About Regina Pacis Chaplaincy · Georgetown, Kentucky
Regina Pacis Chaplaincy is a Traditional Latin Mass community served by the Priestly Fraternity of St. Peter (FSSP) and housed at St. Francis de Sales Church in Georgetown, Kentucky. Canonically erected as a chaplaincy of the Diocese of Lexington on October 7, 2009, it is one of only a handful of FSSP apostolates in central Kentucky and offers the Extraordinary Form of the Roman Rite seven days a week. As a chaplaincy, members of the Regina Pacis Community may register there in lieu of a territorial parish, an unusual canonical status rare in the United States. The chaplaincy also extends its care to the faithful at St. Peter's Church in Lexington for one Sunday Mass.
- Established
- 2009
- Patron
- Our Lady, Queen of Peace (Regina Pacis)
- Rector
- Fr. Mark Fischer, FSSP (Chaplain)
- Diocese
- Diocese of Lexington
Why belong here
Regina Pacis is one of the few places in central Kentucky where the faithful can attend the Traditional Latin Mass (Extraordinary Form) every day of the week, celebrated in a historically significant 1820 church sited on the very ground where the first Mass in Kentucky was offered in 1793. As a canonically recognized FSSP chaplaincy, it offers the full sacramental life — daily Mass, regular confession, baptism, marriage and the other sacraments — in the older Roman Rite. For Catholics attached to the Tridentine liturgy who want a stable spiritual home with resident FSSP priests, Regina Pacis provides a rare, formally recognized community of fellow faithful in the Diocese of Lexington.
Mass times at Regina Pacis Chaplaincy
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Sunday 9:30 AM – 10:00 AM
- Tuesday 6:00 PM – 6:30 PM
- Wednesday 11:30 AM – 12:00 PM
- Thursday 11:30 AM – 12:00 PM
- Generally heard prior to each Sunday Mass, with additional confessions after Mass as needed
About Regina Pacis Chaplaincy
Regina Pacis is a Traditional Latin Mass chaplaincy of the Diocese of Lexington served by the Priestly Fraternity of St. Peter (FSSP). Established on October 7, 2009 by Bishop Ronald W. Gainer, it gives members of the Regina Pacis Community the canonical ability to register there in lieu of a territorial parish. The chaplaincy's home is St. Francis de Sales Church on Frankfort Pike in Georgetown, where the Traditional Latin Mass and traditional sacraments are offered seven days a week. It is one of the few FSSP apostolates serving central Kentucky, and it also takes care of a Sunday Mass at St. Peter's Church in Lexington.
History and Canonical Founding
The Regina Pacis chaplaincy was canonically erected by Bishop Ronald W. Gainer of Lexington on October 7, 2009 — the Feast of Our Lady of the Most Holy Rosary — when he enacted the Statutes of the Regina Pacis Community of the Diocese of Lexington. This was an event long awaited by FSSP faithful in the area and was greeted with great joy. The chaplaincy represents the second liturgical home of the FSSP in the Diocese, with their Sunday work at St. Peter's in Lexington complementing the daily life at St. Francis de Sales in Georgetown.
- Established October 7, 2009 by Bishop Ronald W. Gainer
- Created under the Statutes of the Regina Pacis Community of the Diocese of Lexington
- Members may register in the chaplaincy in lieu of a territorial parish
- Comprised St. Francis de Sales (Georgetown) and St. Peter's (Lexington)
St. Francis de Sales Church — A Historic Setting
Mass is celebrated at St. Francis de Sales Church, the second-oldest Catholic church west of the Allegheny Mountains and one of the earliest Catholic establishments in Kentucky. Maryland Catholic settlers arrived at White Sulphur Springs in 1786, and Father Stephen Badin — the first priest ordained in the United States — offered the first Mass in Kentucky here on December 1, 1793. The present church was built by Dominican friars in 1820 in a basilica style with Tudor influences, retaining its original sanctuary-wide kneeler and doors. The surrounding 11-acre property includes a former seminary (closed during the Civil War), the historic site of Mount Admirabilis Visitandine convent and girls' school (1875–1896), and the only Catholic churchyard cemetery in Scott County.
- Second-oldest Catholic church west of the Alleghenies
- Site of the first Mass in Kentucky (December 1, 1793) by Fr. Stephen Badin
- Present church built 1820, Basilica style with Tudor influences, $3,600 cost
- 11-acre property with original kneeler and doors restored to 1820 condition
- Adjoins the only Catholic churchyard cemetery in Scott County
Clergy and FSSP Chaplains
Regina Pacis is staffed by priests of the Priestly Fraternity of St. Peter. The chaplains serve as the pastors of the faithful registered in the community under canon law. The FSSP Lexington apostolate is headquartered at the Regina Pacis Rectory on Frankfort Pike in Georgetown.
- Fr. Mark Fischer, FSSP — Chaplain
- Fr. Justin Nolan — Chaplain
Liturgy and Sacraments
Regina Pacis is Latin-Mass-exclusive: only the Extraordinary Form of the Roman Rite is celebrated on site — the Novus Ordo is not offered here. Gregorian chant and the solemnity and reverence of the ancient Roman Rite are emphasized, in keeping with the FSSP's charism. All the traditional sacraments are available: Confession, Baptism, Marriage, Anointing of the Sick, and First Communion/Confirmation, celebrated in the Traditional Roman Rite by arrangement with the chaplains.
- Only the Traditional Latin Mass (Extraordinary Form) is offered
- Gregorian chant and ceremonial solemnity emphasized
- All traditional sacraments available by arrangement with the FSSP chaplains
Contact and Location
The chaplaincy is centered at the Regina Pacis Rectory at St. Francis de Sales on Frankfort Pike in Georgetown, Kentucky. The official website is hosted on Google Sites under the Diocese of Lexington domain but is rarely updated; the Facebook page is the recommended source for current bulletins and announcements.
- Address: 4086 Frankfort Pike, Georgetown, KY 40324 (church); 4088 Frankfort Pike, Georgetown, KY 40324 (rectory)
- Phone: (859) 202-3744
- Email: [email protected]
- Website: sites.google.com/a/cdlex.org/reginapacis
- Facebook: facebook.com/people/Regina-Pacis-Chaplaincy/100068112174024/
Registration and Pastoral Care
As a canonically recognized chaplaincy, Regina Pacis Community members may register there in lieu of a territorial parish in the Diocese of Lexington. The chaplain serves as the pastor of the faithful so registered under canon law, ensuring sacramental care for those attached to the Traditional Latin Mass who live in or are passing through the region.
- Members may register in the chaplaincy in lieu of a territorial parish
- The chaplain is the canonical pastor of registered faithful