During the closing Mass of Christ the King Church in west Louisville April 27, Father John Burke told the congregation that for almost 100 years, parishioners have sought the best way to proclaim the resurrection and witness to Jesus’ presence in the world.
Right now, that answer is to make a change, he said, addressing a church crowded with parishioners, former parishioners and alumni of the old school.
“When I think of Christ the King, I think of it as a parish where the Gospel has been vigorously proclaimed and lived and witnessed to. For nearly 100 years, the Eucharist was celebrated, babies were baptized, children educated, couples married, community developed, members laid to rest,” said Father Burke, who was pastor of the parish from 1992 to 2004.
“All these people attempted to answer the question, ‘How can we best witness to the reality and the power of Jesus’ resurrection at this place, at this time?’ And this is the question we ask now,” he said.
“It appears the best answer at this time is to make a change,” he said, entrusting the church building to the care and stewardship of Simmons College.
On March 7, Archbishop Shelton J. Fabre announced that Christ the King would close and the property would be donated to Simmons College of Kentucky, a historically Black college. Chad White, dean of Simmon’s religious studies program and his wife, Elley, attended the liturgy. Chad White received the key to the church building at the end of the Mass.
Speaking to parishioners, Father Burke asked them to use their gifts and talents to “enrich” other parishes in the area, such as St. Augustine, St. Martin de Porres and Immaculate Heart of Mary churches.
Christ the King, 724 S. 44th Street, was established in 1927 by Irish and German Catholics, according to the Archdiocese of Louisville’s website. By the 1960s, the parish had become a largely African-American parish.
“… Our faith and hope are in Jesus our Lord, who continues to call us to follow his way, to be signs of his love and compassion and to be strengthened to do this, whether we pray in a tent or a temple, a café or cathedral. What is more important than the buildings we pray in are the people who pray.”
— Father John Burke
The parish school was administered by the Sisters of Loretto. In 1990, the school merged with All Saints Preparatory Academy to form a regional school, which closed in 1995.
Parishioners were active in evangelization and outreach ministries, including to the homebound, hospitalized and imprisoned. While the school was open, parishioners operated a preschool, music academy and a day center for intellectually disabled adults, according to the archdiocese.
In 2002, a 24-unit affordable housing facility for senior citizens was dedicated on the corner of 44th Street and Broadway. The parish donated the land for the facility and formed a partnership to build the facility with Catholic Charities and several other partners.
Giving thanks for the ministry of the parish and its parishioners, Father Burke acknowledged that change can be difficult. But change offers new opportunities, he said.
“This is … a time of much gratitude — for all the life, for all the ministries, for all the people and for all the wonderful memories that are the heritage of Christ the King,” he said.
“And this is also a time of hope — hope that today will mark a new birth, a new beginning for this campus where, for so many years, a school was at the heart of the parish. Now that will happen again,” he said, through Simmons College.
Father Burke added that it’s important to remember faith and hope do not lie in buildings, no matter how historic or beautiful.
“Our faith and hope are in Jesus our Lord, who continues to call us to follow his way, to be signs of his love and compassion and to be strengthened to do this, whether we pray in a tent or a temple, a cafe or cathedral. What is more important than the buildings we pray in are the people who pray,” he said.
