About St. Thomas · Bardstown, Kentucky
St. Thomas Parish in Bardstown, Kentucky, is the historic "Cradle of Catholicism in Kentucky" — a small, vibrant rural parish of more than 1,200 Catholics set on the original 1795 farm of pioneer Catholics Thomas and Ann (Gough) Howard. Founded in 1812 by Kentucky's first bishop, Benedict Joseph Flaget, the parish sits on the same 370-acre property where the first Catholic seminary on the American frontier was begun in 1811 and where the Sisters of Charity of Nazareth were founded in 1812. Today the parish is led by Rev. Brandon T. DeToma and Permanent Deacon Scott R. Turner, and its restored 1816 brick church — designed by French émigré architect Maximilian Godefroy and listed on the National Register of Historic Places since 1976 — remains the spiritual center of parish life.
- Established
- 1812
- Patron
- St. Thomas the Apostle (the parish was named in honor of Thomas Howard's patron saint)
- Rector
- Rev. Brandon T. DeToma
- Diocese
- Archdiocese of Louisville (originally part of the Diocese of Bardstown, created 1808)
Why belong here
St. Thomas is a small, historic rural parish where more than 1,200 Catholics worship together in a beautifully restored 1816 church on the original Howard farm. Families find a complete sacramental life — daily and Sunday Mass in both the historic church and St. Teresa Hall, regular Reconciliation and Thursday Adoration, lifelong Family Faith Formation for all ages, and an OCIA/RCIA process for those becoming Catholic. A pastoral team of a priest, deacon, and lay staff walk with parishioners through every stage of Catholic life on land that is, quite literally, the cradle of Catholicism in Kentucky.
Mass times at St. Thomas
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Thursday 5:30 PM – 6:15 PM (Historic Church)
- Saturday 9:00 AM – 9:45 AM (Historic Church)
- Also available by appointment outside scheduled times
Adoration times
- Thursday 5:15 PM – 6:20 PM (Historic Church)
History of St. Thomas Parish
The parish was formally established in 1812 on the farm of pioneer Catholics Thomas and Ann Howard, who had welcomed traveling missionary priests into their 1795 log house for nearly fifteen years. The story of St. Thomas is the story of the Catholic Church in Kentucky: it was the home of the first Catholic seminary on the American frontier, the first home of the Sisters of Charity of Nazareth, and the temporary 'diocesan center' before St. Joseph Cathedral was built. Today the restored 1816 church and the 1795 log house stand as a living museum of early American Catholic life.
- Established 1812 on the Howard farm
- Bishop Benedict Joseph Flaget received the property as a bequest and named the church for Thomas Howard's patron saint
- First pastor: Father John Baptist David (1812–1819), later Bishop Flaget's auxiliary
- St. Thomas Seminary operated on the property 1811–1869
- Sisters of Charity of Nazareth founded here in 1812 by Teresa Carrico and Elizabeth Wells
The Howard–Flaget House (1795 Log Cabin)
Thomas and Ann (Gough) Howard built a one-room log house on their 109-acre property in the winter of 1795. From about 1795 it was used to celebrate Mass when a priest could be there, and after Thomas Howard's death in 1810 it passed to the Catholic Church. Bishop Flaget and the seminarians lived in it on their arrival in 1811. The log house was later divided into three rooms with a second story, and has served at various times as a seminary, convent, orphanage, rectory, and parish elementary school (1914–1931). Carefully restored during the tenure of former pastor Father Stephen Pohl, it stands today as a museum and the oldest structure on the property.
- Built winter 1794–1795 by Thomas and Ann Howard
- First Catholic worship site on the property
- Restored under former pastor Fr. Stephen Pohl
- Now a museum open to visitors
St. Thomas Church (1816)
Construction of the present brick church began in 1812, with bricks formed and fired on site and seminarians and lay faithful taking part in the work. It was completed and consecrated on August 15, 1816, the feast of the Assumption of Mary, by Bishop Flaget. The building — designed by Maximilien Godefroy in the Neo-Gothic style as a reduced version of St. Mary's Seminary Chapel in Baltimore — is the first Gothic Revival structure in Kentucky and one of the earliest west of the Alleghenies. It served simultaneously as parish church and seminary chapel, and was the 'diocesan center' until St. Joseph Cathedral was completed in 1819.
- Construction 1812–1816
- Architect: Maximilien Godefroy
- Style: Neo-Gothic (Gothic Revival)
- Listed on the National Register of Historic Places, 1976
- Recently restored; remains the center of parish life
St. Thomas Seminary and the Diocese of Bardstown
St. Thomas Seminary began aboard a flatboat on the Ohio River in May 1811, when Bishop Flaget, Father David, and a few seminarians pushed off from Pittsburgh. After two weeks of study and prayer on the water, they arrived in Kentucky. The seminary moved to the Howard property in November 1811 and was named St. Thomas in honor of the Howard family. It served as a major seminary until 1819 and as a preparatory seminary until 1869, when the students were transferred to the main seminary. The Diocese of Bardstown, created by Pope Pius VII in April 1808, was one of just four Catholic dioceses in the United States; in 1841 Bishop Flaget moved the see to Louisville, and in 1937 the Diocese of Louisville was elevated to an archdiocese. The original Bardstown territory today covers more than forty dioceses, including Cincinnati, Indianapolis, Chicago, and Detroit.
