About St. Charles · Bardwell, Kentucky
St. Charles Catholic Church is a small rural Roman Catholic parish in Bardwell, the seat of Carlisle County in far western Kentucky, belonging to the Diocese of Owensboro and seated in the Fancy Farm Deanery. The parish traces its community roots to 1834 and worships in a church built in 1956 on State Route 408, where around 184 parishioners from 62 families gather for Sunday Mass at 10:00 AM. The parish is now clustered as a duo-parish with St. Denis in Fancy Farm, sharing office staff and a pastor, and reaches beyond its walls by livestreaming Sunday Mass on its Facebook page. Confession is offered on First Saturdays and by request, and the congregation is served by a Parish Council and an active lay volunteer tradition that has shaped the church from its earliest mission days.
- Established
- 1834 (community); 1891 (mission church); 1973 (independent parish)
- Patron
- St. Charles Borromeo
- Rector
- Rev. Chrispin Oneko
- Diocese
- Diocese of Owensboro (Fancy Farm Deanery)
Why belong here
St. Charles is a small, close-knit rural parish where the same families have worshipped, married, buried their dead, and catechized their children for generations — the church is described locally as 'a rock of faith for many families.' Members are actively involved as lectors, musicians, catechists, youth ministers, and on the Parish Council, and the parish keeps a warm volunteer tradition alive through events like the annual Spring Fling. Sunday Mass is livestreamed on the parish's Facebook page, so shut-ins and distant family can stay connected, and the parish shares its pastor and offices with neighboring St. Denis in Fancy Farm, giving parishioners a wider Catholic community without losing the intimacy of a single small church.
Mass times at St. Charles
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Saturday 9:30–10:30 AM (First Saturdays)
- Available by request at any time
History of St. Charles Parish
The Catholic community that became St. Charles was formed in 1834 in what is now Carlisle County, Kentucky. For generations its members attended Mass and received the sacraments at St. Jerome Church in Fancy Farm, traveling from their homes in the Kirbyton area of Carlisle County. In 1891 a mission church was built near Kirbyton and named St. Charles after St. Charles Borromeo, the patron of the priest who served it, Fr. Haeseley. Fr. Haeseley came monthly over rough roads to celebrate Mass and administer the sacraments. In 1920 a parish school was begun, and for 46 years it was taught by the Ursuline Sisters of Maple Mount. The present church building was constructed in 1956 to replace the original mission structure. In 1973 St. Charles ceased being a mission parish and was established in its own right with Father Bob Willett as its first resident pastor.
From Mission to Independent Parish
For 139 years — from 1834 to 1973 — the Catholics of the Bardwell–Kirbyton area traveled to St. Jerome in Fancy Farm for Mass. The 1891 mission near Kirbyton gave them their own worship site, but they remained formally under St. Jerome. The change came in 1973, when the diocese elevated the mission to parish status and named Fr. Bob Willett as first pastor of the new St. Charles Parish, with responsibility also for St. Denis in Hickman County and St. Mary in Ballard County. A rectory was purchased next to the church in 1975, and in December 1994 — with volunteer labor — a parish center (parish hall) was begun beside the church.
The 2013 Altar Dedication
In February 2013 a parish renovation committee — Randy and Susan Elliott, La Verne Elliott, Julie Draper, Susan Hayden, and Wayne and Diane Wilson — began meeting under then-pastor Fr. David Willett to renew the church interior. In August work began: new carpet, ceramic tile, hardwood baseboards and doors, and a new altar and ambo. The new altar was built by Richard Overby of La Center, Kentucky, from native walnut trees. On December 22, 2013, Bishop William Medley of the Diocese of Owensboro came to Bardwell and, with Fr. David Willett assisting, celebrated the full altar-dedication ritual — blessing the altar with holy water, depositing a relic stone from the previous altar, anointing with chrism, censing, covering, and lighting it — followed by the Mass. Music was provided by Gregory Willett, with vocalists Haylie and Tracy Hobbs, Jenna Willett, and Wayne Wilson. A reception followed in the parish hall.
