About Mother of Good Counsel · Hazard, Kentucky
Mother of Good Counsel Catholic Community is a small Catholic parish serving the mountains of Eastern Kentucky from its home at 329 Poplar Street in Hazard, Kentucky. The parish is part of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Lexington and reaches across three counties — Perry, Knott, and Leslie — covering roughly 1,006 square miles of Appalachian coal country. Today it is ministered to by a lay Parish Life Director and traveling sacramental ministers as part of a three-parish 'Cluster' with Holy Cross in Jackson and Church of the Good Shepherd in Campton. Worship, faith formation, music, outreach, and a deep Franciscan heritage shape the community's life.
- Established
- 1913 (as St. Mary Mission); raised to parish and renamed Mother of Good Counsel in 1939
- Patron
- Mary, Mother of Good Counsel
- Rector
- Lori Helfrich, Parish Life Director (installed 2018 by Bishop John Stowe, OFM Conv.); Presbyteral Moderator: Rev. Richard Watson. The parish no longer has a resident pastor following the 2016 departure of the Franciscan Friars.
- Diocese
- Roman Catholic Diocese of Lexington (Kentucky) — Mountain East Deanery
Why belong here
Mother of Good Counsel welcomes all ages, cultures, and walks of life and works to build the Kingdom of God in Eastern Kentucky, a region where Catholics are few in number. Sunday Mass at 11:30 am is offered with gracious hospitality, thought-provoking homilies, and enriching liturgical music, and the parish invites newcomers to connect through its ministries, faith-sharing groups, religious education program, OCIA process for adults, and outreach to those in need. As part of the Cluster with Holy Cross (Jackson) and Good Shepherd (Campton), the parish also shares resources across three Appalachian counties, giving visitors and members a real sense of community and mission.
Mass times at Mother of Good Counsel
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Sunday — after the 11:30 am Mass
- By appointment (call 606.436.2533)
Parish Overview
Mother of Good Counsel Catholic Community is the Catholic parish of the Hazard area in Eastern Kentucky. According to the parish's own home page, it is part of the Mission Diocese of Lexington and 'comprises three counties, Knott County, Leslie County, and Perry County, in all 1,006 sq. miles.' It currently serves about 95 registered families, offering Sunday Mass, faith formation for children and adults, music ministry, outreach, and prayer support.
- Located at 329 Poplar Street, Hazard, KY 41701
- Part of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Lexington (Mountain East Deanery)
- Serves Perry, Knott, and Leslie counties (~1,006 sq mi)
- Approx. 95 registered families
History of Mother of Good Counsel
The parish's history page tells a continuous story from 1913 to today, beginning with monthly Masses in private homes, moving through a Depression-era cottage chapel, the building of the 1939 church dedicated as the Diocesan Shrine of the Kentucky Mountain Apostolate, the rise of Mount Mary Hospital and the parish school under the Benedictine Sisters, and a long Franciscan era from 1962 to 2016. Key milestones include the 1947 arrival of Precious Blood priests and Benedictine Sisters, the 1958 opening of Mother of Good Counsel School (closed 1968), Father Rock Travnikar's parish-wide religious education program and the 1982 parish center, and Father Michael Chowning's church expansion dedicated in 2006.
- 1913 — St. Mary's Mission in Hazard established by Diocese of Covington
- 1925 — First Confirmation by Bishop Francis Howard
- 1927 — Five-room cottage on Cedar & Poplar dedicated as Saint Mary Chapel
- 1932 — Parish returned to mission status during the Depression
- 1935 — Father Paul Spain receives approval for a new church; cornerstone laid Nov 1938
- 1939 — Church dedicated and renamed Mother of Good Counsel; designated Diocesan Shrine of the Kentucky Mountain Apostolate
- 1947 — Precious Blood priests arrive; Benedictine Sisters open Mount Mary Hospital and a kindergarten
- 1958 — Mother of Good Counsel School opens; closed 1968
- 1962 — Franciscan Friars of St. John the Baptist Province (Cincinnati) assume care of the parish
- 1980 — Father Rock Travnikar, OFM, appointed pastor; parish-wide religious education organized
- 1982 — Parish Center completed
- 1987 — Father Farrell Spiritual Life Center and guest house completed
- 1993 — Father Michael Chowning, OFM, begins pastorate
- 1999–2000 — New friary and religious education wing built
- 2005–2006 — Major church expansion; Bishop Ronald Gainer dedicates the renovated church on August 27, 2006
- 2009 — Mayor William D. Gorman declares 'Franciscan Sunday' in Hazard
- 2013 — 100th anniversary of the Catholic community
- 2016 — Franciscan Friars depart; 'Cluster' structure begins under lay leadership
- 2018 — Lori Helfrich installed by Bishop John Stowe, OFM Conv., as Parish Life Director
- 2022 — Major July flood event
The Cluster: A New Structure of Ministry
In 2016, three former Franciscan parishes — Catholic Church of the Good Shepherd in Campton, Holy Cross in Jackson, and Mother of Good Counsel in Hazard — entered a collaborative 'Cluster' arrangement. The shift moved the parishes from a single resident pastor to a Presbyteral Moderator and traveling sacramental ministers, with a lay Parish Life Director coordinating day-to-day parish life in each community. The parish website presents this as 'a new structure of leadership, collaboration, and sacramental ministry' that has 'offered both challenges and new promises for vibrant faith communities.'
