About Immaculate Conception · La Grange, Kentucky
Immaculate Conception Catholic Church is a parish of the Archdiocese of Louisville serving La Grange and the surrounding Oldham County, Kentucky area. With more than 3,000 registered parishioners, the community worships in both English and Spanish, anchored by a pastor (Rev. Christopher S. Rhodes), an associate pastor, three permanent deacons, and a broad staff of lay ministers. The parish traces its roots to the mid-1800s as a mission for Irish Catholic railroad workers and became a standalone parish in 1962; today it operates a child development center, parish religious education (PREP), adult faith formation, Hispanic ministry, the Agape Thrift Shop, and weekly Eucharistic Adoration.
- Established
- 1962
- Patron
- Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary
- Rector
- Rev. Christopher S. Rhodes
- Diocese
- Archdiocese of Louisville
Why belong here
Immaculate Conception welcomes new parishioners into a community of more than 3,000 Catholics with Masses in both English and Spanish, daily and weekend reconciliation, and near-nightly Eucharistic Adoration including a weekly Spanish Holy Hour. The parish runs a child development center, parish religious education (PREP) from elementary through Confirmation, adult faith formation with Bible studies and OCIA, a vibrant youth ministry, and outreach ministries serving the poor, sick, and lonely across four counties — most visibly the Agape Thrift Shop on South First Street.
Mass times at Immaculate Conception
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Saturdays, 4:00–4:30 p.m.
- Thursdays, 7:00–7:30 p.m. (during the weekly Holy Hour)
- Lenten Wednesdays, 6:00–6:30 p.m. (seasonal, see bulletin)
Adoration times
- Monday: 7:00 a.m. – 7:00 p.m., with Spanish Holy Hour at 7:00 p.m.
- Tuesday: 5:00 p.m. – 7:00 p.m.
- Wednesday: 7:00 a.m. – 7:00 p.m.
- Thursday: 7:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m. (English Holy Hour with Confession, Rosary, Adoration, and Benediction)
- Friday: 7:00 a.m. – 7:00 p.m.
Parish History
Immaculate Conception traces its origins to the mid-1800s, when Irish Catholics working for the railroad in Oldham County gathered for worship. In 1871 it was formally established as a mission of St. Aloysius with a resident pastor, and the first church on North Street seated roughly 300 people. The departure of the railroad shops to Louisville in 1899 shrank the community, and in 1900 the remaining parishioners built a much smaller sixty-seat church on the same site. The parish's modern era began in 1949 when land was acquired on North Fifth Avenue and, in 1950, the Sisters of Mercy from Pewee Valley opened the first Catholic school in La Grange. Immaculate Conception became an independent parish in 1962 under its first pastor, Father William Diersen, with about sixty-five families.
- Mid-1800s — Founded as a mission for Irish railroad workers in Oldham County
- 1871 — Became a mission of St. Aloysius with a resident pastor
- 1899 — Railroad moved main operations to Louisville; many families left
- 1900 — Smaller 60-seat church built on the same North Street site
- 1949 — Land acquired on North Fifth Avenue
- 1950 — Cornerstone laid for connected church and school; Sisters of Mercy from Pewee Valley opened the school
- 1962 — Attained parish status with ~65 families; Rev. William Diersen named first pastor
- 1979 — School expanded to eight classrooms
- 1980 — First parish council organized; Agape Thrift Shop founded
- 1994 — Marian Center completed (school offices, child development center, gymnasium)
- 2002 — Ground broken for new church-and-office complex
- 2004 — Current 1,100-seat church dedicated
- 2007 — Parish elementary school closed to merge into St. Mary Academy, Prospect, KY
Clergy and Pastoral Staff
The parish is served by a pastor and an associate pastor who leads Hispanic ministry, supported by three permanent deacons and a full lay staff. Contacts are centralized through the parish office at (502) 222-0255.
- Rev. Christopher S. Rhodes — Pastor (ext. 302)
- Rev. J. Claudio Ramírez Areñas — Associate Pastor / Hispanic Ministry
- Deacon Robert R. Caruso
- Deacon James P. Kramer
- Deacon Thomas M. McNally
- Monica Breitholle — Parish Secretary (ext. 301)
- Bill Ash — Director of Youth Ministry (ext. 303)
- Susan Ashby — Director of Children & Family Ministry (ext. 318)
- Amalia Espinoza — Coordinator of Hispanic Ministry (ext. 305)
- Rachel Geracitano — Agape Shop Manager (502-265-7170)
- Elizabeth Thaler — Pastoral Associate / Adult Faith Formation Coordinator (ext. 321)
- Nathaniel Mo — Director of Worship and Music (ext. 315)
- Steven Ostling — Business Manager (ext. 319)
- Adam Klukiewski — Maintenance Supervisor (ext. 325)
- Madison Sullivan — Maintenance Associate (ext. 325)
Sacraments
Immaculate Conception offers the full sacramental life of the Catholic Church, with formation programs for children, youth, and adults, plus preparation for marriage and the OCIA process for those entering the Church.
