasonal visitors, and tourists alike to worship together. The parish notes a particular ministry to a growing population of retired couples in the area and provides a vibrant Catholic presence to the people of Russell County.
- Located near Lake Cumberland
- Welcomes tourists and seasonal visitors
- Serves a growing retired population in Russell County
- Sunday Mass is bilingual (English/Spanish)
Parish Information & Contact
The parish's physical address is on North Main Street in Jamestown; the mailing address (used for correspondence) is a separate P.O. Box. Inquiries can be made by phone or email through the parish office.
- Location: 406 N. Main Street, Jamestown, KY 42629
- Mailing: P.O. Box 247, Jamestown, KY 42629-0247
- Phone: (270) 343-3346
- Email: [email protected]
- Registered families: ~81 (Archdiocese directory figure)
- Website: https://www.archlou.org/parishes/holy-spirit-jamestown/
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Rev. Tom Clark1975–
First resident pastor after 1975 realignment of Southern Kentucky Missions; resided in Jamestown while serving Holy Spirit and Good Shepherd, Columbia.
- Rev. David Stoltz
Resident priest of the Jamestown / Columbia pairing.
- Rev. Tony Smith
Resident priest of the Jamestown / Columbia pairing.
- Rev. Tom Hommrich
Resident priest of the Jamestown / Columbia pairing.
- Rev. Dan Lincoln
Resident priest of the Jamestown / Columbia pairing.
- Rev. Kevin Bryan2007–
Assignment in 2007 added Holy Redeemer, Greensburg, to the charge.
- Rev. Winson Parekkat
Served the three-parish cluster after Fr. Bryan.
- Rev. Paul Eve
Served the three-parish cluster.
- Rev. David Naylor2012–
Assigned 2012; shared residence seasonally between Jamestown (spring/summer) and Columbia (fall/winter).
- Rev. Johnson Thekkudan, C.M.I.
Current pastor; member of the Carmelites of Mary Immaculate, ordained Jan. 5, 2002; previously served in Bangalore, France, Madagascar and the Diocese of Covington before his appointment by the Archdiocese of Louisville.