About St. Paul · Leitchfield, Kentucky
St. Paul Catholic Church is a small Roman Catholic parish in Leitchfield, Kentucky, serving the faithful of rural Grayson County in the western part of the state. The parish is part of the Diocese of Owensboro and shares pastoral ministry with neighboring St. Elizabeth of Hungary Parish in Clarkson. A Catholic school (founded 1906) sits on the same Saint Paul Road campus, making St. Paul a long-standing center of Catholic life, education, and worship for this stretch of west-central Kentucky.
- Patron
- St. Paul (the Apostle)
- Rector
- Rev. Suneesh Mathew, HGN
- Diocese
- Diocese of Owensboro
Why belong here
St. Paul offers a close-knit rural parish family with daily and weekly Mass, regular Reconciliation, a Catholic school on the same campus, and active ministries for youth, adults, and outreach. The community is small enough that parishioners know one another, but lively enough to support a parish picnic, quarterly men's prayer breakfast, Bible study, and communal penance services with the other Grayson County parishes. Visiting Catholics will find a devoted pastor in Fr. Suneesh Mathew and a parish that has fought hard to keep its century-old school open.
Mass times at St. Paul
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Sunday: 7:45 – 8:15 AM
- 1st and 3rd Saturday: 4:00 – 4:45 PM
- By appointment
About St. Paul Parish
St. Paul Catholic Church sits on Saint Paul Road outside Leitchfield, the county seat of Grayson County, Kentucky. The parish belongs to the Diocese of Owensboro and is currently served by Fr. Suneesh Mathew, HGN, who is also pastor of St. Elizabeth of Hungary in Clarkson. The parish runs a Pre-K–8 Catholic school on its grounds and gathers for a Saturday vigil Mass, a Sunday morning Mass, and weekday Masses on Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday.
- Diocese of Owensboro
- 1821 Saint Paul Rd., Leitchfield, KY 42754
- Rectory: (270) 242-7436
- Pastor: Rev. Suneesh Mathew, HGN
History and the School
The Catholic community that became St. Paul established its school in 1906, more than a century before the present-day parish campus. Ursuline Sisters of Mount Saint Joseph have long supported the parish — most memorably Sr. Anne Michelle Mudd, OSU, who served 31 of her 60 years as a religious at St. Paul as teacher or principal. She once saved the school from closing by cutting personal costs and even declining pay. In 2024 the parish dedicated the Sister Anne Michelle Mudd Annex, a new Pre-K–2nd-grade building driven by the previous pastor, Fr. Steve Hohman.
- School founded in 1906
- Pre-K through 8th grade
- Sr. Anne Michelle Mudd, OSU — 31 years of service; died Aug. 11, 2020
- Sister Anne Michelle Mudd Annex dedicated Oct. 19, 2024
St. Paul Catholic School
St. Paul Catholic School is a K-8 accredited school and a Kentucky state-licensed preschool. The school motto is 'To teach the Christian message as a basis for a way of life.' After enrollment dipped in past years, the parish built the new Sister Anne Michelle Mudd Annex to relieve overcrowding and lift the long-standing cap on kindergarten enrollment.
- Principal: Todd Johnston (4th year; previously with Grayson County Schools)
- School Secretary/Bookkeeper: Gina Sims
- Office Manager: Angie Whitworth
- Pre-K Teacher: KaLynn O'Connell
- Kindergarten: Morgan Robbins
- First Grade: Annette Cannon
- Second Grade: Cindy Paris
- 3rd–4th Grade: Tiffany Henderman
- 5th–6th Grade (Math 3–8, Social Studies 5–8): Ashley Powell
- 7th–8th Grade (Language Arts & Science 5–8): Joan Butterworth
- Pre-K Assistant: Sophia Burkhead
- Pastor/Chaplain: Fr. Suneesh Mathew
Sacraments
The parish prepares parishioners for all the usual Catholic sacraments. Parents are asked to call the office before the birth of a child to begin Baptism preparation; First Reconciliation and First Communion follow the parish religious-education program; marriage requires at least six months' notice and typically 9–12 months of preparation; the Anointing of the Sick and Holy Orders are coordinated through the pastor; and funerals follow a published parish procedure, including pre-planning.
- Baptism
- First Reconciliation & First Communion
- Confirmation
- Marriage (9–12 months preparation)
- Anointing of the Sick
- Holy Orders
- RCIA
- Funeral procedures and pre-planning
Ministries and Parish Life
St. Paul runs a broad range of ministries for youth, adults, and outreach. The Parish Council coordinates committees for school, liturgy and worship, youth/CCD, art and environment, maintenance, building and grounds, faith formation, and outreach/social service. A quarterly men's prayer breakfast, parish Bible study, and the parish picnic anchor parish social life, while youth ministries take middle- and high-schoolers to diocesan retreats at Gasper River.
- Parish Council (Chair: Jimmy Tilford)
- RCIA Program
- Bible Study
- Men's Quarterly Prayer Breakfast
- Middle School Youth Ministry (Melanie Crawford)
- High School Youth Ministry (Dale DePoyster)
- Annual Parish Picnic (major fundraiser)
- Spring Clean-up Day
- Altar Server training
- Outreach / Social ministry committees
- PTO (school)
Cemeteries
The parish maintains four Catholic cemeteries serving the Grayson County Catholic community, with parish contacts listed on the parish website under 'Cemetery Contacts.'
- St. Paul Cemetery
- St. Elizabeth Cemetery
- St. Mary Cemetery
- St. Francis Cemetery
Parish Staff and Office
The parish is served by a small but committed staff led by Fr. Suneesh Mathew and supported by the parish secretary (Amy DePoyster, on staff since Fall 2012, a parish-school alumna and Grayson County native). Bulletins and bulletins-and-events pages are updated regularly and provide the main channel of parish communication.
- Pastor: Rev. Suneesh Mathew, HGN
- Parish Secretary: Amy (Darst) DePoyster – [email protected]
- Office e-mail: [email protected]
- Deacon Dale DePoyster (per 2019 diocesan directory)
Bulletin and Announcements
Weekly bulletins (PDF) cover Mass intentions, the upcoming week's Mass and confession schedule, parish council news, second-meat and special collections (e.g. Brescia University, diocesan appeals), and pastoral commentary from the pastor — including reflections on parish traditions like the annual picnic. Bulletins also report on sacramental preparation milestones like Deacon ordinations and First Communions.
- Pastoral reflection on the parish picnic (2022)
- Announcements for ordination of Gary Clark to the diaconate
- Second-meat Sunday collections and special diocesan appeals
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Rev. Steve Hohmanat least 2022 – 2024
Served as pastor of St. Paul (Leitchfield) and St. Elizabeth of Hungary (Clarkson); was the driving force behind the Sister Anne Michelle Mudd Annex school building project and returned for its dedication on Oct. 19, 2024.
- Rev. Suneesh Mathew, HGNby 2024 – present
Current pastor, also pastor of St. Elizabeth of Hungary in Clarkson; previously served at Precious Blood Parish in Owensboro.