About St. William · Louisville, Kentucky
St. William is a vibrant Roman Catholic peacemaking community in Louisville, Kentucky, committed to living out the Gospel and the ideals of the Second Vatican Council. With about 300 adult members from across the Louisville area and beyond, the parish welcomes all people and emphasizes justice, peace, and spiritual enrichment. Worship occurs every Sunday at 9 AM, with a special 7 AM Mass on Easter Sunday. Services are offered both in-person and via Zoom, except the fourth Sunday of each month, when the community gathers virtually.
- Established
- 1901
- Patron
- St. William
- Rector
- Fr. Bill Hammer
Why belong here
Join a community that actively works for justice and peace, offers diverse ministries including immigration support, health care, and spiritual enrichment, and welcomes all people regardless of background. You can participate in worship, service, and formation programs that deepen your faith and connect you with neighbors in need.
Mass times at St. William
Weekly Mass schedule
About St. William
St. William is a vibrant Roman Catholic Community that strives to live out the highest ideals of the Gospel of Jesus and the Second Vatican Council. We are a small community, with an adult membership of about 300 people. Our members come from all parts of the Louisville area and beyond to worship joyfully together. Our membership is diverse in every way. Our doors and hearts are open to all people. We rejoice in our ongoing commitment to working for justice and peace in society and in the Catholic Church, and we welcome you to join us!
History
A year after its 1901 founding, St. William Community was described in The Record as being “a young but thriving parish in a heavily settled district, and will soon become, with God’s help, a great power for good.” In 1902 Bishop William G. McCloskey laid the cornerstone for its Norman-Gothic edifice, with a wood-beam ceiling, on the corner of 13th and Oak Streets. Father Denis Murphy was the first pastor. A school was in operation immediately, staffed by the Sisters of Mercy from 1903 to 1962 and housed in a new building in 1951. The school closed in 1962. With membership down to eighty-five by 1962, St. William nearly closed. However, the Second Vatican Council (1962-65) reenergized liturgical participation and social justice concerns. Membership rose. New Directions Housing Corporation, St. William Neighborhood Center (now ElderServe), and other outreach activities developed, some housed in the former school building. In the mid 1980s, St. William developed a sister-parish relationship with Our Lord of Esquipulas in Nicaragua, then a tie with Casa Materna, housing mothers with high-risk pregnancies. In 1990, Just Creations was launched to support artisans in developing countries. Renting space to Dismas Charities as a minimum-security prison created a prison ministry. In 2000, CrossRoads Ministry opened to offer young Catholics a prayerful retreat experience of justice and peacemaking, and the St. Vincent de Paul Conference was reestablished. Committed to peace-making, St. William publicly opposed the Vietnam and Iraq wars and offered sanctuary to Central American refugees in the 1980s. The parish supports many organizations that improve the lives of people in need. The parish’s decision to use inclusive language and its mission statement call the 300-plus parishioners to be challenging voices: “We commit ourselves…to serve the poor and oppressed far and near and to eliminate the causes of violence and injustice. We open our hearts and our doors to all people and hold in high esteem God’s creative diversity.”
Ministries
St. William offers a wide range of ministries focused on service, justice, spiritual growth, and community building. These include Administration and Finance, Compassion, Dreaming and Greening, Health, Immigration and Refugee Support, Lifelong Learning, Open Circle, Peace and Justice, St. Vincent de Paul Conference, Service, Sister Parish Ministry/Friends of Esquipulas, Spiritual Enrichment, and Worship. Additionally, the parish supports external initiatives like Just Creations and New Directions Housing Corporation.
- Administration and Finance Ministry
- Compassion Ministry
- Dreaming and Greening Ministry
- Health Ministry
- Immigration and Refugee Support Ministry
- Lifelong Learning
- Open Circle
- Peace and Justice Ministry
- St. Vincent de Paul Conference
- Service Ministry
- Sister Parish Ministry/Friends of Esquipulas
- Spiritual Enrichment Ministry
- Worship Ministry
- Just Creations
- New Directions Housing Corporation