St. Frances of Rome

Welcome & Parish Identity

St. Frances of Rome describes itself as 'a welcoming Roman Catholic family dedicated to seeking, experiencing, and sharing the loving presence of God.' Pastor Father Shayne R. Duvall invites visitors to consider making the parish their spiritual home, asking them to 'pray about the gifts and talents God has given you, and do not be afraid to put them to good use.' The parish website is positioned as a resource to help members carry out their mission as disciples, and the community is notable for welcoming 'associate members' — a category for people with family or historic connections in another parish who wish to attach themselves to St. Frances of Rome's warm and inviting atmosphere.

History of St. Frances of Rome

St. Frances of Rome was established in 1887, the second of two parishes (after St. Francis of Assisi in 1886) created to serve the Catholic population as Louisville spread eastward along Frankfort Avenue and Bardstown Road. Father Thomas Walter White was the founding pastor. An elementary school opened in 1890, originally housed in the church structure; the current school building was built by 1930 and served as the parish school until 1975.

• 1887 — Parish established; Father Thomas Walter White is founding pastor.
• 1890 — Elementary school opens, initially housed inside the church structure.
• 1930 — Current school building completed.
• 1975 — Parish school closes; the building is repurposed for community groups, theater, and a school for the learning-disabled.
• 1991–2017 — Building leased to the 501(c)(3) Clifton Center, a community arts hub launched by then-pastor Father John G. Eifler.
• 2017 — Lease transferred to Holy Trinity Parish; building returns to Catholic educational use.
• 2019 — Holy Trinity School Clifton opens on the campus, serving students with language-based learning differences.
• Today — More than 1,000 parishioners, 435 registered members, 52 children in faith formation.

The Eifler Theater and Holy Trinity School Clifton

A distinctive feature of the parish campus is the 500-seat Eifler Theater, located in the former parish school building. The theater is named for Father John G. Eifler, a former pastor of St. Frances of Rome and retired priest of the Archdiocese of Louisville, who devised the original Clifton Center as 'an attempt at evangelization' of the surrounding community. After Holy Trinity Parish took over the building in 2017, the theater was fully renovated with state-of-the-art sound and lighting, a new stage floor, renovated bathrooms, green rooms, fresh paint, new carpet, and a wheelchair lift to the stage. The theater is open to other schools and the broader community for rental, while the building itself now houses Holy Trinity School Clifton, a Catholic school for students with learning differences.

• 500-seat Eifler Theater on the parish campus
• Named for Father John G. Eifler, former pastor of St. Frances of Rome
• Recently renovated with new sound, lighting, stage floor, and accessibility lift
• Available for rent by other schools and the community
• Building also houses Holy Trinity School Clifton (opened 2019)

Clergy and Pastoral Staff

The parish is led by Pastor Rev. Shayne R. Duvall, with Rev. Steven D. Henriksen serving as Associate and Deacon Christopher J. Kelly as Permanent Deacon. A team of lay staff members supports the work of faith formation, sacred music, finance, and worship. The parish also shares a Pastoral Associate for Worship & Pastoral Care (Sharon Coonan) with neighboring St. Leonard Parish.

• Pastor: Rev. Shayne R. Duvall
• Associate: Rev. Steven D. Henriksen
• Permanent Deacon: Christopher J. Kelly
• Director of Faith Formation and Pastoral Outreach: Sharon Bidwell
• Director of Sacred Music and Worship: Elizabeth Jackson
• Business Manager: Bruce Hines
• Director of Finance and Human Resources: Allison Deaton
• Accounting Specialist: Judy Kittinger
• Pastoral Associate for Worship & Pastoral Care (shared with St. Leonard): Sharon Coonan, [email protected]

Faith Formation and Religious Education

Even though St. Frances of Rome no longer operates a parish school, its faith formation program currently serves 52 children with regular religious education, sacramental preparation, and ongoing formation. Sharon Bidwell, Director of Faith Formation and Pastoral Outreach, leads catechesis for children, coordinates the RCIA process for adults, and develops adult faith formation opportunities. The parish shares a Director of Evangelization and Faith Formation role with neighboring St. Leonard Parish, supporting a combined catechetical mission for both communities.

• Children's faith formation and sacramental preparation
• RCIA for adults seeking initiation into the Catholic Church
• Ongoing adult faith formation opportunities
• Outreach-focused evangelization programming

Liturgical Ministries

The parish depends on a wide range of lay liturgical ministers. Each weekend Mass needs approximately three Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion, and the parish regularly calls for new volunteers across all ministries. Sharon Coonan, the Pastoral Associate for Worship & Pastoral Care (shared with St. Leonard Parish), coordinates sign-ups and formation for these roles. The Archdiocese of Louisville Office of Worship also offers formation sessions for liturgical ministers, with registration through the archdiocesan website.

• Sacristans
• Acolytes / Altar Servers (youth must have received First Communion; adult acolytes mentor the younger servers)
• Lectors
• Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion — for liturgy, homebound visits, and nursing home visits
• Hospitality Ministers
• Ushers
• Art & Environment Committee
• Music Ministry — including Cantors, Musicians, and the parish choir
• Linen Ministers
• Worship Committee

Music and Sacred Liturgy

Music ministry at St. Frances of Rome is led by Elizabeth Jackson, the parish's full-time Director of Sacred Music and Worship, who oversees formation, training, and equipping of all lay liturgical musicians. Cantors lead the assembly in song, instrumentalists accompany the liturgy, and the parish choir helps provide beauty and depth to the weekend and weekday Mass schedule. The role of music at the parish is described as 'enhancing the experience of worship by heightening the Word of God with music and providing beauty to the liturgy.'

• Director of Sacred Music and Worship: Elizabeth Jackson
• Cantors, instrumentalists, and choir
• Music integrated into weekend and daily Mass

Outreach and Pastoral Care

Pastoral Outreach is a key part of the parish's mission, coordinated through the Director of Faith Formation and Pastoral Outreach. The ministry organizes the parish's outreach efforts and creates a welcoming environment for all to explore faith and spiritual formation. Pastoral Care ministers visit the sick and homebound, take Holy Communion to those unable to attend Mass, and bring Communion to area nursing homes. The parish website and bulletins publish regular outreach updates, and Sharon Coonan, the SFR/SL Pastoral Associate for Worship & Pastoral Care, fields new volunteers for these ministries.

• Communion Ministers to the Homebound (teams of two)
• Communion Ministers to Nursing Homes (teams of two)
• Pastoral Care Team — visiting the sick, homebound, and bereaved
• Parish Outreach Ministry — community and evangelization efforts

Parish Life and Getting Involved

Beyond liturgy and formation, St. Frances of Rome encourages parishioners to put their gifts and talents to use in parish life. The parish actively invites new members — including those who want to register as 'associate members' — and offers online giving, text-to-give (text 'Give' to 502-743-4434), and traditional offertory envelopes. The parish office is open to the public by appointment from 9:00 AM to 1:00 PM, Monday through Friday.

• Parish registration (including 'associate member' option)
• Online and text-to-give giving
• Traditional offertory envelopes (request by calling 502-896-8401)
• Office open by appointment, 9:00 AM–1:00 PM, Monday–Friday

Archdiocesan Parish Planning Process (2025)

The Archdiocese of Louisville launched a parish planning process in May 2025 to address evolving needs and potential challenges across the archdiocese's existing parish structures. St. Frances of Rome is one of the parishes participating in this discernment, and parishioners are invited to learn more and take the associated survey through the parish website.

• Archdiocese-wide process launched May 2025
• Parish encourages parishioners to participate in the survey and discernment