About St. Augustine · Grayson Springs, Kentucky
St. Augustine Catholic Church is a small, historic rural parish of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Owensboro, situated on a small knoll overlooking Kentucky Highway 88 in Grayson Springs, Grayson County, Kentucky (postal address 30 St. Augustine Church Rd., often listed as Clarkson, KY 42726). The parish was founded in 1815, making it the first Catholic congregation in Grayson County, and its present brick church — built in 1854 by builder J.D. Key and rebuilt in 1895 after a fire — is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Today St. Augustine is one of three linked parishes of the "Tri-Parish Catholic Churches" (alongside St. Anthony in Peonia/Clarkson and St. Benedict in Wax) served by a single pastor, with the parish office located at St. Anthony.
- Established
- 1815
- Patron
- St. Augustine (of Hippo)
- Rector
- Rev. Stephen Van Lal Than (Fr. Stephen Lalte)
- Diocese
- Diocese of Owensboro (Eastern Deanery)
Why belong here
St. Augustine offers a small, historic, country-Catholic worship experience: Mass on Wednesday mornings and Saturday Vigil in a 1854 National Register church set on a knoll in rural Grayson Springs, with the intimate community life of a tri-parish cluster (St. Augustine, St. Anthony, and St. Benedict) sharing one pastor. Parishioners enjoy traditional devotions like weekday Liturgy of the Hours, Sunday Evening Prayer with Divine Mercy, Eucharistic Adoration, and Benediction, and the parish's adjacent 1829 cemetery is a tangible link to generations of local Catholic families — all in a quiet, faith-centered rural setting.
Mass times at St. Augustine
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Saturday 3:30 PM Central at St. Augustine
- or by appointment
Adoration times
- First Friday of every month, 9:30 AM–3:30 PM Central at St. Anthony Church (Tri-Parish-wide adoration)
- Sunday 4:00 PM Central — Evening Prayer, Divine Mercy, Eucharistic Adoration and Benediction at St. Augustine
History of St. Augustine Parish
Catholicism came to Grayson County in 1812 with the Belgian missionary priest Father Charles Nerinckx, and his early mission congregation became St. Augustine Parish, founded in 1815. It is the oldest Catholic parish in Grayson County. The first house of worship stood about five miles northeast of the present site and was dismantled early on; the surviving 1854 brick church — built by J.D. Key and funded by New Orleans benefactor John D. Bellchase — is the only mid-19th-century church still standing in the county. The building was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1989.
- Catholicism brought to Grayson County by Fr. Charles Nerinckx, 1812
- Parish founded 1815 — first Catholic parish in Grayson County
- Present church built 1854 by J.D. Key; funded by John D. Bellchase of New Orleans
- Roof and interior destroyed by fire in 1883; rebuilt 1895 in Gothic Revival style
- Listed on the National Register of Historic Places, April 7, 1989 (NRHP #89000259)
The 1854 Church Building & Architecture
St. Augustine's church is a 1½-story, rectangular, gable-roofed brick building, 37 by 74 feet, set on a small knoll overlooking KY 88. Its smooth limestone-block foundation, Flemish-bond red-brick south facade, four simple pilasters, and tall Gothic windows mark it as a hybrid of mid-19th-century Greek Revival and later (1895) Gothic Revival taste. The original two-story brick entry tower was reduced in 1954 and capped with a pyramidal belfry at the gable peak.
- Architect/builder: J.D. Key, 1854 (inscription on facade lintel)
- Architectural style: Greek Revival with Gothic elements
- Materials: smooth-ashlar limestone foundation, red brick walls (Flemish bond on facade)
- Two-story tower added 1895; upper story removed 1954, replaced by pyramidal belfry
- Interior features a small vestibule, rectangular nave, recessed chancel, flanking sacristies, and a south-end organ loft/choir gallery
Tri-Parish Catholic Churches (St. Augustine, St. Anthony, St. Benedict)
St. Augustine shares a single pastor and one parish office with two neighboring rural Catholic churches in Grayson County, forming the 'Tri-Parish Catholic Churches.' Together they offer a complete weekly Mass schedule and combined faith formation across three historic communities.
- St. Anthony Church — 1256 St. Anthony Rd., Peonia/Clarkson, KY 42726 (Sunday Mass 8:00 AM CT; Daily Mass Friday 9:00 AM CT)
- St. Benedict Church — 6874 Wax Rd., Wax, KY 42726 (Sunday Mass 10:00 AM CT; Daily Mass Thursday 9:00 AM CT)
- St. Augustine Church — 30 St. Augustine Rd., Grayson Springs, KY 42726 (Vigil Mass Saturday 4 PM CT; Daily Mass Wednesday 9 AM CT)
- Combined Tri-Parish Office at St. Anthony, open M–F 8 AM–2 PM Central
Sacraments
The Tri-Parish community prepares parishioners for and celebrates the seven sacraments, with particular guidance given for infant baptism, the anointing of the sick, and ministry to the homebound.
- Baptism — preparation by appointment; ideally celebrated on the Lord's Day at Mass
- Anointing of the Sick — call the parish office for the seriously ill
- Penance (Confession) — Saturday 3:30 PM at St. Augustine or by appointment
- Visits to the Sick/Homebound — Holy Communion brought upon request through the parish office
Faith Formation & Devotional Life
Beyond Mass and the sacraments, the Tri-Parish community gathers for Bible study, the Liturgy of the Hours, monthly Eucharistic Adoration, and seasonal devotions such as the Divine Mercy chaplet. Religious education is coordinated across the tri-parish.
- Bible Study — Wednesday 5:00 PM Central at St. Anthony Church
- Liturgy of the Hours (Morning Praise / Evening Prayer) at St. Augustine
- Eucharistic Adoration — First Friday 9:30 AM–3:30 PM at St. Anthony
- Divine Mercy Chaplet, Adoration and Benediction — Sunday 4:00 PM at St. Augustine
- Religious Education (Tri-Parish, Director: James Clemons)
Parish Staff & Clergy
The Tri-Parish community is served by one pastor and one deacon, with parish-office support from an office manager. Contact information is provided through the Tri-Parish Office at St. Anthony Church.
- Rev. Stephen Van Lal Than (Fr. Stephen Lalte) — Pastor, Tri-Parish Churches (ordained May 23, 2020); 270-242-0112
- Deacon T.J. Dennison — ordained September 11, 2021; 302-6257
- Office Manager — Shirley Goldsmith; 270-242-4791
- Parish e-mail: [email protected]
Visiting, Contact & Practical Information
Visitors are warmly welcomed to historic St. Augustine's for Mass, devotions, or simply a quiet visit. The Tri-Parish Office is the central point of contact, and the parish maintains a current weekly bulletin online through the tri-parish website.
- Tri-Parish Office: 1256 St. Anthony Rd., Clarkson, KY 42726 (open M–F 8 AM–2 PM Central)
- Phone: 270-242-4791 · Email: [email protected]
- Website: https://triparishky.org/
- Diocese: Diocese of Owensboro (owensborodiocese.org)
- Mailing/shipping address for the church itself: 30 St. Augustine Church Rd., Grayson Springs, KY 42726
The Parish Cemetery
Adjacent to the 1854 church sits the parish cemetery, which has served St. Augustine's faithful since 1829 — predating the present building by 25 years. Among those buried there is John D. Bellchase of New Orleans, whose bequest funded the construction of the current church.
- Cemetery in use since 1829 (25 years before the present church was built)
- Located on the church grounds beside the 1854 building on the knoll above KY 88
- Burial site of church benefactor John D. Bellchase (d. 1852)