About St. Edward · Louisville, Kentucky
St. Edward Catholic Church is a 140-year-old Catholic parish in Jeffersontown, a community in the southeastern part of Jefferson County in the Louisville, Kentucky metro area. A member of the Archdiocese of Louisville, the parish was established in 1884 (its Catholic community began as a mission of St. Agnes in 1878) and today numbers more than 3,100 members served by roughly one hundred ministries. St. Edward is bilingual, celebrating Mass in both English and Spanish, and is home to a parish school (preschool through 8th grade) with over 300 students, an active Hispanic ministry, a thriving youth athletic program, and a strong tradition of charitable outreach in the Jeffersontown area.
- Established
- 1884
- Patron
- St. Edward the Confessor
- Rector
- Rev. J. Scott Murphy
- Diocese
- Archdiocese of Louisville
Why belong here
St. Edward is a warm, multi-generational Catholic community in Jeffersontown with deep roots (since 1884) and a forward-looking spirit. Parishioners can worship in English or Spanish at a bilingual parish, send their children to a parish school that spans preschool through 8th grade, and get involved in nearly one hundred ministries — from parish council and liturgical arts (choir, cantors, lectors, altar servers, Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion) to parish athletics (SEAM), faith formation for all ages (including RCIA), homebound ministry, and direct outreach through J-Town Area Ministries, Dare to Care, Habitat for Humanity, Bologna Alley, and a parish Justice Ministry.
Mass times at St. Edward
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Saturdays: 3:00–4:00 p.m.
- Mondays: 6:30–7:30 p.m.
- Tuesdays–Saturdays: 8:30–9:30 a.m.
- Thursdays: 7:00–8:00 p.m.
- Sundays: 12:45–1:00 p.m.
Adoration times
- Saturday: 8:30 a.m. – 3:00 p.m.
- Monday: 8:30 a.m.
- Tuesday: 8:00 a.m.
- Wednesday: 8:30 a.m.
- Thursday: 8:00 a.m. – 8:00 p.m.
- Thursday: 9:00 a.m. – 7:00 p.m. (English) and 7:00–8:00 p.m. (Spanish)
Welcome and Parish Identity
Since 1884 the St. Edward faith community has been nestled among the residents of Jeffersontown, in the southeastern part of Jefferson County / Louisville metro. The parish describes itself as a warm and welcoming community whose Catholic faith lifts members up and unites them to God, and also 'spurs us on to love of neighbor in numerous concrete ways.' Parishioners take visible pride in their parish school and parish sports programs. The parish is bilingual (English and Spanish) and serves a diverse community with close to one hundred ministries.
- Established 1884 in Jeffersontown, KY
- Archdiocese of Louisville
- Patron: St. Edward the Confessor (feast day October 13)
- Approximately 3,100 members, 1,160 family registrations
- Nearly 100 active ministries
Parish History
The Catholic community in Jeffersontown began in 1878 as a mission of St. Agnes parish with thirty families — the first parish in the southeastern part of rural Jefferson County. Fr. Louis C. Ohle, the first alumnus of Preston Park Seminary (now Bellarmine University), began serving the mission. Passionist priests from their local monastery provided pastoral care from 1896 to 1902. On the feast of St. Edward in 1902, Fr. George Cone was named pastor. The following year Fr. Theodore Reverman — later Bishop of Superior, Wisconsin — was appointed and founded the parish school in 1907 with the Ursuline Sisters of Mount St. Joseph. In 1937, Fr. Martin Frankenberger and parishioners sheltered refugees from the Ohio River flood in the church, rectory, and school. After World War II the campus was rebuilt (1956–62), a parish hall/gym was added in 1979, and a new church sanctuary was dedicated in 2000. Ministry to the growing Latino community began in 2006, and in 2014 the parish marked its 130th anniversary with a new media center, classrooms, and expanded athletic fields.
- 1878 — mission of St. Agnes opens in Jeffersontown
- 1896–1902 — Passionist Fathers serve the mission
- 1902 — Fr. George Cone appointed pastor on the feast of St. Edward
- 1903–1920 — Fr. Theodore Reverman (later Bishop of Superior, WI) pastored; founded the school in 1907 with the Ursuline Sisters
- 1937 — Parish shelters flood refugees under Fr. Martin Frankenberger
- 1956–62 — Church, school, rectory, convent rebuilt after WWII
- 1979 — Parish hall/gym built
- 1999 — After-school program started
- 2000 — New church sanctuary built
- 2006 — Hispanic ministry begins
- 2014 — 130th anniversary, new media center, classrooms, athletic field upgrades
Pastoral Team and Staff
The parish is led by Pastor Rev. J. Scott Murphy, with Associate Pastor Rev. Brito Cardenas and Permanent Deacon Rev. Mr. Jim McCarty. The lay pastoral team includes a Chief of Staff / Director of Faith Formation, a Director of Worship & Music, a Coordinator of Hispanic Ministry, a Youth Ministry Coordinator, a Director of Parish Engagement, and a Communications & Stewardship lead. A separate team manages parish operations (Business Manager, Bookkeeper, Buildings & Grounds Manager) and a school principal leads the parish school.
