About St. Bartholomew · Louisville, Kentucky
St. Bartholomew Catholic Church is a parish of the Archdiocese of Louisville located in the Buechel/Bardstown Road area of southeastern Jefferson County, Kentucky. Founded in 1941 to serve a farming community that had outgrown neighboring parishes, it now ministers to about 1,350 registered families and is a bilingual (English/Spanish) parish with a strong Hispanic ministry. The current worship space, built in 1959 and renovated in 1997–1998, can seat roughly 1,000, and the adjoining 1942 parish school (listed on the National Register of Historic Places) now serves as the Catholic Pastoral Center for Hispanic Ministry and is connected to John Paul II Academy, the regional Catholic elementary school that St. Bartholomew co-sponsors.
- Established
- 1941
- Patron
- Saint Bartholomew the Apostle
- Rector
- Rev. Pablo A. Hernández
- Diocese
- Archdiocese of Louisville
Why belong here
St. Bartholomew is a welcoming, bilingual parish where the Sunday schedule (Saturday 4 p.m. English, Sunday 8 a.m. Spanish, Sunday 10:30 a.m. English) makes it easy for both English- and Spanish-speaking families to worship together. The parish combines a small-school heritage (it now co-sponsors John Paul II Academy and runs faith formation out of the historic 1942 school building, which is now the Catholic Pastoral Center for Hispanic Ministry) with strong liturgical music under directors Chuck and Gina Priddy, regular Eucharistic Adoration, Friday confessions, devotions to St. Bartholomew (feast day celebrated annually on Aug. 24 with a bilingual Mass and parish brunch), and outreach to seniors, the homebound, and the wider Buechel community.
Mass times at St. Bartholomew
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Friday 3:00–5:00 PM
- After all Masses (by request)
Adoration times
- Eucharistic Adoration is offered at the parish (times posted on the parish schedule; refer to saintbarths.org for the current weekly holy hour)
Parish History
Founded in August 1941 by Archbishop John A. Floersh, St. Bartholomew was established to serve the farming families of southeastern Jefferson County around the Buechel Bank area. Father Bartholomew Beruatto became the founding pastor; the first Mass was celebrated at St. Francis of Assisi on September 14, 1941, and the parish soon began meeting in the American Legion hall over the Buechel Bank. The first building project was a rectory, followed in 1942 by a combined church and school, with the first Mass in the new structure celebrated October 11, 1942. The Ursuline Sisters of Mount St. Joseph helped carry the parish's formation mission from the earliest years.
- Parish established August 1941 under Archbishop John A. Floersh
- First pastor: Father Bartholomew Beruatto
- First Mass in new church: October 11, 1942
- Ursuline Sisters of Mount St. Joseph served in faith formation
- Post-WWII growth fueled by General Electric's arrival in 1951
Buildings & Campus
The original parish complex spanned roughly six acres and once contained seven buildings: the 1942 parish school (with a 1958 addition), the 1959 church (façade altered c. 1970s), a 1967 rectory, a gym, two garages, and a social hall, all added in the 1980s. The 1942 school is the only one of those seven buildings that has not been significantly altered and is individually listed on the National Register of Historic Places. In 1989 an expanded narthex and fellowship hall physically connected the church and school buildings, with that debt retired by January 1997. The lower level of the church was finished out in 1998, adding nine new meeting rooms.
- 1942 three-story brick parish school — National Register of Historic Places (JF 1851)
- 1959 main church (renovated 1997–1998; seats ~1,000)
- 1989 expanded narthex and fellowship hall linking church and school
- 1998 lower-level meeting rooms and added ministry staff
- 1967 rectory; 1980s gym, social hall, and two garages
St. Bartholomew Parish School & John Paul II Academy
The original three-story brick parish school opened in 1942 and served St. Bartholomew families for decades; it was later staffed by the School Sisters of Notre Dame, beginning in 1956. In May 2006 the building closed as a conventional parish school as part of the Archdiocese's regionalization of three elementary Catholic schools into one new regional academy — John Paul II Academy, the first regional Catholic elementary school in the eastern part of Louisville. John Paul II Academy today serves students age three through grade eight, drawing on the parish communities of St. Bartholomew and St. John Paul II, and is accredited through AdvanceEd / the Archdiocese of Louisville elementary school district.
