About St. Francis Xavier · Raywick, Kentucky
Saint Francis Xavier Catholic Church is a small, historic rural parish in Raywick, Kentucky, in the heart of the Archdiocese of Louisville's 'Holy Land.' Established in 1837 by a Jesuit missionary, Father L.N. Petit, S.J., and named for the great Jesuit missionary saint, the parish has served the faithful of southwestern Marion County for nearly two centuries. With roughly 260 registered families, the present church building dates to 1887 and continues as the spiritual home of a tight-knit Catholic community that grew up along the Rolling Fork River among English Catholic colonists from Maryland.
- Established
- 1837
- Patron
- St. Francis Xavier
- Rector
- Very Rev. Scott J. Wimsett, V.F.
- Diocese
- Archdiocese of Louisville
Why belong here
St. Francis Xavier Raywick offers a small, deeply rooted Catholic community in the heart of Kentucky's 'Holy Land' — a parish where generations of the same families have worshipped in the same 1887 church for nearly 140 years. Visitors and parishioners find a full sacramental life (daily Mass on Tuesdays and Wednesdays, Sunday Mass, First Saturday confession, and Eucharistic Adoration), active religious education under Coordinator Lisa Sandusky, and the pastoral care of Very Rev. Scott J. Wimsett, V.F. and Deacon Stephen A. Age. It is the kind of place where you know the people in the pews, where the faith of your great-grandparents is still being lived today.
Mass times at St. Francis Xavier
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- First Saturdays: 3:20–3:55 p.m.
- Tuesdays: After 9:00 a.m. Mass
Adoration times
- Tuesdays: After 9:00 a.m. Mass (approximately 10:00–11:00 a.m.)
Welcome to Saint Francis Xavier Parish
Saint Francis Xavier is a Catholic parish of the Archdiocese of Louisville serving the small rural community of Raywick in southwestern Marion County, Kentucky. With approximately 260 registered families, the parish is part of a cluster of Catholic communities in Kentucky's historic 'Holy Land' and shares its pastor with nearby St. Charles (St. Mary, KY) and St. Joseph (Little St. Joe, KY). The parish office can be reached at (270) 692-2245 or [email protected].
- Address: 108 Main Street, Raywick, KY 40060-7502
- Phone: (270) 692-2245
- Fax: (270) 692-1138
- Email: [email protected]
- Registered families: ~260
Parish History
The parish was established in 1837 when Jesuit priest Rev. L.N. Petit, S.J. — a Haitian-born missionary who had grown up in Kentucky — built the first church and named it after St. Francis Xavier, the great Jesuit missionary saint. The cornerstone was laid on August 21, 1837, and the first building was completed in 1840. After that original structure was destroyed by fire, the present church was built in 1887 and has served the community ever since. Jesuits ministered here until 1846, after which diocesan priests and the Resurrectionists continued the work.
- 1834: Bishop B.J. Flaget authorized the church
- 1837: Rev. L.N. Petit, S.J. founded the parish; cornerstone laid August 21, 1837
- 1840: First church completed
- 1846: Jesuits depart; diocesan priests and Resurrectionists take over
- 1887: Present church built after fire destroyed the original
- 1887–1889 and 1890s: Sisters of Loretto teach the parish's children
- Early 1900s: Sisters of Charity of Nazareth
- 1940–1979: Ursuline Sisters of Mount St. Joseph
Faith Communities of Religious Sisters
Three orders of women religious shaped the spiritual and educational life of Raywick's Catholic children across the 19th and 20th centuries. Their combined witness — and the example of thirteen young women from the parish who entered religious life — is a point of lasting parish pride.
- Sisters of Loretto — late 1880s and 1890s
- Sisters of Charity of Nazareth — early 1900s
- Ursuline Sisters of Mount St. Joseph — 1940 to 1979
Clergy and Pastoral Staff
The parish is led by Very Rev. Scott J. Wimsett, V.F., who also serves as pastor of St. Charles (St. Mary) and St. Joseph (Little St. Joe). Ordained May 28, 1988, Father Wimsett grew up in New Haven, KY and attended Saint Mary's Seminary and University in Baltimore. He previously served as pastor of Our Lady of Lourdes and has been assigned to multiple parishes across central Kentucky. Assisting him is Permanent Deacon Stephen A. Age. The parish staff also includes Coordinator of Religious Education Lisa Sandusky, Business Manager Kelly Lucas, and Bookkeeper Mary Jones.
- Pastor: Very Rev. Scott J. Wimsett, V.F.
- Permanent Deacon: Stephen A. Age
- Coordinator of Religious Education: Lisa Sandusky
- Business Manager: Kelly Lucas
- Bookkeeper: Mary Jones
Pastor History
Forty-one priests have served Saint Francis Xavier across its nearly two-century history, with the three most recent named in the parish's published account. Father Wimsett continues that succession today.
- Rev. L.N. Petit, S.J. (founder, 1837–c.1846)
- Rev. Robert Brown (1957–1966)
- Rev. Thomas Caldwell (1966–1983)
- Rev. Clarence Schwartz (1983–1998)
- Very Rev. Scott J. Wimsett, V.F. (current pastor)
Religious Education and Parish Life
Faith formation for the parish's children and families is coordinated by Lisa Sandusky, Coordinator of Religious Education. Day-to-day parish operations are overseen by Business Manager Kelly Lucas and Bookkeeper Mary Jones. The parish also participates in #iGiveCatholic, the annual giving day that supports historic churches like St. Francis Xavier.
- Religious Education program
- Business management and bookkeeping
- Annual #iGiveCatholic participation
Caring for the Historic Church Building
The 1887 church that still serves as the parish's spiritual home requires ongoing care. Through campaigns such as #iGiveCatholic, the parish has raised funds to install a heavy-duty vapor barrier in the crawl space beneath the church — isolating it from moisture and outside air, protecting utilities from mold, deterring pests, and safeguarding the air that parishioners breathe. The parish describes its building as 'beautiful, historic and sacred.'
- Heavy-duty vapor barrier installation in the church crawl space
- Goal: isolate from earth and outside air
- Goal: protect utilities from water, moisture, and mold
- Goal: reduce risk of fungal growth and bacteria
A Parish in the Heart of Kentucky's 'Holy Land'
Raywick sits in the part of central Kentucky sometimes called the 'Holy Land' — the cluster of small, Catholic settlements founded by English Catholic colonists from Maryland in the late 1700s and early 1800s. Saint Francis Xavier is one of the enduring parish churches of that region, sharing Catholic history and heritage with neighboring communities like St. Charles (St. Mary), St. Joseph (Little St. Joe), and the broader Archdiocese of Louisville.
- Part of the Archdiocese of Louisville
- Clustered with St. Charles (St. Mary, KY) and St. Joseph (Little St. Joe, KY)
- Located along the Rolling Fork River in Marion County
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Rev. L.N. Petit, S.J.1837–c.1846
Founding Jesuit pastor; built first church; among the last Jesuits to leave Kentucky.
- Rev. Robert Brown1957–1966
- Rev. Thomas Caldwell1966–1983
- Rev. Clarence Schwartz1983–1998
- Rev. Scott J. Wimsett
Current pastor; also serves St. Charles (St. Mary, KY) and St. Joseph (Little St. Joe, KY); ordained May 28, 1988.