- Good Shepherd (Campton) — Wolfe County
- Holy Cross (Jackson) — Breathitt County
- Mother of Good Counsel (Hazard) — Perry, Knott, and Leslie counties
- Presbyteral Moderator: Rev. Richard Watson
- Traveling Sacramental Ministers serve all three parishes
Liturgy and Sacraments
The parish's Liturgy & Sacraments pages describe Sunday liturgy as 'one of the most sacred days of the week,' with a focus on 'gracious hospitality, thought provoking homilies, and enriching liturgical music.' Mass is celebrated Sunday at 11:30 am, with Word & Communion Services on Mondays at 9:00 am and Wednesdays at 7:00 pm. The parish invites communion to be brought to the sick and homebound, reflecting the pastoral reality of a widely scattered mountain flock.
- Sunday Mass — 11:30 am
- Monday — 9:00 am Word & Communion Service
- Wednesday — 6:40 pm Rosary, 7:00 pm Word & Communion Service (or Mass)
- Holy Days — 7:00 pm
- Communion visits to the sick and homebound
- Prayer Requests form available online
Becoming Catholic (OCIA) and Religious Education
Mother of Good Counsel offers the Order of Christian Initiation for Adults (OCIA, formerly RCIA) on Tuesday evenings at 7 pm for adults considering the Catholic faith, with a 'Come & See' gathering before classes begin. An adapted OCIC process is available for unbaptized children aged 7 through grade 6. The parish's Religious Education program, using the 'Christ in Us' program, serves elementary-aged children (K–6) and invites all families to attend the 11:30 Sunday Mass together.
- OCIA for adults — Tuesday evenings at 7 pm
- OCIC for children ages 7+ (grades 2–6)
- Religious Education for K–6 using 'Christ in Us'
- Come & See events before OCIA classes begin
- Contact: [email protected]
Music Ministry
The Music Ministry page states simply that 'Music is meant to add to the sacredness of Mass' and invites interested parishioners to join the parish's 'newly forming choir.' The Sunday choir supports the 11:30 am liturgy.
- Newly forming Sunday Choir
- Open invitation to join
Outreach Ministry and Pastoral Care
Mother of Good Counsel's outreach ministry welcomes anyone interested in service, and the parish's registration form lists a Food Pantry and general outreach among its activities. Pastoral care includes prayer and support groups, spiritual companionship, and visits to parishioners. The parish mission statement commits it to 'minister to the spiritual and material needs of all' and to evangelize 'by living and sharing the Word of God.'
- Food Pantry and general outreach
- Pastoral Care — prayer and support groups
- Spiritual companionship and visiting parishioners
- Care for the sick and homebound
Staff, Sacramental Ministers & Councils
The parish is led by Parish Life Director Lori Helfrich, supported by her husband Dan Helfrich as Director of Maintenance and Outreach. Sacramental ministry is provided by traveling priests including Rev. Bob Damron and Rev. Bob Dueweke, OSA, with Rev. Richard Watson serving as Presbyteral Moderator. The Parish Council (called 'Parish Planners') includes Freddie Tallent, Helen Brunty, Jennifer Kuss, Cindy Combs, Marlene Geryes, and Molly O'Rourke. A separate Finance Council also supports the parish.
- Parish Life Director — Lori Helfrich
- Director of Maintenance and Outreach — Dan Helfrich
- Sacramental Ministers — Rev. Bob Damron; Rev. Bob Dueweke, OSA
- Presbyteral Moderator — Rev. Richard Watson
- Parish Planners — Freddie Tallent, Helen Brunty, Jennifer Kuss, Cindy Combs, Marlene Geryes, Molly O'Rourke
- Finance Council
Spiritual Life and Devotions
Beyond the Sunday Mass and weekly Word & Communion services, the parish nurtures spiritual life through Small Faith Sharing Groups, retreats, prayer groups, the Wednesday evening Rosary (6:40 pm), and the Father Farrell Spiritual Life Center on the parish grounds. The Guest House adjacent to the friary provides space for visitors and retreats.
- Small Faith Sharing Groups
- Wednesday Rosary at 6:40 pm
- Father Farrell Spiritual Life Center
- Parish Guest House (606.436.2533)
Giving and Parish Mission
Online giving is handled through Vanco Payment Solutions; the parish stresses that no financial information is stored by the church or the Diocese. Mother of Good Counsel's published mission statement commits the community to bringing 'Christ and the teachings of the Catholic faith to one another and the larger community' in 'an area where Catholics are few in number,' and to evangelizing 'as disciples and missionaries in the fifty counties of our mission Diocese.'
- Online giving via Vanco Payment Solutions
- One-time or recurring donations
- Lenten Giving campaigns
- Contact: Lori Helfrich, 606.436.2533
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Father James Massa1913
Of Saint George Parish, Jenkins; began monthly Mass in the Norfsinger home on Baker Hill.
- Father Earl Bauer1918
Appointed pastor at Jenkins; began weekly Mass in the home of James Roan.
- Father John McCrystal1920
Pastored from Jenkins; Masses moved to the Fulp Building storeroom; later oversaw the 1927 dedication of Saint Mary Chapel.
- Father Miles Paul Spain1935–
Designed and began building the new church; laid the cornerstone November 1938; died before completion.
- Father George Donnelly1939
Completed the church and parish rectory after Father Spain's death.
- Precious Blood priests1947–1962
Assumed care of the parish.
- Franciscan Friars of St. John the Baptist Province (Cincinnati)1962–2016
Took over pastoral care of the parish in 1962.
- Father Rock Travnikar, OFM1980–
Organized parish-wide religious education; oversaw parish center (1982) and Father Farrell Spiritual Life Center (1987).
- Father Michael Chowning, OFM1993–2016
Led new friary/religious education wing (2000) and church expansion dedicated 2006.
- Patricia (Pat) Reistenberg2016–2018
First Parish Life Director after the Franciscans' departure.
- Lori Helfrich2018–present
Installed by Bishop John Stowe, OFM Conv., as Parish Life Director.