About St. Michael · Fairfield, Kentucky
St. Michael the Archangel Parish is a small rural Catholic church nestled in the tiny town of Fairfield at the northern tip of Nelson County, Kentucky, surrounded by the rolling farmland of the state's historic 'Holy Land.' Founded in 1792 by Catholic families migrating from Maryland to the Kentucky frontier, it is the third oldest Catholic parish west of the Allegheny Mountains and the third oldest extant parish in the Archdiocese of Louisville. St. Michael's has been called the 'cradle of religious vocations in Kentucky,' producing dozens of priests, bishops, and sisters — including Mother Catherine Spalding, co-founder of the Sisters of Charity of Nazareth, and the first Catholic Bishop of Tennessee. Today the parish of more than 600 registered members is pastored by Rev. Kirby B. Rust and continues the pioneer tradition of passing the faith to the next generation.
- Established
- 1792
- Patron
- St. Michael the Archangel
- Rector
- Father Quan Nguyen
- Diocese
- Archdiocese of Louisville
Why belong here
St. Michael's offers a small, family-sized rural parish where multi-generational families worship together in a building that has held Catholics since 1883. With well over 600 members, the parish keeps a tight-knit calendar of faith formation for children and adults (CCD, RCIA, sacramental prep, Adult Bible Study), vibrant liturgical ministries (choir, lectors, extraordinary ministers, sacristans, servers, Adoration), and outreach to the local community through the New Life Center Family Services in Bardstown. As one of the oldest parishes in Kentucky and a 'cradle of religious vocations,' it carries a unique heritage of Catholic missionary families — and it remains an ideal place to put down roots.
Mass times at St. Michael
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Tuesday 8:15–8:45 AM
- Friday 8:15–8:45 AM
- Saturday 5:00–5:45 PM
- Sunday 9:15–9:45 AM
Adoration times
- First and Third Monday at 6:00 PM (Eucharistic Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament)
History of St. Michael Parish
Founded in 1792 as Cox's Creek Settlement and Gardiner Station by Catholic families migrating from Maryland to the Kentucky frontier, St. Michael the Archangel is the third oldest Catholic parish west of the Allegheny Mountains and the oldest parish in Nelson County. The original log church stood on the site of what is now the parish cemetery, about half a mile west of the current town; in 1806 the congregation took the name St. Michael the Archangel. In 1831 the parish relocated one mile east to land donated by Henry McKenna. The present brick church was built in 1883 and underwent a major interior restoration in 2011 — the sanctuary was expanded, the ceiling, choir loft and stained-glass windows were repaired, and a new altar and ambo were fabricated to match the existing communion railing. A new parish hall, Gardiner Hall, was completed in 2005.
- Founded 1792 — same year Kentucky became a state
- Named St. Michael the Archangel in 1806
- Moved to current location in 1831 on land donated by Henry McKenna
- Current church built 1883 (125th anniversary celebrated 2008)
- Gardiner Hall parish hall built 2005
- Interior renovation completed 2011
Cradle of Religious Vocations
St. Michael's has been called the 'cradle of religious vocations in Kentucky.' Its first priest, Stephen Badin, was the first priest ordained in the United States; he later bought land in Indiana that became the University of Notre Dame. Guy Ignatius Chabrat, the first priest ordained in Kentucky, became the first resident pastor — and like four other St. Michael's resident pastors, he later became a bishop. The parish produced so many women religious that for 50 of the first 61 years of the Sisters of Charity of Nazareth, the Mother Superior was a native of St. Michael's.
- Stephen Badin — first priest ordained in the U.S.
- Guy Ignatius Chabrat — first resident pastor, later a bishop
- Five St. Michael's resident pastors became bishops
- Mother Catherine Spalding — co-founder, Sisters of Charity of Nazareth
- Mother Frances Gardiner — SCN superior
- Richard Pius Miles — first Catholic Bishop of Tennessee
- Felix Newton Pitt — founder, Pitt Academy (special education)
- Grace Newton Simpson — leading 19th-century Catholic woman
Faith Formation & Religious Education
The Formation Committee, led by Director of Religious Education Gilly Simpson (502-303-6196), coordinates the on-going education and formation of the entire parish, from cradle through adulthood. Sacramental preparation, ongoing faith formation and special parish-wide events such as the Back-to-School Picnic and Halloween Fun-Fest all flow through this committee.
- Baptism Preparation
- First Communion Preparation (2nd grade)
- Confirmation Preparation
- CCD — parish religious education for children
- Children's Liturgy of the Word (weekly)
- RCIA — Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults
- Youth Group START (grades 6–12, first Sunday after 10 AM Mass)
- Adult Bible Study
- Back-to-School Picnic
- Halloween Fun-Fest
Marriage Preparation
The marriage preparation ministry includes a variety of programs intended to bring engaged couples into an understanding of the sacramentality of the marriage relationship.
