About St. William · Williamstown, Kentucky
St. William Catholic Church is a small parish in Williamstown, Kentucky, that — together with its mission, St. John at Dividing Ridge in Demossville — serves the Catholic families of Grant and Pendleton Counties in the Diocese of Covington. Sunday Mass is offered at St. William in Williamstown and at St. John Mission in Demossville, with a daily Mass schedule at St. William and periodic holy-day celebrations in both churches. The parish runs a monthly St. Vincent de Paul (SVDP) outreach, hosts the Catholic Charities Mobile Food Pantry, and gathers for faith formation, prayer, and service under the pastoral care of Rev. Benton M. Clift, Sr., pastor of both St. William Parish and St. John Mission. Its mission is to be a welcoming, prayerful presence in the rural communities of northern Kentucky where it has ministered since the 1890s.
- Established
- 1893
- Patron
- St. William (of Williamstown)
- Rector
- Rev. Benton M. Clift, Sr.
- Diocese
- Diocese of Covington
Why belong here
St. William is a small, devoted Catholic community rooted in the rolling countryside of northern Kentucky, where members know one another by name and prayer carries into every corner of parish life. Under Fr. Benton Clift the parish offers daily and Sunday Mass, Eucharistic Adoration, the Sacrament of Reconciliation, and the full sacramental life — Baptism, First Communion, Confirmation, Marriage, Anointing of the Sick, and Holy Orders — coordinated through the parish office. Beyond the liturgy, St. William runs a monthly St. Vincent de Paul conference, hosts the Catholic Charities Mobile Food Pantry, and gathers parishioners in faith formation and fellowship, making it a steady, family-sized parish for Catholics of Grant and Pendleton Counties.
Mass times at St. William
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Also available upon request — contact Fr. Benton Clift at the parish office (859-824-5381).
Adoration times
- Wednesday at St. William, 5:00 PM to 6:00 PM
- Friday at St. William, 9:00 AM to 11:00 AM (following the 8:30 AM Mass)
- First Saturday: 9:30 AM (in connection with Mass and Novena to Our Lady of the Miraculous Medal)
About St. William Parish
St. William Catholic Church is the Catholic parish serving Williamstown and the surrounding rural area of Grant County, Kentucky, in the Diocese of Covington. Linked with St. John Mission at Dividing Ridge in Demossville (Pendleton County), the parish offers both Sunday Masses, a full weekday Mass schedule, the sacraments, Eucharistic Adoration, the St. Vincent de Paul conference, and the Catholic Charities Mobile Food Pantry. The parish's mission statement is featured on the front page of its website (saint-william.org), and the parish office at 6 Church Drive is the hub for sacramental prep, Mass intentions, and parish business.
- Mission: serving Catholic families of Grant and Pendleton Counties, Kentucky
- Diocese: Covington
- Pastor: Rev. Benton M. Clift, Sr.
History
Catholic life in Williamstown long predates the present church. From the 1870s through the 1880s, traveling priests from St. Stanislas College at White Sulphur — including Bishop Toebbe himself — celebrated Mass and preached in Catholic homes and in the Grant County courthouse. In 1893 the small Catholic community (about fourteen families) was placed under the care of Rev. George C. Bealer of St. Luke, Nicholasville; he oversaw the building of the present frame church on North Main Street, with layman Lawrence Cavanaugh prominent among its benefactors. The parish received its first resident pastor in 1912 with the appointment of Rev. James J. Taaffe by Bishop Maes, and the interior of the church was immediately embellished under his care. St. William has remained a resident parish ever since and now shares a pastor with its mission church at Dividing Ridge.
- Pre-parish era: priests from White Sulphur visiting Williamstown from the 1870s onward
- 1893: Mission placed under Rev. George C. Bealer (Nicholasville)
- 1893: Frame church erected on North Main Street; dedicated St. William
- 1906–1912: Fathers Charles Rolfes and Romaine Van der Vorst attended the mission
- May 16, 1912: Rev. James J. Taaffe appointed first resident pastor
- Today: Parish serves alongside St. John Mission, Dividing Ridge
St. John Mission, Dividing Ridge
St. John at Dividing Ridge (located in Demossville, Pendleton County) is the mission church of St. William Parish. It shares the same pastor and parish office, and it hosts a Sunday Mass at 8:30 AM in addition to an occasional Wednesday morning Mass (first Wednesday of each month at 10:30 AM). A new steeple recently lifted at the mission was celebrated as a visible sign of faith of the small rural community worshipping there.
- Sunday Mass: 8:30 AM English
- Wednesday Mass (1st Wed. of each month): 10:30 AM English
- Served from St. William Parish, 6 Church Drive, Williamstown
Pastor and Clergy
St. William and St. John Mission are served by one resident pastor. The Diocese of Covington 2025 Official Directory lists the pastor as the Rev. Benton M. Clift, Sr., with the parish office phone (859) 824-5381.
- Rev. Benton M. Clift, Sr. — Pastor, St. William Parish / St. John Mission
- Ordained May 19, 2018 (Diocese of Covington)
- Parish office: 859-824-5381
Other Services and Devotions
The parish's signature recurring devotion is the monthly First Saturday Mass and Novena in honor of Our Lady of the Miraculous Medal, celebrated at 9:30 AM at St. William and listed on the Diocese of Covington's events calendar. The parish also hosts periodic visits from the Catholic Charities Mobile Food Pantry on its grounds.
- First Saturday Mass and Novena — Our Lady of the Miraculous Medal, 9:30 AM, St. William
- Catholic Charities Mobile Food Pantry — periodic visits hosted at St. William
Sacraments
All seven sacraments are referenced on the parish's 'Sacraments' page (saint-william.org/sacraments). Preparation and scheduling go through the parish office at 859-824-5381.
- Baptism
- First Communion and Reconciliation (Eucharist)
- Confirmation
- Reconciliation (Confession) — by request
- Marriage
- Holy Orders
- Anointing of the Sick
- Funerals
Parish Ministries and Outreach
St. William runs a small but active set of ministries, with a strong focus on corporal outreach to the local community — a St. Vincent de Paul conference that meets monthly at the parish, the Catholic Charities Mobile Food Pantry hosted on the grounds, and parish-wide faith formation and liturgical support.
- St. Vincent de Paul (SVDP) Conference — monthly meeting at St. William
- Catholic Charities Mobile Food Pantry — hosted periodically on site
- Faith formation / religious education (via parish office)
- Liturgical music / lay ministry at Mass
- Mass Intentions program
Visit, Contact, and Find Us
Parishioners and visitors can reach St. William by phone during parish office hours and by email through the parish secretary. The parish maintains a Facebook page under the name 'St. William Church & St. John Mission' for up-to-date bulletins, ministry notices, and parish announcements.
- Address: 6 Church Drive, Williamstown, KY 41097
- Phone: (859) 824-5381
- Email: [email protected]
- Website: http://saint-william.org/
- Facebook: facebook.com/p/St-William-Church-St-John-Mission-100064554377684/
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Rev. George C. Bealer1893–1906
Pastor of St. Luke, Nicholasville; had care of Williamstown mission; oversaw building of the original frame church on North Main Street.
- Rev. Charles Rolfes1906–1912
Attended the Williamstown mission jointly with another priest.
- Rev. Romaine Van der Vorst1906–1912
Attended the Williamstown mission jointly with Fr. Rolfes.
- Rev. James J. Taaffe1912–
First resident pastor of Williamstown, appointed Ascension Thursday, May 16, 1912 by Bishop Maes; immediately began embellishing the church's interior.