About St. Vincent de Paul · New Hope, Kentucky
St. Vincent de Paul is a small Roman Catholic parish in New Hope, Nelson County, Kentucky, established in 1820 and considered one of the 'little Holy Lands' of the area. The community's Catholic roots stretch back to 1800, when settler James Dant hosted Mass in his home and Father Charles Nerinckx began offering the sacraments. Today the parish is administered by Rev. A. Biju Chathely, C.M.I. (a member of the Carmelites of Mary Immaculate), and is clustered with St. Catherine in New Haven and Immaculate Conception in Culvertown, serving about 162 registered families who worship in the historic 1887 brick church on Church Street.
- Established
- 1820
- Patron
- St. Vincent de Paul
- Rector
- Rev. A. Biju Chathely, C.M.I. (Pastoral Administrator)
- Diocese
- Archdiocese of Louisville
Why belong here
St. Vincent de Paul is a small, multigenerational parish where many families have worshipped for five or more generations since the area's earliest Catholic settlers arrived from Maryland. The community gathers around a strikingly historic 1887 brick church — built almost entirely by parishioner donations, with a French-oak altar shipped across the ocean — and is celebrated by its clergy as a 'warm and accepting community.' With about 175 families, it offers weekday and Sunday Mass, First Saturday devotions, a Pre-K–12 religious education program, and the spiritual companionship of being clustered with two sister parishes, making it a tight-knit place to put down roots in the Catholic faith.
Mass times at St. Vincent de Paul
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Sunday 8:10–8:25 a.m. (before Mass)
- 1st Saturday 9:30 a.m. (before the 10:00 a.m. Mass)
- Any time by appointment
Adoration times
- 1st Saturday Devotion: Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament and Rosary followed by Benediction (after the 10:00 a.m. Mass)
Parish History
St. Vincent de Paul traces its roots to 1800, when settler James Dant hosted Mass in his home (St. Barbara Chapel) with Father Charles Nerinckx. Father Nerinckx built the first log-cabin chapel in 1819, consecrated as St. Vincent de Paul in 1820. A brick church replaced it in the 1850s/1859, and the present brick church was constructed in 1887 for about $19,000 — funded largely by parishioners, with $11,000 from Edward and Annabelle Miles. The Sisters of Charity ran a school on-site from 1890 to 1975 (public during 1934–1945 due to the Depression). The parish is part of the Archdiocese of Louisville and today is clustered with St. Catherine in New Haven and Immaculate Conception in Culvertown.
- 1800 — James Dant begins hosting Mass in his home (St. Barbara Chapel)
- 1819 — Father Charles Nerinckx builds log-cabin chapel near Dant farm
- 1820 — Chapel formally consecrated; official parish founding year
- 1859 — Second (brick) church consecrated
- 1883 — Father John Francis McSherry becomes first officially named pastor; builds rectory
- 1887 — Present brick church constructed (~$19,000; Miles family gave $11,000)
- 1890 — School opened under the Sisters of Charity
- 1934–1945 — School operated as public during the Great Depression
- 1975 — School closed
- 1993 — Father Christopher Allegra publishes first pictorial directory; apse-dome angels restored
- Late 1990s — Clustered with St. Catherine under Father Clarence Howard
- 2000 — Clustered with St. Francis Xavier in Raywick under Father James Graf
- 2007–2018 — Father Kenneth R. Fortener pastors the parish; clustered with St. Anne, Howardstown
- 2018 — Re-clustered with St. Catherine (New Haven) and Immaculate Conception (Culvertown)
- Sept. 27, 2020 — Bicentennial Mass celebrated (feast of St. Vincent de Paul)
Building & Architecture
The present church on Church Street is an 1887 brick structure built largely through parishioner donations. Its altar and ambo are made of hand-carved European oak shipped over from France, and the choir-loft pews come from the 1859 predecessor church. The building has been carefully maintained through the years — most recently with new sanctuary and nave floors and replacement of the original electrical wiring; the painted angels in the apse dome were restored under Father Christopher Allegra in 1993.
- Constructed 1887 at a cost of ~$19,000
- Hand-carved European oak altar and ambo (shipped from France by boat)
- Choir-loft pews salvaged from the 1859 brick church
- Recent restoration: sanctuary wood floor, nave floor, electrical rewiring
- 1993: apse-dome angels restored
Clergy & Staff
The parish is currently administered by Rev. A. Biju Chathely, C.M.I., a member of the Carmelites of Mary Immaculate, with Rev. Jeffrey S. Nicolas serving as presbyteral moderator of the three-parish cluster. Parish staff is small and includes a Business Manager, Administrative Assistant, Maintenance lead, and Religious Education Coordinator — many of whom are shared with or attended from St. Catherine in New Haven.
- Pastoral Administrator: Rev. A. Biju Chathely, C.M.I.