- Contact: Chasity and Bill Livers
Worship & Liturgical Ministries
The Worship Committee, chaired by Music Director Darrell Parks, assists parishioners through every step of their journey of faith at the altar — from preparing the sanctuary through the liturgical year to carrying the Body of Christ to those who cannot be present. Volunteers are welcome in any of the liturgical ministries listed below.
- Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament
- Arts and Environment (decorating the sanctuary through the liturgical seasons)
- Church Cleaners
- Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion
- Funeral Mass Planning
- Lectors
- Ministry to the Homebound
- Music Ministry / Choir
- Sacristans
- Servers (altar servers)
- Ushers / Greeters
Parish Life & Community
The Parish Life Committee is dedicated to providing engaging ministries and social events for parishioners. Its purpose is to encourage social interaction among community members, welcome new faces, and provide hospitality during times of joy and sorrow. Volunteers are always welcome.
- Baby Bottle Campaign
- Community Outreach — supports New Life Center Family Services in Bardstown
- Church Event Planning and Fundraising
- Hospitality
- Senior's Monthly Lunch
- Stewardship
- Valentine Dance Committee
- Welcome Committee (greets newcomers)
- Get Well / Thinking of You cards for parishioners
- Meal Ministry for funeral gatherings
Schools of St. Michael's
Catholic schooling at St. Michael's goes back nearly to the parish's founding. The Sisters of Loretto opened a school named Bethania in 1821; it closed in 1827 after several sisters died. The Sisters of Charity of Nazareth reopened it in 1829, but a cholera epidemic forced its closing in 1832. Louisville's Helen Smith opened the most successful parish school in 1908; it later became St. Michael School and thrived under the Ursuline Sisters of Mount St. Joseph from 1913 until its closing in 1968.
- Bethania — Sisters of Loretto (1821–1827)
- SCN school reopened (1829–1832, closed by cholera)
- Helen Smith's school opened 1908
- St. Michael School — Ursuline Sisters of Mount St. Joseph (1913–1968)
Cluster & Diocese
St. Michael's is a parish of the Archdiocese of Louisville. In 2005 the parish was clustered with the Basilica of St. Joseph Proto-Cathedral in Bardstown, and in 2017 it was clustered with All Saints, Taylorsville.
- Diocese: Archdiocese of Louisville
- Clustered with Basilica of St. Joseph Proto-Cathedral (2005)
- Clustered with All Saints, Taylorsville (2017)
Parish Staff & Clergy
St. Michael's is served by a pastor, an associate priest, and a permanent deacon, supported by lay staff in religious education, music, and parish administration.
- Rev. Kirby B. Rust — Pastor (phone 502-477-6676)
- Rev. Hillary Chumo, F.M.H. — Associate
- Deacon Peter 'Pete' Rendon — Permanent Deacon / Pastoral Assistant
- Gilly Simpson — Director of Religious Education
- Darrell Parks — Music Director
- Rhonda Crepps — Business Manager and Bookkeeper
Visit, Contact & Stay Connected
The parish office is reachable Tuesday through Friday, and the parish publishes a weekly bulletin online through Discover Mass. Staff are typically available on Tuesdays from 8 AM. The parish mailing address is P.O. Box 27, Fairfield, KY 40020-0027, while the physical church is at 111 Church Hill Street.
- Address: 111 Church Hill Street, Fairfield, KY 40020
- Mailing: P.O. Box 27, Fairfield, KY 40020-0027
- Phone: (502) 252-0106 (fax: call first)
- Email: [email protected]
- Website: https://stmichaelfairfield.com/
- Online weekly bulletin via Discover Mass
The Original 1792 Site & Historical Marker
The original 1792 log church stood on the site of the present-day cemetery approximately half a mile west of Fairfield on KY-48. A Kentucky Historical Society marker (#2526) was dedicated there on September 17, 2017, marking the parish's 225th anniversary. The cemetery and the marker commemorate the birthplace of Catholicism in the region.
- Marker #2526 — Original Site of St. Michael's Parish
- Located ~½ mile west of Fairfield on KY-48
- Dedicated September 17, 2017 (225th anniversary)
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Stephen BadinFirst priest (missionary)
First priest ordained in the United States; later bought land in Indiana that became the University of Notre Dame.
- Guy Ignatius ChabratFirst resident pastor
First priest ordained in Kentucky; later became a bishop — one of five St. Michael's resident pastors who did so.