About St. Helen · Glasgow, Kentucky
St. Helen Catholic Church is a historic bilingual parish serving the Catholics of Barren County in Glasgow, Kentucky, where Catholics still make up less than one percent of the population. Established in 1893 with fieldstones gathered by local Catholic women and hauled by horse and cart, it is the only Catholic church in the county and remains a mission-style parish served by the Fathers of Mercy congregation since 1959. Today St. Helen offers a Saturday vigil Mass, three Sunday Masses (one in Spanish), daily Mass, Eucharistic Adoration, a Hispanic ministry, religious education, and outreach through pro-life activities, a food pantry, and the Knights of Columbus.
- Established
- 1893
- Patron
- St. Helen (Saint Helena), mother of Constantine the Great
- Rector
- Rev. Joel C. Rogers, C.P.M. (Fathers of Mercy)
- Diocese
- Archdiocese of Louisville
Why belong here
St. Helen offers the full rhythm of Catholic life in a small, close-knit community — daily Mass, a Saturday vigil, three Sunday Masses including one in Spanish, regular Adoration, and Confession before every Mass. The parish runs a thriving Hispanic ministry, religious education and adult Bible study in a parish center built in 1990, and sends its members outward through a food pantry, pro-life work, visits to the sick, Knights of Columbus Tootsie Roll and Christmas food-basket drives, and the Auxiliary of Our Lady's Christmas gifts for needy children. For Catholics in Barren County — where they remain less than one percent of the population — it is a warm, mission-oriented spiritual home with deep Kentucky roots dating back to 1893.
Mass times at St. Helen
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Saturdays, 4:30–4:50 p.m.
- 20 minutes before all weekday and weekend Masses
Adoration times
- Saturdays, 8:30–9:30 a.m.
- Mondays and Wednesdays, 11:00 a.m.–12:00 noon
- Fridays, 3:00–9:00 p.m. (except First Fridays, when held 7:00 a.m.–9:00 p.m.)
Parish History
Catholic life in Glasgow dates to 1878, when visiting priests from Franklin, Kentucky, celebrated Mass monthly in private homes — including the home of Clarence and Cora Preston Wood. By 1889 Cora Wood had begun raising funds, and in 1893 the community built St. Helen Church out of fieldstones gathered by local Catholic women and hauled into town by horse and cart. Until 1937 it was a mission served by priests from St. Joseph in Bowling Green and Sacred Heart in Russellville, and after that it was attached to the Cathedral of the Assumption in Louisville. Father Joseph L. Wheatley became the first resident pastor in 1947, bought a rectory in 1950, and built the Our Lady of the Caves mission near Horse Cave (blessed 1954). The Fathers of Mercy arrived in 1959 and have continued to staff both churches ever since.
- 1878 – first recorded Masses in private Glasgow homes
- 1889 – Cora Wood begins collecting funds for a Catholic church
- 1893 – St. Helen Church constructed of local fieldstones
- 1937 – Glasgow mission attached to the Cathedral of the Assumption, Louisville
- 1947 – Father Joseph L. Wheatley becomes first resident pastor
- 1954 – Our Lady of the Caves mission church blessed near Horse Cave
- 1959 – Fathers of Mercy (C.P.M.) take over pastoral care
- 1990 – current parish center built, housing faith-formation programs
- 2007 – "In hoc signo vinces" archway erected above the altar
- 2025 – designated Jubilee Year pilgrimage site by Archbishop Fabre
Building & Architecture
St. Helen's rough fieldstone exterior makes it one of the most recognizable small churches in downtown Glasgow and stands in contrast to the surrounding Protestant churches. The 1893 walls were laid by hand from local stones and still speak, in the words of longtime parishioner James Bastien, of the devotion of the earliest parishioners. Inside, every original stained-glass window remains, each inscribed with the name of its donor — including the 15th Duke of Norfolk — alongside the original Stations of the Cross and a statue of St. Helena holding a book and the nail of the True Cross.
- Fieldstone exterior walls (1893)
- Original stained-glass windows with donor names
- Original Stations of the Cross
- Statue of St. Helen to the right of the altar
- "In hoc signo vinces" archway over the altar (2007) with crucifix
Pastoral Team & Staff
The parish is led by the Fathers of Mercy, a religious congregation headquartered in Auburn, Kentucky. Pastor Rev. Joel C. Rogers, C.P.M., was ordained in June and marked his 25th jubilee in 2025; 20 of his 25 years as a priest have been at St. Helen. He is assisted by associate pastor Rev. Thomas Reagan, C.P.M., permanent deacon Lee Duke, and a lay team responsible for religious education, Hispanic ministry, music, and parish finances.
