About St. Ann · Manchester, Kentucky
St. Ann is a small Catholic mission church in Manchester, the county seat of Clay County in the rugged, Appalachian mountains of eastern Kentucky. Established in 1952, it serves as a mission of St. William Parish in London and is one of the most rural Catholic communities in the Diocese of Lexington, with only about 19 registered households. The faithful gather for a single Sunday Mass at 8:00 a.m. in the simple mission church on Town Branch Road, and the pastor of St. William travels down to celebrate the Eucharist and hear confessions each week.
- Established
- 1952
- Patron
- St. Ann
- Rector
- Rev. Mani George Thellikalayil, MC
- Diocese
- Diocese of Lexington
Why belong here
St. Ann offers Catholics in the rural hills of Clay County a place to receive the Eucharist and the sacraments without driving long distances across the mountains. As a mission served weekly by the pastor of St. William in London, it provides a tight-knit, family-sized Catholic community where parishioners know one another by name. Visitors are warmly welcomed at the single Sunday Mass at 8:00 a.m., with confession available beforehand — a quiet, prayerful setting for worship in the heart of eastern Kentucky.
Mass times at St. Ann
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Sunday 7:45 – 7:55 AM
- By appointment
About St. Ann Mission
St. Ann is a Roman Catholic mission church located at 222 Town Branch Road in Manchester, the seat of Clay County in the Appalachian mountains of eastern Kentucky. It was established in 1952 as a mission of St. William Parish in London and is part of the Diocese of Lexington. With only about 19 registered households, it is one of the smallest Catholic communities in the diocese, providing a vital Sunday Eucharist for Catholics scattered across the rural hills of Clay County.
- Founded 1952
- Mission of St. William Parish, London
- Diocese of Lexington
- Mountain West Deanery
- Approximately 19 registered households
Parish Staff and Clergy
St. Ann is pastored by the same priest who serves St. William Parish in London. Because it is a mission, there is no resident priest at St. Ann; the pastor travels from London to celebrate Sunday Mass and hear confessions.
- Rev. Mani George Thellikalayil, MC — Pastor (St. William, London, and St. Ann Mission)
Visiting and Location
The mission is located on Town Branch Road in Manchester, Kentucky, the small county seat of Clay County. Manchester sits in the rugged hills of southeastern Kentucky, and the church is one of the few Catholic places of worship in the immediate area. Visitors and travelers are welcome to join the small community for Sunday worship.
- Address: 222 Town Branch Road, Manchester, KY 40962-1322
- Phone: (606) 598-2718
- Email: [email protected]
- Website: cdlex.org/stann