About St. Anthony · Peonia, Kentucky
St. Anthony Catholic Church is a small rural Roman Catholic parish in the Peonia community of Grayson County, Kentucky, listed at 1256 St. Anthony Road (KY-226), Clarkson, KY 42726. It is one of three parishes that share a single pastor and a single parish office under the 'Tri-Parish' arrangement, alongside St. Augustine in Grayson Springs and St. Benedict in Wax. The parish belongs to the Diocese of Owensboro and serves the local faithful with Sunday and weekday Mass, First Friday Eucharistic Adoration, Bible Study, and OCIA (Order of Christian Initiation of Adults) formation. The Tri-Parish Office is physically located on the St. Anthony campus.
- Patron
- St. Anthony
- Rector
- Rev. Stephen Van Lal Than (Fr. Stephen Lalte)
- Diocese
- Diocese of Owensboro
Why belong here
St. Anthony is a faithful, close-knit rural Catholic community that gathers for an early Sunday Mass, a Friday daily Mass, and First Friday Eucharistic Adoration in the rolling hill country of Grayson County. As the host parish of the Tri-Parish Office, it coordinates faith formation for all three parishes — Bible Study on Wednesdays, OCIA on Thursdays — and offers the full sacramental life of the Diocese of Owensboro, including baptism preparation, Anointing of the Sick, and visits to the sick and homebound. Visitors and new parishioners are welcomed into a small community that keeps Catholic faith alive in a quiet corner of western Kentucky.
Mass times at St. Anthony
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Saturday 3:30 PM CT at St. Augustine Church
- By appointment
Adoration times
- First Friday of every month, 9:30 AM – 3:30 PM CT at St. Anthony Church
About St. Anthony Parish
St. Anthony Catholic Church is the Peonia-area parish of a three-church cluster in Grayson County, Kentucky. It shares a pastor, bulletin, website, and office with St. Augustine Church in Grayson Springs and St. Benedict Church in Wax. The Tri-Parish Office is physically located on the St. Anthony campus, and the parish is listed on the Diocese of Owensboro's official parish directory under 'St. Anthony Parish.'
- Parish family: St. Anthony (Peonia), St. Augustine (Grayson Springs), St. Benedict (Wax)
- Diocese: Owensboro
- Rite: Roman-Latin
- Tri-Parish Office at St. Anthony: 1256 St. Anthony Rd., Clarkson, KY 42726
History of the Parish
The parish already existed when, in September 1917, the veteran German-born missionary Rev. Paul Joseph Volk was given pastoral care of the 'little church at Peonia' and its five outlying missions — a task he carried out on horseback until infirmities forced his retirement in July 1919. He died at Mount St. Joseph on November 2, 1919. The parish has continued as a small rural congregation and today operates as the host site of the Tri-Parish arrangement in Grayson County.
- 1917–1919: Rev. Paul Joseph Volk served St. Anthony, Peonia
- 1937: Diocese of Owensboro established (December 9, 1937)
- Tri-Parish cluster formed in cooperation with the Diocese of Owensboro
Clergy, Staff & Parish Council
The Tri-Parish community is currently served by a pastor and a deacon, with an office manager coordinating parish life. The current pastor is Rev. Stephen Van Lal Than (also known as Fr. Stephen Lalte).
- Pastor: Rev. Stephen Van Lal Than — phone (270) 242-0112; [email protected]
- Deacon: T.J. Dennison — phone (270) 302-6257; [email protected]
- Deacon (Retired): Bill Grant
- Office Manager: Shirley Goldsmith — phone (270) 242-4791; [email protected]
- Parish Council Chair: Annette Kirkwood (St. Anthony)
- Vice Chair: Billy Thompson (St. Augustine)
- Finance Committee — St. Anthony representative: Marian Sims
Faith Formation & Religious Education
Faith formation is shared across the three parishes of the Tri-Parish cluster. Weekly Bible Study meets at St. Anthony, and the OCIA (formerly RCIA) process for adults seeking initiation into the Catholic Church is also hosted at St. Anthony.
- Bible Study — Wednesday 5:00 PM CT at St. Anthony Church Hall
- OCIA — Thursday 6:00 PM CT at St. Anthony
Sacraments
The Tri-Parish Office at St. Anthony coordinates sacramental preparation and visits for all three parishes. Baptisms are celebrated preferably on the Lord's Day, especially at Mass; the Anointing of the Sick and visits to the sick and homebound are arranged by calling the parish office.
- Baptism — preparation by appointment; preferably celebrated on the Lord's Day / at Mass
- Anointing of the Sick — by request through the parish office
- Visits to the Sick / Homebound — Holy Communion brought by arrangement
- Penance — Saturday 3:30 PM at St. Augustine or by appointment
- Holy Eucharist — Sunday 8:00 AM and Friday 9:00 AM at St. Anthony
Liturgy of the Hours & Devotions
The Tri-Parish community gathers for the Liturgy of the Hours at St. Augustine, including Morning Prayer mid-week and a Sunday Evening Prayer that incorporates the Divine Mercy Chaplet, Eucharistic Adoration, and Benediction.
- Wednesday 8:30 AM — Morning Praise at St. Augustine
- Sunday 4:00 PM — Evening Prayer, Divine Mercy, Adoration and Benediction at St. Augustine
Parish Life & Outreach
St. Anthony parishioners participate in a Bereavement Meals Committee that supports grieving families across the Tri-Parish community. Liturgical roles at Sunday Mass are filled by volunteers who serve as lectors (Word), Eucharistic ministers, altar servers, gift bearers, hospitality ministers, and collectors.
- Bereavement Meals Committee — St. Anthony group
- Liturgical ministries: Word (Lector), Eucharistic Minister, Altar Servers, Gifts, Hospitality, Collectors
- Parish Council and Finance Committee (Tri-Parish)
Contact & Visiting
The Tri-Parish Office is located at St. Anthony Church and is open Monday through Friday, 8:00 AM to 2:00 PM Central. Visitors and newcomers are warmly welcomed.
- Address: 1256 St. Anthony Road, Clarkson, KY 42726 (Peonia)
- Office Phone: (270) 242-4791
- Pastor Phone: (270) 242-0112
- Office Email: [email protected]
- Website: https://triparishky.org
- Directions: From Hwy 62 and Peonia Rd (KY-88) in Clarkson, go south 6 miles; turn west onto St. Anthony Rd (KY-226)
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Rev. Paul Joseph VolkSeptember 1917 – July 1919
Veteran German-born missionary (1841–1919); founder of Mount St. Joseph's Ursuline Academy; appointed pastor of St. Anthony in Peonia at age 76 and served the parish and five other missions on horseback until infirmities forced his retirement.