- Parish school opened 1942; staffed by School Sisters of Notre Dame from 1956
- Closed 2006; consolidated into John Paul II Academy
- John Paul II Academy: regional Catholic school, ages 3–grade 8, formed from three parish schools
- Accredited through AdvanceEd / Archdiocese of Louisville elementary district
Catholic Pastoral Center for Hispanic Ministry
After the parish school closed in 2006, the historic 1942 school building was repurposed as the Catholic Pastoral Center for Hispanic Ministry. It now houses adult-education classes, religious-formation programs, and offices that support the parish's strong Spanish-language ministry, including the regular Sunday 8:00 AM Spanish Mass, the 7:00 PM Spanish Holy Day Mass, and sacramental preparation for Spanish-speaking families. The Archdiocese has long-range plans to transfer ownership of the historic school to Catholic Charities of Louisville, which would rehabilitate the structure into low-income senior housing using HUD funding and Historic Rehabilitation Tax Credits, in compliance with the Secretary of the Interior's Standards for Rehabilitation.
- 1942 school building repurposed as Catholic Pastoral Center for Hispanic Ministry in 2006
- Houses adult education, religious formation, and Hispanic Ministry offices
- Supports bilingual Mass schedule and sacramental preparation
- Long-range plan: transfer to Catholic Charities of Louisville for senior housing (HUD/Tax Credits)
Parish Staff
Pastoral and administrative staff listed on the Archdiocese of Louisville parish page include Rev. Pablo A. Hernández as pastor, parish secretary Cindy Hayslette, music directors Chuck and Gina Priddy, and bookkeeper Steven Walker. The associated John Paul II Academy is led by Principal Alicia Conliffe.
- Pastor: Rev. Pablo A. Hernández
- Secretary: Cindy Hayslette ([email protected])
- Directors of Music: Chuck and Gina Priddy
- Bookkeeper: Steven Walker
- John Paul II Academy Principal: Alicia Conliffe
Parish Identity & Community Life
St. Bartholomew serves about 1,350 parishioners across roughly 401 registered families in the Buechel / southeastern Jefferson County area. It is a bilingual parish where English- and Spanish-speaking families worship side by side, and it is supported by an active Parish Council, Finance Council, Building & Grounds team, Respect Life Committee, and worship, youth, and outreach commissions. The parish sustains a vibrant community life through groups like the parish festival, Fish Fry dinners, the Fall Festival, and other fellowship events — many supported by the parish's Magel Center, where a new convection oven was funded through the 2025 #iGiveCatholic campaign.
- About 1,350 parishioners in 401 registered families
- Bilingual (English/Spanish) community life
- Parish Council, Finance Council, Building & Grounds, Respect Life Committee
- Parish Festival, Fish Fry, Fall Festival, and Magel Center events
Visiting St. Bartholomew
St. Bartholomew sits at 2042 Buechel Bank Road, Louisville, KY 40218 — just south of Bardstown Road and the Buechel Bypass. Visitors are welcome at any scheduled Mass, and the parish office (502-499-0883) can provide the latest confession, adoration, and ministry schedules. The historic 1942 parish school across the drive is an excellent example of post-Depression Moderne ecclesiastical architecture and is on the National Register of Historic Places; the 2025 #iGiveCatholic campaign is funding improved handicap access at the church's main entrance to make the parish more accessible to all visitors.
- Address: 2042 Buechel Bank Road, Louisville, KY 40218-3568
- Phone: (502) 499-0883; Fax: (502) 499-0877
- Web: saintbarths.org
- Historic 1942 school is on the National Register of Historic Places
- Accessible on-site parking; ADA entrance improvements underway
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Rev. Bartholomew (Bartholomew J.) Beruatto1941–
Founding pastor; the parish is named after him. Oversaw construction of the original church and school (1942) and invited the Ursuline Sisters of Mount St. Joseph into the formation mission.
- Rev. Pablo A. Hernández2023–present
Current pastor. Born in San Vicente, El Salvador; ordained Aug. 12, 2006 (St. Meinrad Seminary, Indiana). Previously served at Basilica of St. Joseph (Bardstown), St. Michael (Fairfield, Ky.), St. Augustine (Lebanon, Ky.), Holy Name of Mary (Calvary, Ky.), St. Peter the Apostle, and as pastor/administrator of Our Lady of Mercy (Hodgenville) and St. Ann (Howardstown). Appointed pastor of St. Bartholomew in 2023, while continuing Hispanic-ministry work.