About St. Columba · Lewisport, Kentucky
St. Columba Catholic Church is a small Roman-Latin rite parish in Lewisport, Kentucky, in the Diocese of Owensboro. Located at 815 Pell Street, it is clustered with Immaculate Conception Catholic Church in nearby Hawesville to form the 'Catholic Community of Hancock County,' sharing clergy, bulletins, a website, and a parish office. The parish's stated mission is 'Called to make Christ visible in our family, community and the world. To lead all people to experience the Light of Christ.' Sunday Mass is celebrated at 8:30 AM (and livestreamed on Facebook), with a Saturday Vigil at 5:00 PM held at St. Columba October through March.
- Established
- 1850
- Patron
- St. Columba of Iona (c. 521–597), Irish monk-missionary of Gartan, Donegal
- Rector
- Fr. Terry Devine
- Diocese
- Diocese of Owensboro
Why belong here
St. Columba offers a faithful Catholic community rooted in Hancock County, Kentucky, with a 175-year history of worship on Pell Street in Lewisport. Parishioners can attend Sunday Mass at 8:30 AM (livestreamed on Facebook), daily Mass on Tuesdays and Thursdays at 8:00 AM, Thursday Eucharistic Adoration from 7:00 AM to 4:00 PM, weekly adult Scripture study on Wednesdays, RCIA inquiry sessions for adults exploring the faith, and a Vacation Bible School for children. As part of the clustered Catholic Community of Hancock County, the parish shares clergy and ministries with Immaculate Conception in Hawesville, making it easy for newcomers to plug in.
Mass times at St. Columba
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Available following all Mass times (by request before Mass), or by appointment with Fr. Terry Devine
Adoration times
- Thursday 7:00 AM – 4:00 PM (St. Columba)
Parish Identity & Mission
St. Columba Catholic Church, with Immaculate Conception in Hawesville, forms the Catholic Community of Hancock County, Kentucky. The parish's stated mission is 'Called to make Christ visible in our family, community and the world. To lead all people to experience the Light of Christ.' The two parishes share clergy, a website, weekly bulletins, and a Parish Office located at Immaculate Conception, 240 Court Square, Hawesville, KY 42348.
- Patron: St. Columba of Iona (c. 521–597), Irish monk-missionary
- Diocese: Owensboro
- Rite: Roman-Latin
- Mission statement on the parish homepage
History of St. Columba Parish
The parish was founded in 1850 by Scots-Irish Catholic families who had migrated from St. Mary's County, Maryland, and from Ireland, and who first worshipped together in each other's homes. A log frame church was built that year on an acre of land donated by Miley Johnson, with the adjacent 'Old Catholic Cemetery' preserving the graves of the earliest faithful. A second framed church followed in 1867 on Pell Street after Bishop Spalding purchased the lot; a small brick church replaced it after the 1937 flood; and a fourth, large colonial-design church whose cornerstone was laid June 29, 1959, served the community until an electrical fire destroyed it on August 9, 1989. The present (fifth) St. Columba was dedicated August 9, 1992, with religious education classrooms added in 2000 and donated stained glass windows in 2011.
- 1850 — First log church on land donated by Miley Johnson; 'Old Catholic Cemetery' established
- 1867 — Second church built on Pell Street, served by priests from St. Rose, Cloverport
- 1925 — Church closed due to priest shortage and small Catholic population
- 1928 — Reopened by Fr. Joseph Rives
- 1937 — Rebuilt as a small brick church after the great flood
- 1949 — Fr. Anthony J. Tompkins appointed pastor of both St. Columba and Immaculate Conception
- 1959 — Fourth church (colonial design), cornerstone June 29; Fr. Tompkins died May 1962
- 1968 — Parish Hall added by Fr. Philip Riney
- 1989 — Fourth church destroyed by electrical fire August 9
- 1992 — Fifth (current) church dedicated August 9 under Fr. William Allard
- 2000 — Religious education classrooms added by Fr. Tony Bickett
- 2011 — Donated stained glass windows installed
Faith Formation & Religious Education
Religious education classrooms were added to the church building by Fr. Tony Bickett in 2000 to serve the growing community, and Vacation Bible School is a featured summer program. VBS is hosted at the IC Parish Hall each summer — the most recent session listed ran July 22–24 from 5:00 PM to 7:30 PM, with registration through the parish office or the Faith Formation page.
- Religious education classrooms (added 2000)
- Vacation Bible School — annual summer program at IC Parish Hall
- Children's registration via the Faith Formation tab
RCIA — Becoming Catholic
The Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults is the parish's process for adults preparing to enter the Catholic Faith. The sessions are open to anyone curious about Catholicism — there is no pressure to commit, and you do not have to join the Church to attend. Inquiries begin in September (most recently Saturday September 12 at 10:00 AM at the Immaculate Conception Parish Office); those interested may contact Fr. Terry at 270-860-0924.
