St. Martha

History and Founding

St. Martha Catholic Church was established in 1984 as a parish of what would become the Diocese of Lexington, to provide sacramental care for the Catholics scattered across Floyd County in the Big Sandy Valley of eastern Kentucky. The parish was built and continues to operate at 60 Martha's Vineyard, off the US 23 / KY 114 corridor near Water Gap. It is the only Catholic parish within Floyd County and is today the home parish for roughly fifty Catholic households, administering its mission church, St. Luke, in neighboring Magoffin County (Salyersville). Since its founding the parish has been deeply involved in mission-style outreach to its rural Appalachian neighbors — through the diocese's Father Beiting Appalachian Mission Center legacy, the parish's own Martha's Portion thrift store, and the more recent 'Neighbors Helping Neighbors' home-repair ministry.

Outreach & Parish Charities (Martha's Portion)

St. Martha is widely recognized for its compassionate, locally rooted outreach to the people of Floyd County. The hub is 'Martha's Portion,' a free used-clothing and household-items store accessible by referral letter to clients of homeless shelters, recovery programs, domestic-violence shelters, school resource centers, doctors' offices, and partner churches. Items are donated by parishioners and friends; the parish stretches every gift as far as it can. A diocesan-wide initiative in the tradition of Msgr. Ralph W. Beiting, whose eastern-Kentucky ministry dates to the 1950s, the parish's generosity has long served the most vulnerable.

• Martha's Portion thrift store (clothing & household goods, referral-based)
• Diaper Program (15 vouchers per month in partnership with HANDS/Floyd Co. Health Dept.)
• Giving Bags Program (soap, toothpaste, paper products, etc.)
• St. Vincent de Paul–style and visiting-the-sick callings
• Connection to the diocesan Father Beiting Appalachian Mission Center, Louisa

'Neighbors Helping Neighbors' Home-Repair Ministry

Launched in the early 2020s by the parish family at St. Martha, 'Neighbors Helping Neighbors' provides the lumber, tin, weatherization materials, and supplies needed for elderly and low-income Floyd County families to repair roofs, weatherize homes, and address hazardous conditions. The parish finances the building materials; local volunteers — neighbors themselves — provide the labor. Retired pastor Fr. Robert Damron has championed the program as an expression of lay empowerment and the Church's preferential option for the poor, helping families prepare for severe Appalachian winters and stay safe in their own homes.

Knights of Columbus Council 11191

St. Martha is the home parish of Knights of Columbus Council 11191, the local Catholic men's fraternal council of the Diocese of Lexington, providing financial aid to widows and children of its members, service to the parish and community, and engagement in charity, patriotism, and education. The Council works hand-in-hand with the parish's outreach ministries.

Sacraments & Faith Life

In addition to the weekly Mass schedule, the parish facilitates preparation for and celebration of all the Sacraments. Confessions are heard Saturday afternoons and by appointment. Pastoral care of the sick, including Anointing, is provided after Masses and at home visits; Fr. Damron continues to assist with this work in retirement. Couples preparing for Marriage, parents seeking Baptism for their children, and families preparing for First Communion / Confirmation should contact the parish office during the week.

• Baptism — by arrangement through the parish office
• First Communion / Reconciliation — catechesis coordinated by the parish
• Confirmation — diocesan preparation cycles
• Marriage — six-month diocesan preparation requirement
• Anointing of the Sick — after Masses and on request