About St. Catherine of Alexandria · New Haven, Kentucky
St. Catherine of Alexandria Parish is a Catholic parish in New Haven, Kentucky, located in the heart of the Kentucky Holy Land within the Archdiocese of Louisville. The parish traces its worship life back more than 200 years to the early Catholic settlers of Nelson County, and today serves approximately 373–400 registered families with weekend and weekday Masses, a 24/7 Eucharistic Adoration chapel, and a Catholic elementary school. Its present church, built in 1929 after a fire destroyed the 1886 Roman-modeled building, blends Romanesque and modern architecture and anchors a campus that also includes a parish hall, school, gym, and bereavement ministry reaching out to the wider community.
- Established
- 1844
- Patron
- St. Catherine of Alexandria
- Rector
- Rev. A. Biju Chathely, C.M.I. (Administrator)
- Diocese
- Archdiocese of Louisville
Why belong here
St. Catherine offers the rare combination of deep history and small-parish intimacy in the rolling knobs of Kentucky's Holy Land. Worshippers enjoy reverent liturgy with several Masses each week, a 24/7 Eucharistic Adoration chapel, a monthly Latin (Novus Ordo) Mass, a May Crowning, and a community-wide bereavement ministry. The parish also anchors a Pre-K through 8 Catholic elementary school, active liturgical ministries (lectors, Eucharistic ministers, altar servers, choir, cantors, ushers), parish fellowship through the Altar Society and Picnic Committee, and a Mary Study group for ongoing faith formation — all in a family of about 400 households.
Mass times at St. Catherine of Alexandria
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Saturday: 3:00–3:45 pm
- Sunday: 9:40–9:55 am
- By appointment — call 502-549-3680
Adoration times
- 24/7 Eucharistic Adoration Chapel in the little house between School St. and 1st St. (call the office at 502-549-3680 for the pass code)
About St. Catherine Parish
St. Catherine of Alexandria Parish sits in New Haven, Kentucky, amid the knobs of the Kentucky Holy Land, and has been a center of Catholic worship for more than 200 years. The Archdiocese of Louisville formally dates the parish's establishment to 1844, the year before the first resident pastor arrived. Today roughly 373–400 registered families form the parish family, supported by a pastor (Rev. A. Biju Chathely, C.M.I., as Administrator), a presbyteral moderator, a permanent deacon, a senior deacon, and parish staff.
- Located at 174 N. Main Street, New Haven, KY 40051
- Mailing address: 413 N. 1st Street, New Haven, KY 40051
- Parish established 1844 (Archdiocese of Louisville)
- Pastor: Rev. A. Biju Chathely, C.M.I. (Administrator)
- Presbyteral Moderator: Rev. Jeffrey S. Nicolas
- Permanent Deacon: Dean R. Giulitto; Senior Deacon Arnold Downs
Two Centuries of Faith: A Parish History
Catholic worship in New Haven began irregularly in a Bowles-family log house, with families walking many miles to Holy Cross when no priest could come. By 1804 the growing community shared a commodity warehouse with Protestants until a debate between the local priest and the Protestant minister gave the Catholics the right to the space. The first resident pastor, Fr. Robert Abell, arrived in 1845 and built the first church and rectory; his successor Fr. Francis DeMeulder opened schools for African-American and white Catholic children and brought the Sisters of Loretto to New Haven in 1868.
- Early Mass said in a Bowles-family log cabin
- 1804: Worship moved to a shared commodity warehouse after a priest-vs-minister debate
- 1845: First resident pastor, Fr. Robert Abell, builds first church and rectory
- Fr. Francis DeMeulder: built schools for both African-American and white children
- 1868: Sisters of Loretto arrive to teach
- 1886: Grand church built, modeled on St. Peter's Basilica in Rome
- 1928: Church destroyed by fire
- 1929: Present church built (Romanesque–modern blend)
- High school operated in 1920s, closed in 1971
- Ursuline Sisters of Mount St. Joseph replaced the Loretto Sisters in the 20th century
Architecture of the Church
The current sanctuary was completed in 1929 on the site of the 1886 church that had been modeled on St. Peter's Basilica in Rome and was lost to fire in 1928. The Archdiocese of Louisville describes the rebuilt church as a blend of Romanesque and modern architecture.
Parish Pastoral Council
The Parish Pastoral Council is a consultative body to the pastor/pastoral administrator. It fosters cooperation between the pastor, staff, and parishioners in carrying out the parish's mission in union with the universal Church and the mission of Jesus.
