About Our Lady of the Caves · Horse Cave, Kentucky
Our Lady of the Caves is a small Catholic mission church in Horse Cave, Kentucky (Hart County), established in 1953 and placed under the patronage of Our Lady of the Caves when it was blessed by Archbishop John A. Floersh in October 1954. It remains a mission of St. Helen Catholic Church in Glasgow and has been served continuously by the Fathers of Mercy (C.P.M.), a religious congregation based in Auburn, Kentucky, since shortly after its founding. From a community of just eleven Catholic families in the early 1950s, the parish has grown to roughly 75 families and 250 parishioners, and offers Mass in English, Spanish, and (on certain Sundays) the Extraordinary Form Latin Mass. The parish is rooted in rural south-central Kentucky, near Mammoth Cave National Park, and worships at 1010 S. Dixie Street in Horse Cave.
- Established
- 1953
- Patron
- Our Lady of the Caves
- Rector
- Rev. Joel C. Rogers, C.P.M.
- Diocese
- Archdiocese of Louisville
Why belong here
Our Lady of the Caves is a small, family-sized Catholic community in the heart of Kentucky's cave country — a mission where bilingual (English/Spanish) worship, traditional Latin Mass on the 1st, 3rd, and 5th Sundays, and warm rural hospitality come together under the steady care of the Fathers of Mercy. With Mass five days a week, regular confession before every Mass, an active Hispanic ministry, and a rebuilt sanctuary adorned with sacred furnishings rescued from churches across the country, the parish offers both the beauty of the Catholic tradition and the close-knit character of a country church about an hour south of Louisville.
Mass times at Our Lady of the Caves
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Sunday: 7:40 AM – 8:00 AM (before 8 AM Mass)
- Sunday: 10:00 AM – 10:30 AM (before 10:30 AM Mass)
- Wednesday: 7:30 AM – 8:00 AM (before 8 AM Mass)
- Friday: 5:00 PM – 5:30 PM (before 5:30 PM Mass)
- 20 minutes before all Masses on Sundays, Wednesdays, and Fridays
History of Our Lady of the Caves
In 1951, Louisville donor Thomas Edward Aubrey provided funds to build a mission church in an underserved area of the Archdiocese of Louisville. Archbishop John A. Floersh consulted Father Joseph L. Wheatley, pastor of St. Helen in Glasgow, who recommended Hart County. Father Wheatley built the church on Highway 31 about a half-mile from Horse Cave; Archbishop Floersh blessed it in October 1954 under the patronage of Our Lady of the Caves. Eleven founding Catholic families grew into a community of about 75 families and 250 parishioners.
- 1951 — Thomas Edward Aubrey of Louisville funds a mission church.
- 1953 — Mission established in Horse Cave, Hart County, Kentucky.
- October 1954 — Church blessed by Archbishop John A. Floersh and named Our Lady of the Caves.
- 1952 — Fathers of Mercy begin staffing St. Helen and the new mission (continuous since).
- December 9, 2016 — Original church gutted by an electrical fire; roof collapses.
- August 29, 2021 — Rebuilt church dedicated, attended by ~150 parishioners and friends.
The 2016 Fire and Rebuilding
On December 9, 2016, an early-morning electrical fire destroyed the interior of the original Our Lady of the Caves church and caused the roof to collapse. The adjacent St. Bernadette Parish Hall escaped damage and became the parish's temporary worship space. Survivors from the fire — two original stained-glass windows (Sacred Heart / Immaculate Heart), a metal crucifix, and the presider's and deacons' chairs — were salvaged. Insurance covered about $515,000 of an estimated $700,000 rebuilding cost; a $75,000 matching-gift pledge from the Wendy's in Cave City helped bridge the gap.
- Cause of fire: electrical
- Temporary worship site: St. Bernadette Parish Hall (capacity ~60)
- Insurance payout: ~$515,000
- Local matching gift: Wendy's of Cave City, $75,000
- Salvaged items: Sacred Heart and Immaculate Heart stained-glass windows, metal crucifix, presider's and deacons' chairs
- Total construction & furnishings: ~$900,000
The New Church and Its Furnishings
To rebuild economically, the parish acquired nearly all liturgical furnishings from closed or surplus Catholic churches across the United States. The result is a sanctuary rich in donated sacred art, anchored by the original stained-glass windows that survived the fire.
