About St. Jude · Louisa, Kentucky
St. Jude Catholic Church is a small Roman Catholic parish serving the Lawrence County and Martin County communities of eastern Kentucky from its home at 1121 Meadowbrook Lane in Louisa. Founded in 1982 as part of the Big Sandy / Licking Deanery of the Diocese of Lexington, the parish grew out of the missionary legacy of Msgr. Ralph W. Beiting, the legendary Appalachian priest who established the neighboring Father Beiting Appalachian Mission Center and who made St. Jude his pastoral home for many years. Today the parish continues to gather Catholics and visitors in a region where Catholics remain a small minority, celebrated under the pastoral care of Fr. Michael Ramler and supported by members of the faithful who keep the church's schedule of Masses, devotions, and outreach running.
- Established
- 1982
- Patron
- St. Jude (Thaddaeus)
- Rector
- Rev. Michael Ramler
- Diocese
- Diocese of Lexington (Big Sandy / Licking Deanery)
Why belong here
St. Jude offers an intimate, mission-rooted Catholic community in a region where Catholics are a small minority, kept alive by faithful parishioners who travel across Lawrence and Martin counties for liturgy. With its historic tie to Msgr. Beiting and the neighboring Father Beiting Appalachian Mission Center, the parish is a living witness to the Church's commitment to the Appalachian poor. Visitors are welcomed to a straightforward schedule of Masses and a tight-knit pastoral team (pastor Fr. Michael Ramler, Deacon Jim Dalton, and Sr. Patricia Cataldi, CPS), making St. Jude a place where newcomers and longtime locals can find both reverent worship and warm fellowship.
Mass times at St. Jude
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- By appointment (contact the parish office)
Parish Identity & Diocese
St. Jude Catholic Church is a parish of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Lexington, listed in the Big Sandy / Licking Deanery under Lawrence and Martin counties. It is listed in the diocese's official directory and is among the smallest Catholic communities in the Appalachian portion of the diocese, drawing faithful across the rural eastern Kentucky region.
- Diocese of Lexington
- Big Sandy / Licking Deanery (Dean: Rev. Rob Adams, VF)
- Serves Lawrence and Martin counties
- Parish entry in the diocesan directory
History & Founding Legacy
Founded in 1982 according to GCatholic, St. Jude grew out of the missionary work of Msgr. Ralph W. Beiting, who in 1950 was sent into an eastern Kentucky region with no Catholic church and very few Catholics. Over decades he built 20 churches and founded the Christian Appalachian Project (1964), and in 1989 the new Diocese of Lexington assigned him to Louisa to pastor St. Jude.
- Parish established: 1982
- Founding pastor: Msgr. Ralph W. Beiting
- 1991: St. Jude Mission Center established by Beiting
- 2005: Mission Center renamed Father Beiting Appalachian Mission Center
- August 9, 2012: Msgr. Beiting dies at age 88; visitation held at St. Jude, Louisa
Clergy & Staff
The parish is led by pastor Rev. Michael Ramler, with the support of Deacon Jim Dalton and Sister Patricia Cataldi, CPS. The parish has a Parish Contact Coordinator to assist administrative matters.
- Rev. Michael Ramler — Pastor
- Dcn. Jim Dalton — Deacon
- Sr. Patricia Cataldi, CPS — Pastoral staff
Visiting Louisa & the Parish Community
Visitors travelling to St. Jude are advised to follow signs to the hospital; the church sits within view of the hospital, a short distance up the road on the left. The parish mailing address (and primary contact line for administrative matters) is 1121 Meadowbrook Lane, Louisa, KY 41230, and the parish can be reached at (606) 638-3409 or by email at [email protected].
- Address: 1121 Meadowbrook Lane, Louisa, KY 41230
- Phone: (606) 638-3409
- Email: [email protected]
- Website: cdlex.org/stjude
- Facebook: facebook.com/st.judeKY
Father Beiting Appalachian Mission Center
The Father Beiting Appalachian Mission Center sits near St. Jude at 332 River Bend Road (P.O. listings reference Louisa, KY 41230) and is operated by Catholic Charities of the Diocese of Lexington. Originally the St. Jude Mission Center founded by Msgr. Beiting in 1991, the Center carries on his mission of serving the people of northeastern Kentucky with material, spiritual, and emergency assistance — regardless of wealth, background, or ethnicity.
- Director of Operations: Eddie Michael
- Administrative Coordinator: Sue Michael
- Coordinator of Spiritual Programs: Rev. Marc Bentley
- Maintenance & Construction Coordinator: Eddie Sprouse
- Programs: thrift store, emergency assistance, Vacation Bible School, home repair
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Msgr. Ralph W. Beitinglate 1980s – 2012
Founding pastor (parish established 1982). Legendary Appalachian missionary who founded the Christian Appalachian Project (1964) and the St. Jude Mission Center (1991, now Father Beiting Appalachian Mission Center). Died August 9, 2012, at age 88.
- Rev. Michael Ramler
Current pastor; took over following the transition after Fr. Ramler's installation. The parish schedule notes a 'New Priest – in transition period' in April 2026.