About St. Mary of the Woods · Mcquady, Kentucky
St. Mary of the Woods is a small Roman Catholic parish serving the unincorporated community of McQuady in Breckinridge County, Kentucky. The parish belongs to the Diocese of Owensboro and today shares its pastor with neighboring St. Anthony the Abbot Parish in Hardinsburg, forming a two-church cluster. The faith community gathers for weekend Mass on Saturday evenings and Sunday mornings, with weekday devotions and Eucharistic Adoration offered on the first Thursday of each month.
- Established
- 1870
- Patron
- St. Mary of the Woods (Blessed Virgin Mary, Our Lady of the Woods)
- Rector
- Fr. Shaiju Thomas
- Diocese
- Diocese of Owensboro
Why belong here
St. Mary of the Woods welcomes Catholics and visitors to a tight-knit rural parish in Breckinridge County. Weekend Mass is offered Saturday at 4:00 PM and Sunday at 8:00 AM, with weekday Mass on Thursday at noon, monthly Eucharistic Adoration on the first Thursday, and regular Confession times. As a clustered parish sharing pastoral ministry with St. Anthony the Abbot in Hardinsburg, the community combines small-parish warmth with the resources of a two-church family.
Mass times at St. Mary of the Woods
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Thursday 11:30 AM–11:55 AM
- Saturday 3:15 PM–3:45 PM
- Or by appointment
Adoration times
- Thursday 12:30 PM–1:00 PM (First Thursdays only)
Parish History
St. Mary of the Woods traces its origins to 1870, when Rev. Nicholas Ryan began ministering to Catholic families in the McQuady area. Before a church existed, Mass was offered in the home of parishioner James Mattingly; the first simple church and a cemetery were erected on donated land. By 1910, the parish had grown enough to relocate into the railroad town of McQuady and build a permanent stone church under Fr. John Francis Knue. By 1920 the parish numbered roughly 125 families and supported both worship and parish schooling.
- 1870: Parish founded by Rev. Nicholas Ryan; early Masses in the Mattingly home.
- 1910: Permanent stone (locally quarried sandstone) church built under Fr. John Francis Knue.
- By 1920: About 125 Catholic families in the parish.
Schools and Dominican Sisters
Catholic education has long been part of parish life. The first parish school opened in 1876 on land donated north of the original church site, with 25–30 students taught by lay teachers such as J.J. Friel. A larger second school was built behind the new church around 1920–1922 and staffed by the Dominican Sisters of St. Catherine. The high school operated from 1922 to 1932, and the elementary school continued until 1967, when declining enrollment led to closure. The 1920 school building was later repurposed as a parish museum.
- 1876: First Catholic school opens (25–30 students).
- 1922: High school opens; closes in 1932.
- 1922–1967: Elementary school operated by Dominican Sisters of St. Catherine.
- 1920 school building later became a parish museum.
Clergy and Staff
The parish is currently served by Fr. Shaiju Thomas as Pastor and Deacon Michael Wiedemer. The parish shares its priest with St. Anthony the Abbot Parish in Hardinsburg as a clustered ministry.
- Fr. Shaiju Thomas — Pastor (also serves St. Anthony the Abbot, Hardinsburg)
- Deacon Michael Wiedemer
- Parish bookkeeper email: [email protected]
Cluster Parish — St. Anthony the Abbot
St. Mary of the Woods is paired with St. Anthony the Abbot Parish in nearby Hardinsburg as part of a two-parish cluster that shares pastoral ministry and resources. The parishes share the website stanthonytheabbotandstmaryofthewoods.com (also reachable at stanthonystmary.org).
- Cluster partner: St. Anthony the Abbot, Hardinsburg, KY
- Shared pastor: Fr. Shaiju Thomas
- Shared website: stanthonytheabbotandstmaryofthewoods.com / stanthonystmary.org
Contact and Location
The parish is located in the unincorporated community of McQuady, at the junction of Kentucky Route 105 and Kentucky Route 261 in Breckinridge County, roughly six miles south-southwest of Hardinsburg. The mailing address uses ZIP code 40153.
- Address: 4711 Hwy 105 South, McQuady, KY 40153
- Phone: (270) 257-2132
- Email: [email protected]
- Website: http://www.stanthonytheabbotandstmaryofthewoods.com/
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Rev. Nicholas Ryan1870–
Founded the parish; first services held in the home of parishioner James Mattingly.
- Rev. John Francis Knue1909–1924
Led construction of the 1910 sandstone church; helped parishioners with farming and economic self-sufficiency.