- First Catholic seminary on the American frontier (1811)
- Major seminary 1811–1819, preparatory seminary until 1869
- Diocese of Bardstown created 1808 by Pope Pius VII
- See moved to Louisville 1841; became Archdiocese of Louisville 1937
Sisters of Charity of Nazareth
In 1812 Teresa Carrico and Elizabeth Wells founded a women's religious community on the St. Thomas property, in a log cabin about half a mile north of the seminary. The community grew quickly and Catherine Spalding was named the first Mother Superior. In 1814 the sisters opened Nazareth Academy as a school for girls; in 1822 they moved to their present motherhouse three miles north of Bardstown, in the community of Nazareth, where they continue their work today. The brick schoolhouse built for the girls' school at St. Thomas was then used to educate boys.
- Founded 1812 at St. Thomas
- First Mother Superior: Catherine Spalding
- Opened Nazareth Academy for girls in 1814
- Moved to Nazareth, KY in 1822
Sacramental Life
The parish celebrates all seven sacraments. Baptism, Confirmation, and Eucharist are the three Sacraments of Initiation, by which the faithful become members of the Body of Christ and are commissioned as missionary disciples. Baptized children usually receive First Communion in 2nd or 3rd grade, after first celebrating First Reconciliation; in the Archdiocese of Louisville, young people typically receive Confirmation in or near 8th grade. Reconciliation is available on the published schedule or by appointment. The parish also prepares couples for marriage, offers the Anointing of the Sick, and ministers funeral liturgies and Christian burial rites; information on the purchase of burial plots in the parish cemetery is also available.
- Baptism (including adult baptism through OCIA)
- First Reconciliation and First Communion (2nd–3rd grade)
- Confirmation (typically 8th grade, two-year preparation in 6th–8th)
- Matrimony preparation by appointment
- Anointing of the Sick and Funeral rites
- Christian Burial and cemetery burial plots
Becoming Catholic (OCIA)
Unbaptized adults — and baptized Christians from other traditions who wish to enter full communion with the Catholic Church — are welcomed into a year-long process of prayer, study, and formation called the Order of Christian Initiation of Adults (OCIA). The same process adapted for children and teens is the Order of Christian Initiation of Children (OCIY). Participants gather regularly with catechists and Catholic sponsors to read Scripture, learn to pray, ask questions, and explore the Catholic faith, with the journey marked by distinct stages and liturgical rites that culminate at the Easter Vigil with Baptism, Confirmation, and First Eucharist. There is no monetary cost; the parish provides all materials.
- OCIA for adults — typically a year-long journey
- OCIY for children and teens
- Catechists and sponsors accompany each inquirer
- Easter Vigil as the usual culmination
- Contact: Diane Hagan, Director of Religious Education
Family Faith Formation
After closing its elementary school in 1998, St. Thomas Parish embraced a mission of lifelong faith formation, providing religious and spiritual formation opportunities for parishioners of all ages. The program is designed for families, individuals, couples, teens, and children, with each grade focusing on prayer, Sacred Scripture, the liturgy, the sacraments, and the teachings of the Catholic Church. Children's Chapel (Preschool through Grade 1) uses the theme 'The Joyful Child: The Good Shepherd loves me'; Grades 2–3 use 'The Cosmic Child: The child and their place in the world.'; Grades 4–5 focus on Sharing the Good News and Salvation History; and Grades 6–8 form a two-year preparation for the Sacrament of Confirmation.
- Children's Chapel (Preschool–Grade 1): 'The Joyful Child'
- Grades 2–3: 'The Cosmic Child'
- Grades 4–5: Sharing the Good News and Salvation History
- Grades 6–8: Two-year Confirmation preparation
- Director of Family Faith Formation: Diane Hagan
Parish Staff and Clergy
St. Thomas is served by a small pastoral team: Pastor Rev. Brandon T. DeToma, Permanent Deacon Scott R. Turner, Director of Family Faith Formation and Secretary Diane Hagan, and Business Manager Kim Hall. Together they shepherd more than 1,200 parishioners in a rural setting that is also one of the most historically significant Catholic sites in the United States. Office hours are 8:30 AM to 4:00 PM, Monday through Thursday, at (502) 348-3717.
- Pastor: Rev. Brandon T. DeToma
- Permanent Deacon: Scott R. Turner
- Director of Family Faith Formation and Secretary: Diane Hagan
- Business Manager: Kim Hall
Visiting and Contact
The parish office is open 8:30 AM to 4:00 PM, Monday through Thursday, at 870 Saint Thomas Lane, Bardstown, KY 40004. Phone (502) 348-3717; email [email protected]. The parish campus is about three miles south of Bardstown off U.S. Route 31E, the historic Louisville-to-Nashville road that connects several of central Kentucky's earliest Catholic settlements. The 1795 Howard–Flaget log house stands as a museum on the property, and the restored 1816 church is open for Mass, Adoration, and Reconciliation on the published schedule.
- Office: 870 Saint Thomas Lane, Bardstown, KY 40004
- Phone: (502) 348-3717
- Email: [email protected]
- Office hours: Mon–Thu 8:30 AM – 4:00 PM
- Website: saintthomasbardstown.org
- Facebook: Saint Thomas Parish, Bardstown, Kentucky
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Father John Baptist David1812–1819
First pastor of St. Thomas; co-founded St. Thomas Seminary with Bishop Flaget; later ordained a bishop and served as Bishop Flaget's auxiliary.
- Father Stephen Pohlprior to ~2012
Former pastor; led the effort to restore the Howard–Flaget log house during his tenure at the parish.