- Infant Baptism — required parent baptism class (Tuesday evenings at 6:00 p.m.)
- Children's Sacramental Prep — First Reconciliation and First Communion in 2nd grade; Confirmation in 8th grade
- OCIC — Order of Christian Initiation for Children (ages 7+)
- Becoming Catholic / OCIA — Order of Christian Initiation for Adults; includes 'Journey Through the Catechism' Sundays at 9:15 a.m. in the St. Joachim room
- Marriage Preparation — contact parish secretary; nullity assistance available
- Anointing of the Sick
- Vocations support
Faith Formation
Religious education runs through the parish school year on Sunday mornings, alongside a robust schedule of adult Bible studies in English and Spanish.
- PREP (Parish Religious Education Program) — Sundays at 9:10 a.m.
- Foundations of Faith: A Journey Through the Catechism — Sunday mornings at 9:10 a.m. during PREP
- Spanish Bible Study — Sundays at 9:00 a.m. (room 201) led by Ernesto and Angela
- Power and Grace — Wednesday evenings 6:00 p.m. in the St. Joachim room (Lent/Easter)
- The Early Church Scripture Study — Tuesday evenings, 7:00 p.m., St. Joachim Room
- Formed.org parish subscription — free Catholic movies, studies, audio, and books via signup.formed.org
- Parish Library — open whenever the parish is open; located in the narthex
Music and Liturgy
Worship and music are led by Director of Worship and Music Nathaniel Mo. The parish supports both an adult choir and a children's choir that rehearse during the week, and the Thursday English Holy Hour includes sung prayer elements alongside Confession, Adoration, and Benediction.
- Adult Choir — Wednesday evenings, 7:00 p.m., St. Cecilia Room
- Children's Choir — Thursday evenings, 6:00 p.m., St. Cecilia Room
Youth and Family
Faith formation for young parishioners is led by the Directors of Youth Ministry and Children & Family Ministry, with on-campus PREP classes and a high-school youth group.
- PREP classes for K–8th grade on Sundays during the school year
- High School Youth Group — Sunday evenings, 6:30 p.m., Bosco Hall
- 7th/8th Grade PREP — Wednesday evenings, 6:30 p.m.
- Easter Egg Hunt — Easter Sunday, 11:30 a.m., IC Playground and Pavilion Field (hosted by the middle school youth group)
Hispanic Ministry
The parish has a dedicated Hispanic Ministry coordinated by Fr. J. Claudio Ramírez Areñas and coordinator Amalia Espinoza. Spanish-speaking parishioners have their own Sunday liturgy and several weekly formation and devotional gatherings.
- Sunday Mass in Spanish — 12:30 p.m.
- Spanish Bible Study — Sundays at 9:00 a.m., room 201
- Spanish Holy Hour — Mondays at 7:00 p.m. in the Chapel
- Hispanic Dance Practice — Monday, Tuesday, and Friday at 7:00 p.m. in the Cafeteria
- Children's Spanish Rosary — Fridays at 7:00 p.m., Room 102
- Spanish Stations of the Cross — Fridays during Lent at 8:00 p.m.
Outreach and Charity
Immaculate Conception operates outreach ministries that serve the poor, sick, and lonely across four counties, headlined by the parish's thrift store.
- Agape Thrift Shop — 305 South First Street, La Grange; Monday–Friday 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.; phone 502-265-7170; proceeds distributed to local nonprofit organizations
- Respect Life
- Prison Ministry
- Bereavement Ministry
- Homebound / Spiritual Need (Communion to the Sick)
- Mary's Hope
- Prayer Team — prayer requests via the parish office at extension 350
- Knights of Columbus Council 13304 — Lenten Fish Fry Fridays 4:30–7:30 p.m. in the Marian Center
Parish Campus and Facilities
The North Fifth Avenue campus was shaped by three major construction phases: the 1950 connected church-and-school building, the 1994 Marian Center, and the 2002 groundbreaking for the current complex completed in 2004. A separate rectory was also added during the 2002 build.
- Current church (1,100 seats) — dedicated 2004
- Marian Center (1994) — school offices, child development center, gymnasium
- Separate rectory (2004)
- Parish offices and meeting rooms (St. Joachim Room, St. Anne Room, St. Cecilia Room, Bethany Hall, Bosco Hall, cafeteria, narthex library)
Getting Involved
Beyond its standing ministries, the parish hosts smaller groups and activities that appear in the weekly bulletin. Newcomers are warmly welcomed to register by calling the parish office.
- Register as a parishioner — call the parish office, 502-222-0255
- Adoration — contact the parish office to commit to a weekly hour
- Volunteer at the Agape Shop
- Al-Anon — Mondays, 7:00 p.m., St. Anne Room
- Craft Club — Mondays, 6:00 p.m., Craft Room
- Home School Breakfast Club — Thursdays, 8:30 a.m., Cafeteria and lower classrooms
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Father William Diersen1962–
First pastor when Immaculate Conception attained parish status in 1962 with about sixty-five families.