About St. Ann · Morganfield, Kentucky
St. Ann Parish is a Roman Catholic parish in Morganfield, Kentucky, serving the Catholics of Union County in the Diocese of Owensboro. The parish was erected in 1876 and its present church was dedicated in March 1878, built on land donated by local Catholic layman Hon. I. A. Spalding. Today the parish is led by Father Freddie Byrd and offers weekend and weekday Masses, perpetual adoration, Saturday confessions, a Catholic school (John Paul II), and a nine-and-a-half-acre parish cemetery.
- Established
- 1876
- Patron
- St. Ann (Saint Anne, mother of the Blessed Virgin Mary)
- Rector
- Rev. Freddie Byrd
- Diocese
- Diocese of Owensboro
Why belong here
St. Ann is a long-established, family-friendly Catholic parish in the heart of Union County, offering a full weekly Mass schedule, perpetual adoration, Saturday confessions, and a parish cemetery. The parish runs John Paul II Catholic School, supports catechesis and sacramental preparation, and gathers parishioners around devotions such as Stations of the Cross and a parish hall built for community meals and gatherings. It is a welcoming place to celebrate Mass, raise children in the faith, and rest with loved ones in the parish cemetery.
Mass times at St. Ann
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Saturday 3:00 PM – 3:45 PM
- Anytime by appointment
Adoration times
- Perpetual adoration (24 hours)
History of St. Ann Parish
St. Ann Catholic Church in Morganfield was erected in 1876 and dedicated in March 1878, the visible fruit of a long Catholic missionary presence in Union County that traced back to Father Elisha J. Durbin's care of Western Kentucky beginning in 1824. The site itself was a gift from Hon. I. A. Spalding, whose family home had earlier served as the local Catholic church station. A building committee of Spalding, Dr. Y. J. Shoemaker, Ben Thomas, Charles Alvey, and Louis Wathen carried the project to completion at a total cost of $9,000. The grounds originally included two and a half acres of elevated land and six acres dedicated to a cemetery.
- Erected 1876; dedicated March 1878
- Building committee: I. A. Spalding, Dr. Y. J. Shoemaker, Ben Thomas, Charles Alvey, Louis Wathen
- Land donated by Hon. I. A. Spalding
- Total original construction cost: $9,000
St. Ann School and John Paul II Catholic School
St. Ann School opened in 1912, staffed by four Sisters of Charity of Nazareth, and grew to a peak enrollment of 379 students in 1958. Enrollment declined through the late 20th century, and the 1984–85 school year was the Sisters' last running the school. In 1989, students from the closed St. Agnes School in Uniontown were consolidated into St. Ann. By 2012, a county-wide capital campaign was launched to build a new Catholic school, eventually named John Paul II Catholic School. The original St. Ann school building closed at the end of the 2014–15 school year with 204 students in PK–Grade 8, eleven full-time teachers, two teaching assistants, a principal, and additional support staff.
- St. Ann School opened 1912 (Sisters of Charity of Nazareth)
- Peak enrollment: 379 (1958)
- 1989: consolidated with closed St. Agnes School, Uniontown
- 2012: county-wide capital campaign launched
- May 22, 2015: original St. Ann school closed for the final day of instruction
Buildings and Renovations
St. Ann's physical plant has grown with the parish over more than a century. In 1997 a 16,000-square-foot parish hall was constructed, providing dedicated space for parish offices, a main hall, an activity room, a cafeteria, and a kitchen. The church itself received a major interior renovation in 1999–2000, which included cleaning of the stained glass windows, new light fixtures, restoration of the Stations of the Cross, and replacement of the sanctuary crucifix with a larger one.
- 1997: new 16,000 sq ft parish hall (offices, main hall, activity room, cafeteria, kitchen)
- 1999–2000: church interior renovation (stained glass, lighting, Stations, crucifix)
Parish Cemetery
From its earliest days St. Ann set aside land for Catholic burial. What began as six acres dedicated to a cemetery has grown into a nine-and-a-half-acre parish cemetery organized in five sections, with approximately 5,500 burial plots available for the faithful of Morganfield and Union County.
- Original cemetery parcel: 6 acres
- Current size: 9.5 acres
- Approximately 5,500 burial plots
- Five sections
Sacraments
St. Ann prepares parishioners for and celebrates the seven sacraments of the Catholic Church. Reconciliation is offered weekly on Saturday afternoons; baptisms, weddings, First Communion, Confirmation, and Anointing of the Sick are arranged through the parish office.
- Baptism
- Confirmation and First Communion preparation
- Matrimony
- Anointing of the Sick
- Reconciliation (Saturday 3:00–3:45 PM and by appointment)
Parish Life, Ministries, and Outreach
St. Ann is a community-oriented parish that gathers for Mass, faith formation, school activities, and parish-wide events such as the annual raffle and BBQ fundraiser. The parish hall, cafeteria, and activity rooms built in 1997 serve as hubs for catechesis, meals, and fellowship. The parish maintains ongoing ministries supporting the school, perpetual adoration, sacramental preparation, and care of the cemetery.
- Parish school and faith formation
- Perpetual adoration
- Parish hall gatherings and fundraisers
- Cemetery ministry
Contact and Visit
St. Ann Parish is located at 304 S Church St. in Morganfield, Kentucky, between Spalding and Geiger Streets, in the heart of Union County. Parishioners and visitors can reach the office by phone at (270) 389-2287 or by email at [email protected]. The parish also maintains an official Facebook page for news and announcements.
- Address: 304 S Church St., Morganfield, KY 42437
- Phone: (270) 389-2287
- Email: [email protected]
- Facebook: St. Ann Roman Catholic Church
- Location: between Spalding and Geiger Streets
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Rev. Elisha J. Durbin1824–mid-19th century
Missionary priest whose pastoral jurisdiction covered Western and Southwestern Kentucky with headquarters near Morganfield; effectively the precursor pastor serving Catholics of the Morganfield area before St. Ann was built.
- Rev. James M. Martin, D.D.
Late 19th-century assistant and later pastor at nearby Sacred Heart who helped finish work on area Catholic properties; referenced in early histories of the Morganfield Catholic community.
- Rev. Freddie Byrd2012–present
Appointed Pastor of St. Ann Parish effective June 12, 2012.