- Main altar and two side altars — from the Jubilee Museum, Columbus, Ohio
- Pews (16) — from the Motherhouse of the Sisters of St. Joseph, Wichita, Kansas
- Statue of St. Bernadette — from northern Michigan
- Chandeliers — from Green Bay, Wisconsin and Philadelphia
- Tabernacle — from the old Sacred Heart Church, Michigan City, Indiana
- Original Sacred Heart and Immaculate Heart stained-glass windows — flank the altar
Clergy and Pastoral Staff
Our Lady of the Caves is staffed by the Fathers of Mercy (C.P.M.), with three permanent deacons assisting in pastoral care. The mission is attended from St. Helen Catholic Church in Glasgow, and parish administration (including the food pantry) is conducted from the Parish Center at 230 Cavalry Drive, Glasgow.
- Pastor: Rev. Joel C. Rogers, C.P.M.
- Associate: Rev. Thomas Reagan, C.P.M.
- Permanent Deacons: Lee G. Bidwell, David U. Smith, and Bruce A. Sullivan
- Hispanic Ministry: Connie Granados
- Business Manager: Therese Beakes Haavisto
The Fathers of Mercy (C.P.M.)
The Fathers of Mercy are a religious congregation based in Auburn, Kentucky, whose secondary apostolate is the staffing of small, preferably rural parishes. They have served St. Helen and Our Lady of the Caves continuously since 1952 — more than seventy years — making them one of the longest-running pastoral presences in the parish's history.
- Headquarters: Auburn, Kentucky
- Apostolate: small, preferably rural parishes
- Pastoral assignment to St. Helen and Our Lady of the Caves: since 1952
Ministries and Faith Formation
The parish supports a bilingual (English/Spanish) community of faith with formal faith formation, youth programs, and family catechesis. A Family Life Committee helps implement events to welcome new parishioners and strengthen involvement, and the parish connects its two language communities through bilingual liturgies — including a special celebration of the Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe with a Living Rosary and bilingual Mass.
- Hispanic Ministry — Connie Granados
- Faith Formation (English & Spanish) — monthly adult catechism on Wednesday nights; youth events including vocation days, youth Mass, potluck movie nights, and family catechism nights
- Ignite Your Torch — teen retreat program
- Vacation Bible School (VBS)
- Family Life Committee
- Living Rosary and Bilingual Mass for Our Lady of Guadalupe
Sacraments
Our Lady of the Caves celebrates all the usual sacraments of a Roman Catholic parish, either at the mission church or through the attached St. Helen parish in Glasgow.
- Baptism
- Confirmation
- Marriage
- Reconciliation (before every Mass)
- Anointing of the Sick
Annual Devotions and Special Events
Beyond weekly Mass, the mission gathers for an annual Parish Mission led by the Fathers of Mercy and for major liturgical feasts of the Church year.
- Annual Parish Mission (Fathers of Mercy)
- Solemnity of Corpus Christi — Benediction of the Blessed Sacrament after each Mass and Eucharistic Procession around the block after the 8 AM Spanish and 11:30 AM English Masses (weather permitting)
- Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe — bilingual Mass and Living Rosary
- Ice Cream Social & Silent Auction — parish fundraiser
Visit and Contact
The mission is located at 1010 S. Dixie Street in Horse Cave (Hart County), Kentucky, with the parish office and mailing address at 230 Cavalry Drive, Glasgow, KY 42141-1034 (attended from St. Helen).
- Worship address: 1010 S. Dixie Street, Horse Cave, KY 42749
- Mailing/Office address: 230 Cavalry Drive, Glasgow, KY 42141-1034
- Phone: (270) 651-5263
- Email: [email protected]
- Website: http://www.sthelenolc.org/
- Facebook: facebook.com/STHELENOLC
- From I-65: take Exit 58, then KY-218 East for 2.5 miles, right onto S. Dixie St.; church is on the left, across from Dart Container Corporation.
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Father Joseph L. Wheatley1953–
Founding pastor of the mission; pastor of St. Helen from 1937, first resident pastor there in 40+ years; oversaw the building and 1954 blessing of Our Lady of the Caves.
- Father Joel Rogers, C.P.M.c. 2001–
Long-serving Father of Mercy at the parish; reported the 2016 fire; served about 15 years at Our Lady of the Caves, 13 as pastor.
- Father Kenneth Soroko, C.P.M.c. 2017–2018
Pastored the parish during the rebuilding campaign after the 2016 fire.
- Father Ben Cameron, C.P.M.May 2018–
Father of Mercy who shepherded the parish through the dedication of the rebuilt church (Aug. 29, 2021); continues in the leadership team.