- Open to anyone curious about the Catholic faith
- No pressure to commit
- Contact: Fr. Terry, 270-860-0924
- Saturday morning inquiry sessions at IC Parish Office
Adult Scripture Study
A weekly Adult Scripture Discussion meets on Wednesdays from 6:00 PM to 7:00 PM, walking through the upcoming Sunday scripture readings — a way for adults in the Catholic Community of Hancock County to grow in faith together outside of Mass.
- Wednesday 6:00 PM – 7:00 PM
- Weekly discussion of upcoming Sunday scripture
Parish Life & Fellowship
Parishioners stay connected through simple, regular fellowship moments. 'SC 1st Sunday Donuts' gathers the community for coffee and donuts after the 8:30 AM Mass on the first Sunday of each month at St. Columba, and ongoing events are posted on the parish website.
- SC 1st Sunday Donuts — after 8:30 AM Mass, first Sunday of the month
- Parish events listed on icscchurch.org (Adoration, Bible study, VBS, RCIA)
Bulletin & Online Resources
The parish publishes a weekly bulletin covering both St. Columba and Immaculate Conception. Bulletins are available on the icscchurch.org website, and the parish also maintains a Hallow-style blog feed with seasonal Catholic devotional content on the homepage.
- Weekly bulletin (icscchurch.org/bulletins)
- Hallow blog feed on parish homepage
- Facebook Live streaming of Sunday Mass
Clergy & Staff
The parish is currently served by Fr. Terry Devine as Pastor, who serves both St. Columba (Lewisport) and Immaculate Conception (Hawesville) as part of the clustered Catholic Community of Hancock County. The shared Parish Office is located next to Immaculate Conception Church at 240 Court Square, Hawesville, KY 42348.
- Pastor: Fr. Terry Devine ([email protected])
- Parish office: 240 Court Square, Hawesville, KY 42348
- Shared clergy between St. Columba and Immaculate Conception
Contact & Location
St. Columba Catholic Church is located at 815 Pell Street in Lewisport, Kentucky, between Little and Beech Avenues. The parish phone number is (270) 295-3682, and email contact is [email protected]. The shared parish office with Immaculate Conception is at 240 Court Square, Hawesville, KY 42348.
- Address: 815 Pell St., Lewisport, KY 42351
- Phone: (270) 295-3682
- Email: [email protected]
- Website: http://icscchurch.org
- Parish office (shared with IC): 240 Court Square, Hawesville, KY 42348
About the Patron — St. Columba of Iona
The parish's patron, St. Columba (c. 521–597), was born at Gartan in Donegal, Ireland. As a priest he spent time preaching and founding monasteries all over Ireland before traveling with relatives to Iona, where he built a monastery whose holiness and reputation drew visitors from far and wide. He died on June 9 — the date the Church observes as his feast day. The parish credits the Scots-Irish heritage of Lewisport's founding Catholic families (many migrating from St. Mary's County, Maryland, and from Ireland) as the inspiration for naming their first 1850 church after an Irish saint.
- Born c. 521 at Gartan, Donegal, Ireland
- Founded monasteries across Ireland and on Iona
- Feast day: June 9
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Father Rock
Traveled from St. Lawrence Parish, Knottsville; served the first (1850) log church.
- Priests from St. Rose, Cloverport
Served the second St. Columba on Pell Street from 1867.
- Fr. Joseph Rives1928–
Reopened the parish after a 1925 closure; also served Immaculate Conception (Hawesville) and St. Augustine (Reed).
- Fr. D. Thomas1936–
Traveled from St. Anthony's, Browns Valley; rebuilt the church after the 1937 flood.
- Priests from the Cathedral of St. Stephen1937–1940
Served the small brick third church.
- Fr. Anthony Higdon
Pastor of both St. Columba and Immaculate Conception.
- Fr. Anthony J. Tompkins1949–1962
Built the fourth (colonial-design) church; cornerstone laid June 29, 1959; died in office May 1962.
- Fr. Philip Riney1968
Added the adjacent Parish Hall.
- Fr. Emil Schuwey, C.PP.S.1990–
Pastored the parish while it rebuilt after the 1989 fire.
- Fr. William Allard1992
Pastor when the present (fifth) church was dedicated on August 9, 1992.
- Fr. Tony Bickett2000
Added religious education classrooms.
- Fr. Terry Devine
Current pastor; serves both St. Columba and Immaculate Conception (Hancock County Catholic Community).