- Presbyteral Moderator: Rev. Jeffrey S. Nicolas
- Business Manager: Dawn Scamihorn
- Administrative Assistant: Katie Robertson
- Maintenance: Jason Raikes
- Religious Education Coordinator: Norine Masterson
First Saturday Devotion
On the first Saturday of each month the parish gathers for Confession, Mass, Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament, Rosary, and Benediction — a beloved tradition at St. Vincent de Paul rooted in the broader Catholic First Saturdays devotion.
- Confession — 9:30 a.m.
- Mass — 10:00 a.m.
- Adoration, Rosary and Benediction — to follow
Sacraments
Sacramental preparation is arranged directly through Fr. Biju and the parish office. Baptisms and Matrimonies require advance contact; weddings should be scheduled at least six months in advance. First Communion and Confirmation are prepared through the parish Religious Education program.
- Baptism — contact Fr. Biju
- Matrimony — contact Fr. Biju at least 6 months before the wedding date
- First Communion & Confirmation — through Religious Education (Pre-K–12)
- Reconciliation — Sundays, 1st Saturdays, or by appointment
- Anointing of the Sick — by request through the parish office
Religious Education & Faith Formation
St. Vincent de Paul runs a parish-based Religious Education program for children from Pre-K through 12th grade, meeting Wednesday evenings from 6:00 to 7:00 p.m. The program has been a long-standing ministry of the parish; it was strengthened under Father James Graf's tenure and continues today under Religious Education Coordinator Norine Masterson.
- Grades served: Pre-K through 12
- When: Wednesday evenings, 6:00–7:00 p.m.
- Coordinator: Norine Masterson
- Registration forms available on the parish website
- See the bulletin for current details
St. Vincent de Paul Catholic School (Historical)
A parish school staffed by the Sisters of Charity opened in 1890 and served the New Hope community for 85 years. Because of the Great Depression, it operated as a public school from 1934 to 1945 (when families could no longer afford tuition); afterward lay teachers joined the Sisters, and the school continued as Catholic until its closure in 1975. Many longtime parishioners — including members of the Dant family — are alumni of the old St. Vincent de Paul school.
- Founded 1890 by the Sisters of Charity
- Public 1934–1945 during the Great Depression
- Returned to Catholic operation after 1945 with lay teachers and Sisters
- Closed 1975
Parish Cluster & Wider Community
Since 2018 St. Vincent de Paul has been part of a three-parish cluster with St. Catherine in New Haven and Immaculate Conception in Culvertown. The cluster shares pastoral leadership, staff, and sacramental coverage so that even a small rural parish like New Hope can offer regular Mass, confession, faith formation, and outreach. Staff are often attended from St. Catherine, and the parish office email is hosted at the saintcatherineschool.com domain.
- Cluster partners: St. Catherine (New Haven) and Immaculate Conception (Culvertown)
- Clustered since 2018
- Mailing address (different from physical location) goes through St. Catherine
Visit, Contact, & Getting Involved
Parishioners and visitors are warmly welcomed at St. Vincent de Paul. The parish office is staffed during the week, and Mass intentions, bulletin announcements, and sacramental inquiries can be directed to the contacts below. Mass times, news, and the Religious Education registration form are posted on the parish website.
- Parish Office: 502-549-3680
- Fax: 502-549-5410
- Mail: 104 Church Street, New Hope, KY
- Office email: [email protected]
- Bulletin announcements: [email protected]
- Mass Intentions: contact Katie Robertson, 502-549-3680
- Website: http://www.stvincentdepaulnewhope.org/
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Father Charles Nerinckxc. 1819–1820s
Founder; built the original log-cabin chapel in 1819 near the Dant farm; consecrated as St. Vincent de Paul in 1820.
- Father John Francis McSherryfirst pastor named 1883
First officially-named pastor; built the rectory.
- Father Christopher Allegra1993 (parish administrator)
Published the first pictorial directory; oversaw renovation including restoration of the apse-dome angels.
- Father Clarence Howardlate 1990s
Came in when parish was clustered with St. Catherine in New Haven.
- Father James Graffrom 2000
Took on the cluster with St. Francis Xavier in Raywick; renovated the old school building and reactivated dormant parish committees.
- Father Kenneth R. Fortener2007–2018
Long-serving pastor under the St. Anne-Howardstown cluster; grew the parish and established financial stability; retired June 2018.
- Father Matthew T. Hardesty2018–c. 2024
Pastored St. Catherine (New Haven), Immaculate Conception (Culvertown) and St. Vincent de Paul in cluster; celebrated the 2020 bicentennial Mass.
- Rev. A. Biju Chathely, C.M.I.appointed administrator
Member of the Carmelites of Mary Immaculate; previously administrator, now Pastoral Administrator of the cluster; born in Kerala, India, ordained Jan. 2, 2005.