- Rev. Biju Chathely, Pastor (ex-officio)
- Leigh Ann Wimsett
- Logan Arnold
- Deacon Dean Giulitto
- Jeannie Watkins Mouser
- Tracy Rogers
Finance Council
The Finance Council advises the pastor, the Parish Council, and the School Board on financial matters and decisions involving the temporal goods of the parish and school.
- Fr. Biju Chathely, Pastor (ex officio)
- Dawn Scamihorn, Business Manager (ex officio)
- Allison Arnold
- Matt Falk
- Deacon Dean Giulitto
- Amy Mouser
Liturgical Ministries
The parish invites parishioners to participate in liturgical ministry and is regularly in need of new volunteers. Anyone interested is encouraged to contact the parish office at (502) 549-3680.
- Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion
- Lectors
- Altar Servers
- Gift Bearers
- Ushers
- Cantors and Choir Members
- Collection Counters
- Church Cleaners
Parish Groups & Faith Formation
In addition to service on the Pastoral and Finance Councils, parishioners can join social and study groups that build community and deepen faith.
- Altar Society
- Picnic Committee
- Mary Study Group — weekly, September through May (90 minutes of classroom study of Sacred Scripture, Church Tradition, and the Magisterium on Mariology and Ecclesiology)
- School Fundraisers: AutumnFest, Portraits of Excellence Banquet, Casino Night
Community Outreach
St. Catherine operates a community-wide bereavement ministry that serves beyond just parish families, reflecting the parish's long-standing role as 'the community's backbone' in New Haven.
- Community-wide bereavement ministry
- School-based fundraisers supporting parish life (AutumnFest, Portraits of Excellence Banquet, Casino Night)
Sacraments
Reconciliation is offered at the published weekly times and by appointment. For Baptism, Marriage, First Communion, Confirmation, and other sacraments, parishioners should contact the parish office directly.
- Reconciliation: Saturday 3:00–3:45 pm; Sunday 9:40–9:55 am; by appointment
- Baptism — contact parish office
- Marriage preparation — contact parish office
- All other sacraments — contact parish office at 502-549-3680
St. Catherine Academy (Parish School)
The parish operates St. Catherine Academy, a Pre-K through Grade 8 Catholic elementary school located on the parish campus at 413 N. 1st Street, New Haven. Its mission is to assist families in the total Catholic formation of their children and the promotion of academic excellence in an atmosphere that fosters the development of the whole person and a sense of social responsibility to family, parish, and community. The school motto is 'Where Every Child is a Gift from God.'
- Grades: Pre-Kindergarten through 8th grade
- Co-educational, ~105 students, 18:1 student-teacher ratio
- Motto: 'Where Every Child is a Gift from God'
- Principal: Jessie Reed
- Member: National Catholic Educational Association (NCEA)
- Athletics: Basketball and Volleyball
- Special traditions include Blessing of the Animals, May Day procession, Pie Day, All Saints Day costume party, annual Christmas play, and Field Day
Parish Staff
Day-to-day operations of the parish and school are supported by a small team of clergy and lay staff, listed in the Archdiocese of Louisville parish directory.
- Administrator/Pastor: Rev. A. Biju Chathely, C.M.I.
- Presbyteral Moderator: Rev. Jeffrey S. Nicolas
- Permanent Deacon: Dean R. Giulitto
- Senior Deacon: Arnold Downs
- Business Manager: Dawn Scamihorn
- Administrative Assistant: Katie Robertson
- Bookkeeper: Marda Weakley
- School Principal: Jessie Reed
Contact & Visit
The parish can be reached by phone, email, or in person. Note that the parish mailing address (413 N. 1st Street) is different from the church's physical location (174 N. Main Street).
- Church: 174 N. Main Street, New Haven, KY 40051
- Mailing/Office: 413 N. 1st Street, New Haven, KY 40051
- Office Phone: 502-549-3680
- Fax: 502-549-5410
- Email: [email protected]
- Pastor cell: 502-690-1124
- Pastor email: [email protected]
- Pastor resides at Immaculate Conception rectory, 8191 New Haven Road, Culvertown
- Deacon Dean Giulitto: 270-268-0653
- Senior Deacon Arnold Downs: 502-348-6329
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Fr. Robert Abellarrived 1845
First resident pastor of New Haven; built the first Catholic church and a rectory.
- Fr. Francis DeMeulderpost-Civil War era
Second pastor; known for humility and simplicity. Built schools for African-American and white Catholic children, a convent for the Sisters of Loretto, and several log-cabin mission churches.