- Rev. Scott Murphy — Pastor
- Rev. Brito Cardenas — Associate Pastor
- Rev. Mr. Jim McCarty — Permanent Deacon
- Mr. Chris Lussier — Pastoral Associate / Chief of Staff & Director of Faith Formation
- Mrs. Carolyn Veigl — Director of Worship & Music
- Mrs. Blanca Hernandez-Heusel — Coordinator of Hispanic Ministry
- Mr. Gabriel Gettelfinger — Youth Ministry Coordinator
- Mrs. Karen Loper — School Principal
- Ms. Kathy Renaud — Childcare Director
- Ms. Lisa Park — Parish Communications & Stewardship
- Mrs. Samantha Nunnelley — Director of Parish Engagement
- Mr. Miguel Francisco — Buildings & Grounds Manager
- Mr. Michael Davis — Business Manager
- Ms. Kathy Rogers — Bookkeeper
Worship and Liturgical Ministries
The parish's Director of Worship & Music coordinates the liturgical life of the parish, supported by an Adult Choir, a roster of cantors (with monthly cantor meetings), lectors, altar servers, and Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion. The Equipo Pastoral Hispano plans the liturgical celebrations, formation opportunities, and special events of the Hispanic community, meeting once a month.
- Adult Choir (four-part singing, special music)
- Cantors (lead assembly singing)
- Lectors (proclaim Scripture at Sunday and special liturgies)
- Altar Servers (weekday and weekend liturgies, funerals, weddings)
- Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion (Body and Blood, plus the Ministry of the Plate and the Cup)
- Equipo Pastoral Hispano (Hispanic liturgical and formation planning)
Faith Formation and Religious Education
Faith formation at St. Edward is led by the Director of Faith Formation and includes the parish school (preschool through 8th grade), a Family Faith Formation / Religious Education program for children in grades K–8 who do not attend a Catholic school, the Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults (RCIA/RICA) for adults and teens aged 14 and older, ongoing adult faith formation opportunities, and a Childcare Center.
- RCIA / RICA for unbaptized adults and teens 14+ and for candidates seeking full communion
- Family Faith Formation / Religious Education (Grades K–8, Sunday-lectionary based)
- Adult Faith Formation
- St. Edward Catholic School (Preschool–8)
- St. Edward Preschool (3- and 4-year-olds, 5-STAR Kentucky rated)
- Childcare Center
St. Edward Catholic School
St. Edward School, founded in 1907 with the Ursuline Sisters of Mount St. Joseph, serves preschool through 8th grade on the parish campus at 9610 Sue Helen Drive, Jeffersontown. Today the school enrolls more than 300 students and includes a preschool and pre-kindergarten under the school's direction, with an after-school care program begun in 1999. The school is a ministry of the parish and of the Archdiocese of Louisville Catholic Schools system; the principal is Karen Loper.
- Grades: Preschool through 8
- Enrollment: ~339 students (Archdiocese of Louisville listing)
- Preschool ages 3–4; state-licensed, 5-STAR Kentucky rating
- After-school care available during the school year
- Principal: Karen Loper
- Phone: (502) 267-4474
Parish Life and Engagement
Beyond Mass and the sacraments, the parish hosts an active social life: an annual three-day parish picnic on the first weekend of June (with food, children's rides, and dinners in the gym), an October celebration around the feast of St. Edward (October 13), and many small-group ministries. The parish also runs four annual Red Cross bloodmobiles in the gym and is supported by a Director of Parish Engagement and a Communications & Stewardship staff member.
- Annual parish picnic (1st weekend of June)
- St. Edward Feast Day weekend (around October 13)
- Red Cross bloodmobile drives (4 per year, in the gym)
- Ministry to the Homebound (visits to homebound parishioners and nursing homes)
- Parish Office receptionists ('Ministers of the Desk')
Hispanic Ministry (Ministerios Hispanos)
St. Edward's Hispanic Ministry, begun in 2006, supports the spiritual and community life of the parish's Latino members. The Coordinator of Hispanic Ministry and the Equipo Pastoral Hispano plan Spanish-language Masses, formation opportunities, and special events. Worship offerings include the Sunday Noon Mass in Spanish, the Thursday 6:30 p.m. bilingual Mass, and a Thursday evening Spanish hour of Adoration (7:00–8:00 p.m.) alongside a Sunday 12:45 p.m. confession slot. Most parish pages on the site are also published in Spanish.