- Rev. Joel C. Rogers, C.P.M. — Pastor
- Rev. Thomas Reagan, C.P.M. — Associate
- Deacon Lee Duke — Permanent Deacon
- Dr. Cheryl Whitlow — Director of Religious Education (volunteer)
- Connie Granados — Hispanic Ministry
- Gregory McCord — Director of Music
- Therese Beakes Haavisto — Business Manager
Hispanic Ministry
Roughly one-third of St. Helen's parishioners are Hispanic, according to Fr. Joel Rogers. The parish celebrates a weekly Sunday Mass in Spanish at 8:00 a.m. and maintains an active Hispanic ministry coordinated by Connie Granados, alongside other parish gatherings and outreach. Our Lady of the Caves, the parish's mission church in nearby Horse Cave, also offers a Saturday vigil in Spanish at 7:00 p.m.
- Sunday Mass in Spanish — 8:00 a.m. at St. Helen
- Saturday vigil in Spanish — 7:00 p.m. at Our Lady of the Caves, Horse Cave
- Hispanic Ministry coordinator — Connie Granados
Faith Formation & Religious Education
A catechetical program, adult Bible study, and ongoing religious education "nourish the faith among parishioners," in the words of the archdiocesan parish profile. Programs are housed in the parish center, which was built in 1990. Faith formation is directed by Dr. Cheryl Whitlow (an asterisked volunteer). The parish also lists RCIA / OCIA for adults seeking to become Catholic.
- Catechetical / Religious Education program (Dr. Cheryl Whitlow)
- Adult Bible Study
- RCIA / OCIA — Becoming Catholic
- Parish center (built 1990) housing faith-formation programs
Outreach & Parish Life
St. Helen's mission identity is expressed through a network of practical charities that serve Glasgow and Barren County. "The parish family is strengthened through daily Mass and regular Confessions, as well as devotions such as Eucharistic Adoration," the archdiocese writes, "while St. Helen continues to spread the faith in Glasgow through pro-life activities, visiting the sick, and the food pantry program." Members of the Knights of Columbus run the annual Tootsie Roll drive and assemble Christmas food baskets for the poor; the Auxiliary of Our Lady provides Christmas gifts to needy children.
- Parish Food Pantry
- Pro-Life activities
- Visits to the Sick
- Knights of Columbus — Tootsie Roll Drive
- Knights of Columbus — Christmas food baskets for the poor
- Auxiliary of Our Lady — Christmas gifts for needy children
Mission Church: Our Lady of the Caves, Horse Cave
Built by Father Wheatley near Horse Cave, Kentucky, and blessed in 1954, Our Lady of the Caves is the parish's mission church and is also staffed by the Fathers of Mercy. Located at 1010 S. Dixie Street in Horse Cave, it often welcomes visitors to Mammoth Cave National Park and Barren River Lake. Its schedule complements St. Helen's and includes a Saturday vigil in Spanish and a monthly Extraordinary Form Latin Mass on the first, third, and fifth Sundays.
- Address — 1010 S. Dixie Street, Horse Cave, KY 42749
- Saturday vigil — 7:00 p.m. (Spanish)
- Sunday — 8:00 a.m.
- Sunday — 10:30 a.m. (1st, 3rd, 5th Sundays — Extraordinary Form, Latin)
- Wednesday — 8:00 a.m.
- Friday — 5:30 p.m.
Visiting & Jubilee Pilgrimage
For the 2025 Jubilee Year, themed "Pilgrims of Hope," Archbishop Shelton J. Fabre designated St. Helen as one of the pilgrimage sites in the Archdiocese of Louisville, offering the faithful an opportunity to receive a plenary indulgence. Five sights featured during the Jubilee Pilgrimage are the fieldstone exterior, the original stained-glass windows (including the Duke of Norfolk's), the statue of St. Helen, the Stations of the Cross, and the "In hoc signo vinces" archway above the altar.
- Pilgrimage site for the 2025 Jubilee Year
- Plenary indulgence available to visiting faithful
- Five notable pilgrimage sights: fieldstone exterior, stained glass, statue, Stations of the Cross, altar archway
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Father Joseph L. Wheatley1947 onward
First resident pastor of St. Helen; bought a house for the rectory in 1950 and built Our Lady of the Caves mission church near Horse Cave, blessed 1954.
- Fathers of Mercy (C.P.M.)1959–present
Religious congregation headquartered in Auburn, Kentucky, that has staffed St. Helen and Our Lady of the Caves continuously.
- Rev. Joel C. Rogers, C.P.M.
Current pastor; celebrated the 25th anniversary of his ordination in June (20 of those 25 years served at St. Helen).