About Holy Spirit · Louisville, Kentucky
Holy Spirit is a Roman Catholic parish in the St. Matthews neighborhood of Louisville, Kentucky, served by the Archdiocese of Louisville. Founded in 1937, the parish has grown to roughly 2,300 parishioners in 808 registered families and operates Holy Spirit School, a twice nationally recognized Blue Ribbon School of Excellence (2007 and 2014) serving preschool through 8th grade. The community gathers for daily and Sunday Mass, Monday evening Eucharistic Adoration, and a robust slate of outreach ministries, including a thriving St. Vincent de Paul conference and a partnership with Blessings in a Backpack at nearby Field Elementary.
- Established
- 1937
- Patron
- Holy Spirit
- Rector
- Very Rev. Anthony L. (A.L.) Chandler, KCHS
- Diocese
- Archdiocese of Louisville
Why belong here
Holy Spirit is a long-established, active parish in the heart of St. Matthews with a school that has twice been named a National Blue Ribbon School of Excellence, a Religious Education program for all ages, and a thriving RCIA process for those exploring the Catholic faith. Parishioners are fed by daily and Sunday Mass, Monday evening Eucharistic Adoration, and devotions like Stations of the Cross, and they put their faith into action through a strong St. Vincent de Paul conference and a network of outreach partners including United Crescent Hill Ministries, House of Ruth, Golden Arrow, Little Way Pregnancy Resource Center, Immaculate Heart of Mary, Habitat for Humanity, and the Blessings in a Backpack program supporting Field Elementary. With more than 2,300 parishioners and clear pathways to serve as a Eucharistic Minister, Lector, or Greeter, it is an easy parish to call home.
Mass times at Holy Spirit
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Wednesday 5:00 PM
- Saturday 3:30 PM
Adoration times
- Monday 7:00 PM
Parish History
On May 20, 1936, Archbishop John A. Floersh purchased a lot on Cannons Lane for a new East End parish. Father John W. Vance was appointed the first pastor in 1937, moving into a temporary rectory on the Sacred Heart Academy grounds and immediately beginning ministry to flood refugees from Louisville's West End who had been given shelter by the Ursuline Sisters. The first parish Mass was offered on February 21, 1937, in Sacred Heart's auditorium, and Archbishop Floersh blessed the new church on January 2, 1938. A permanent church followed in 1955, a new rectory in 1966, and decades of steady growth in facilities, school programs, and parish life — including a major 2002 renovation that connected the church to the school by a colonnade and Rotunda.
- 1936 — Archbishop John A. Floersh purchases lot on Cannons Lane
- 1937 — Father John W. Vance appointed first pastor; first Mass Feb. 21, 1937
- 1938 — Archbishop Floersh blesses the new church (Jan. 2, 1938)
- 1939 — Parish buys adjoining frame house as rectory
- 1951 — Additional 100 feet of land purchased for a permanent church
- 1955 — Archbishop Floersh blesses the new permanent church
- 1966 — New rectory built
- 1984 — Meeting rooms, classrooms, school offices and library reconfigured; house purchased for after-school childcare
- 1988 — Rev. Joseph McGee, former pastor, dies in car accident
- 1990 — New pipe organ installed in memory of Rev. McGee
- 1991 — Prayer Garden with bronze statue of Mary and baby Jesus
- 1992 — Parish offices move to the Ministry Center in the parking lot
- 2002 — Major renovation: colonnade and Rotunda connect church and school; new classrooms, meeting rooms, cafeteria, junior-high wing
- 2012 — PreK program added in lower level of school; church interior/exterior painting begins
- 2017 — Bronze statue of St. Frances of Assisi erected on the colonnade
- 2018 — Original baptismal font restored to sanctuary with terrazzo floor of baptismal symbols
- Rotunda Plaza renovated with 'Buy a Brick, Save a Legacy' program and statue of Christ
Clergy & Parish Staff
Holy Spirit is served by a pastor, an associate pastor, and a permanent deacon, supported by a full parish staff in liturgy, faith formation, youth and adult ministry, business, stewardship, and facilities.
- Very Rev. Anthony L. (A.L.) Chandler, KCHS — Pastor
- Rev. Fr. Loi Pham — Associate Pastor
- Deacon R. Bryan Bush — Permanent Deacon
- Sr. Sarah Yungwirth, OSB — Secretary
- Jane Hertzman — Administrative Assistant to the Pastor / Human Resources
- Carole Magee — Director of Lifelong Formation (Religious Education)
- Paige Dennison — Director of Youth & Adult Ministry
- Allen Blehl — Director of Music
- Karen Bisig — Business Manager
- TJ Echsner — Bookkeeper
- Laura Foley — Stewardship Recorder
- Melanie Park — Director of Facilities
- Doris Swenson — School Principal
Holy Spirit School
Holy Spirit School, centrally located in St. Matthews, is a Catholic community dedicated to faith formation, academic excellence, individual growth, and service to others. It serves students from preschool 3s through 8th grade and has been twice named a National Blue Ribbon School of Excellence (2007 and 2014). The school shares a campus with the parish church, joined since 2002 by a colonnade and Rotunda, and offers a PreK program added in 2012 along with an after-school Childcare program and a PreK playground built in 2016.