- Sunday Noon Mass in Spanish
- Thursday 6:30 p.m. bilingual Mass
- Thursday 7:00–8:00 p.m. Spanish Eucharistic Adoration
- Sunday 12:45–1:00 p.m. confessions in Spanish
- Coordinator of Hispanic Ministry: Blanca Hernandez-Heusel
- Equipo Pastoral Hispano (monthly meeting)
Youth and Athletics — SEAM
St. Edward's Athletic Ministry (SEAM) promotes healthy sporting activities for the youth of the parish in accordance with CSAA (Catholic Schools Athletic Association) guidelines, sponsoring sports throughout the year for children and teens across multiple sports. The parish describes its sports programs as 'full of spirit.' Youth Ministry is led by a Youth Ministry Coordinator who works with middle- and high-school-aged parishioners.
- SEAM — St. Edward's Athletic Ministry (CSAA guidelines, year-round sports)
- Youth Ministry (middle school and high school)
- Youth Ministry Coordinator: Gabriel Gettelfinger
Outreach and Social Responsibility
St. Edward parishioners are involved in a wide range of outreach and social-justice ministries serving Jeffersontown, the Louisville metro, and beyond. Many of these are organized through J-Town Area Ministries (JAM), an ecumenical coalition of Jeffersontown-area churches providing emergency assistance. The parish also collects food monthly for Dare to Care, builds with Habitat for Humanity on the third Saturday of each month, and serves at Bologna Alley (the Cathedral of the Assumption's seven-day-a-week lunch program for the poor and homeless).
- J-Town Area Ministries (JAM) — ecumenical emergency assistance and seasonal prayer services
- Dare to Care — monthly food collection at school and weekend liturgies
- Habitat for Humanity — 3rd Saturday of the month builds (plus meal service for volunteers)
- Bologna Alley — lunch program behind the Cathedral of the Assumption
- Justice Ministry — advocacy and accountability on community issues
- Hats for the Homeless
- Bloodmobile drives with the American Red Cross
Parish Governance and Administration
Parish governance follows the model of the Universal Church and the Archdiocese of Louisville. The Parish Pastoral Council serves as the 'Wisdom Community' that advises the pastor; members are nominated annually for one-, two-, or three-year terms and are selected by random drawing. The Finance Council provides financial analysis and assistance to the pastor. A School Advisory Board — composed of parents, interested parishioners, and school administration — is nominated and 'drawn by lot' for three-year terms. An Administration Committee advises the pastor on facilities and maintenance.
- Parish Pastoral Council (nominated, drawn by lot for 1–3 year terms)
- Finance Council (per Archdiocesan Financial Policies)
- School Advisory Board (parents, parishioners, school administration; 3-year terms)
- Administration Committee (facilities/maintenance advisory)
Contact, Location, and Office Hours
St. Edward Catholic Church is located at 9608 Sue Helen Drive, Louisville, KY 40299, in the Jeffersontown area of southeastern Jefferson County. The parish office can be reached at (502) 267-7494 (fax 502-267-7495) or by email at [email protected]. Office hours are Monday through Thursday 9:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.; the office is closed on Fridays. A dedicated school phone is (502) 267-4474.
- Address: 9608 Sue Helen Drive, Louisville, KY 40299 (Jeffersontown)
- Parish phone: (502) 267-7494 — fax (502) 267-7495
- Parish email: [email protected]
- Office hours: Mon–Thu 9 a.m.–4 p.m.; Fri closed
- School phone: (502) 267-4474
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Fr. Louis C. Ohle1878–c.1896
First priest to serve the Jeffersontown mission; first alumnus of Preston Park Seminary (now Bellarmine University).
- Passionist Fathers1896–1902
Pastoral care provided by Passionist priests from their local monastery.
- Fr. George Cone1902
Appointed on the feast of St. Edward, 1902; also served All Saints, Taylorsville.
- Fr. Theodore Reverman1903–1920
Later became Bishop of Superior, Wisconsin. Founded the parish school in 1907 with the Ursuline Sisters of Mount St. Joseph.
- Fr. Martin Frankenberger1930s (at time of 1937 flood)
Led parish response during the 1937 Ohio River flood, sheltering refugees from West Louisville and downtown.
- Rev. J. Scott Murphypresent
Current pastor.