Clergy and Staff
St. Charles is currently served by Rev. Chrispin Oneko as pastor, who also serves the neighboring St. Denis Parish in Fancy Farm as part of a duo-parish cluster that shares the same rectory office on State Route 408 in Bardwell. A permanent deacon, Deacon James Morgan, assists at the parish. Lay staff include bookkeeper Susan Hayden and Parish Council Chair Bobby Toon. Volunteer catechists and youth ministers Tracy Hobbs and Ronald Kupper lead middle and high school faith formation.
- Rev. Chrispin Oneko — Pastor (also pastor of St. Denis, Fancy Farm)
- Deacon James Morgan
- Susan Hayden — Bookkeeper
- Bobby Toon — Parish Council Chair
- Tracy Hobbs and Ronald Kupper — Middle/High School Youth Ministry
Faith Formation and Religious Education
Catholic education has been part of St. Charles since 1920, when a parish school was opened and staffed for 46 years by the Ursuline Sisters of Maple Mount. Today the parish runs a religious education program staffed by parish volunteers under the guidance of the priests assigned to the parish, with Tracy Hobbs and Ronald Kupper coordinating middle and high school youth ministry. Children of the parish still receive the sacraments of Baptism, Reconciliation, First Communion, and Confirmation through this program.
Music and Liturgy
Music at St. Charles is led by local musicians and cantors, with parishioners serving as vocalists and instrumentalists. The 2013 altar dedication featured music by Gregory Willett of Fancy Farm and singing by parishioners Haylie and Tracy Hobbs, Jenna Willett, and Wayne Wilson — the same families that have shaped the parish's liturgical life for generations.
Parish Life, Outreach and Community Events
St. Charles maintains a strong lay-volunteer tradition. The Parish Council, chaired by Bobby Toon, guides the parish's mission. The annual Spring Fling is a parish-wide social event, and the parish hall beside the church is the gathering place for receptions (such as the one after the 2013 altar dedication), catechetical events, and fellowship. Because the parish is so small, the same families often serve as lectors, musicians, catechists, youth ministers, and council members — a closeness repeatedly noted in parish reflections on being 'a rock of faith for many families.'
Buildings, Facilities and the Parish Hall
The present St. Charles church was built in 1956 to replace the 1891 mission church. A rectory was purchased next to the church in 1975, and in December 1994 — built largely by volunteer labor — a parish hall was begun beside the church, which now hosts Sunday coffee, the annual Spring Fling, receptions after funerals, weddings, and major liturgical events such as the 2013 altar-dedication reception. The 2013 interior renovation refreshed the nave with new carpet, ceramic tile, hardwood baseboards and doors, and a new altar and ambo made from local walnut.
Duo-Parish Cluster with St. Denis, Fancy Farm
St. Charles, Bardwell and St. Denis, Fancy Farm form a duo-parish cluster within the Fancy Farm Deanery of the Diocese of Owensboro. The two parishes share a pastor and an office located at the St. Charles address (6922 State Route 408, Bardwell, KY 42023). The arrangement allows a single priest to serve two small rural Catholic communities while keeping each one's individual identity, Mass schedule, and parish council intact.
Visiting and Getting Involved
Visitors are warmly welcomed to St. Charles. The parish office can be reached at 270-642-2586 for information about sacraments, scheduling, or how to register. Sunday Mass at 10:00 AM is the main gathering of the week, with the Rosary prayed beforehand at 9:35 AM and fellowship in the parish hall afterwards. Shut-ins and family members at a distance can join via the parish Facebook livestream. Those wishing to become more involved can speak with the pastor about joining the Parish Council, becoming a lector or Eucharistic minister, helping with youth ministry, joining the music ministry, or volunteering in faith formation.
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Fr. Bob Willett1973–
Named the first resident pastor of St. Charles when it ceased being a mission of St. Jerome; also served St. Denis (Hickman County) and St. Mary (Ballard County) as a regional cluster.
- Fr. David Willett
Served as pastor and guided the 2013 interior renovation; assisted Bishop William Medley at the December 22, 2013 altar dedication.
- Rev. Masilamani Suvakkin, HGNthrough at least 2009
Listed as pastor of the St. Denis/St. Charles duo-parish cluster in the 2009 diocesan directory.
- Rev. Chrispin Oneko
Current pastor; shares ministry of St. Denis, Fancy Farm, with St. Charles as a duo-parish cluster.