- Preschool 3s through 8th grade
- National Blue Ribbon School of Excellence (2007, 2014)
- PreK program added in 2012
- After-school Childcare (since 1984)
- PreK playground (2016)
- Major 2002 expansion: new classrooms, meeting rooms, cafeteria, junior-high wing
- School library renovated (2008/2010)
Faith Formation & Sacraments
Rooted in the Charter for Lifelong Christian Formation, the parish sees faith formation as a lifelong journey and offers programs for children and adults. Sacraments — including Baptism, Reconciliation, First Eucharist, Confirmation, Marriage, and Anointing of the Sick — are prepared for through the parish.
- Children's Religious Education
- Adult Religious Education / Lifelong Faith Formation
- RCIA (Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults) — begins formally each September; inquirers welcome year-round
- First Reconciliation / First Eucharist preparation
- Confirmation preparation
- Marriage preparation
- Anointing of the Sick (after Thursday daily Mass)
Parish Life & Liturgical Ministries
Parishioners serve the liturgy through scheduled ministries such as Eucharistic Ministers, Lectors, and Greeters, and gather in parish life events through the year. The parish also maintains a strong musical tradition, with the 10:00 AM Sunday Mass served as a Choir Mass.
- Eucharistic Ministers
- Lectors
- Greeters
- Parish Choir (serves 10:00 AM Sunday Mass)
- Cantor and Organ program (5:00 PM Saturday, 8:00 AM Sunday)
Outreach & Charity
Holy Spirit parishioners support a wide network of outreach partners, both through their annual generosity and through direct service. The parish's St. Vincent de Paul conference is a particularly active ministry, with regular projects on the SVDP campus and across Louisville.
- St. Vincent de Paul Society (Holy Spirit conference) — annual Coffee & Doughnut Sunday (September), Halloween party, Angel Tree, Santa Shop volunteering, donation box in the Rotunda
- Two meal-service groups at the SVDP Open Hands Kitchen, twice a month
- Quarterly Movie Night for residents of the SVDP Men's Shelter
- United Crescent Hill Ministries
- House of Ruth
- Golden Arrow
- Little Way Pregnancy Resource Center
- Immaculate Heart of Mary
- Habitat for Humanity
- Blessings in a Backpack — $150 feeds one child at Field Elementary every weekend of the school year
Campus & Facilities
The Lexington Road campus has grown continuously since 1937. The church and school are connected by a colonnade and Rotunda (2002); a Ministry Center sits in the middle of the parking lot and houses parish offices; a Prayer Garden with a statue of Mary and baby Jesus sits beside the church; and the colonnade carries a bronze statue of St. Frances of Assisi.
- Church (blessed 1955 by Archbishop Floersh)
- Rectory (1966)
- School with PreK–8 classrooms, cafeteria, junior-high wing, library
- Colonnade and Rotunda joining church and school (2002)
- Rotunda Plaza — statue of Christ with arms outstretched, surrounded by 275 'Buy a Brick, Save a Legacy' memorial bricks
- Prayer Garden — bronze Mary and baby Jesus statue (1991)
- St. Frances of Assisi bronze statue on the colonnade (2017)
- Baptismal font restored to a new mid-break location with terrazzo floor of baptismal symbols (2018)
- Ministry Center in the parking lot (1992) — parish offices
- After-school Childcare building and PreK playground (2015–2016)
Getting Involved
Parishioners can plug in through scheduled liturgical ministries (Eucharistic Ministers, Lectors, Greeters), faith formation (children's and adult Religious Education, RCIA), outreach (especially the St. Vincent de Paul conference), and school and childcare volunteering. The parish bulletin and website carry current ministry schedules and events.
- Eucharistic Ministers, Lectors, Greeters — see Ministry Schedules on the website
- Children's and Adult Religious Education
- RCIA team
- St. Vincent de Paul Society
- School and PreK parent/guardian involvement
- PTO Leadership Volunteers
- Outreach to Mothers & Children / Habitat for Humanity
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Rev. John W. Vance1937–
First pastor; arrived in 1937 and began ministry of caring for flood refugees sheltered by the Ursuline Sisters at Sacred Heart Academy.
- Rev. Joseph McGee
Former pastor; died tragically in a car accident in 1988. A new pipe organ was installed in 1990 in his memory.