One of the Archdiocese of Louisville’s pilgrimage sites is available for a visit no matter the pilgrim’s schedule.
Pilgrims can come at any time of day or night, regardless of weather, to the Shrine of St. Martin of Tours, which has been open every day, 24 hours a day, since its doors were permanently unlocked in 1996.
“In tornadoes, thunderstorms, snowstorms, blizzards — the doors of this church have never been locked” for nearly 30 years, said Father Paul Beach, rector of the shrine, located at 639 South Shelby Street in downtown Louisville.
Archbishop Shelton J. Fabre has designated the shrine as a pilgrimage site for the Jubilee Year. In announcing the Holy Year, the late Pope Francis called Catholics to be renewed as “Pilgrims of Hope.”
The shrine is one of six pilgrimage sites in the Archdiocese of Louisville. Each site offers an opportunity for the faithful to receive a plenary indulgence. (See the decree from Archbishop Fabre listed below.)
“In its most original form, a pilgrimage would have been associated with travelling to the tombs of martyrs — that was an early practice of Christians from the very beginning. We have the opportunity to do that in Louisville.”
— Father Paul Beach, rector of the shrine
The diocesan shrine offers an opportunity to make a pilgrimage similar to those taken by the earliest Christians, said Father Beach.
“In its most original form, a pilgrimage would have been associated with travelling to the tombs of martyrs — that was an early practice of Christians from the very beginning,” he said.
“We have the opportunity to do that in Louisville,” said Father Beach, who noted that the shrine is known for the relics of two early Christian martyrs, St. Magnus and St. Bonosa. (See below for more information about the skeletal remains of these martyrs.)
It’s not just the skeletons of the martyrs that draw individuals to the church, said Father Beach.
Some visitors come on a whim after seeing the steeple. Among them are family members of patients at the nearby University of Louisville Hospital, said Father Beach.
“UofL Hospital is just a couple of blocks down,” he said. “Families — who are over here because of some tragedy, accident — they’ll see the steeple lit up” and will find the doors open. “This is a place where people can find peace and quiet.”
The shrine frequently welcomes visitors from “all walks of life” — from those who travel from states away, to those who live one street over, said Father Beach.
“You can come here at three in the morning and the adoration chapel will be full,” he said. “All walks of life. I remember a few years ago, we had an entry in our guest book — it asks your name, address. And the entry said, ‘John, homeless.’ ”
Following is a brief history of the shrine:
The cornerstone of the church was laid in 1853, and its dedication followed in 1854. As the fourth parish in the city of Louisville, it was established for the growing German immigrant population.
In 1857, Father Leander Streber, the church’s first pastor, invited Ursuline Sisters in Germany to come to Louisville to teach in the parish’s school, introducing the religious order to the region.
In the early 1890s, the church underwent a restoration, which included the addition of the church’s transepts and its two back chapels.
By 1977, parish membership had declined, and the parish nearly closed.
But Father Vernon Robertson, who was assigned pastor, “thought outside the box,” and began trying to attract parishioners through beautiful music and liturgy, said Father Beach.
“He began by getting the pipe organ working again. They were singing Bach, Palestrina and Mozart,” said Father Beach. Father Robertson “used to say, ‘If I couldn’t fill it with people, I’d fill it with music.’ And he did, and it attracted a lot of people.”
In 1982, the Schuhmann Social Service Center, a ministry for the poor and homeless, began as an outreach ministry.
In 1996, perpetual adoration began at the church.
In 1997, the Golden Arrow Center, which ministers to mothers and children, began as another outreach ministry.
And on May 18, 2023, Archbishop Shelton J. Fabre designated the church a diocesan shrine.
The shrine is meant to serve the needs of the diocese, said Father Beach.
“There are those who come here solely because they volunteer at the Schuhmann Center or the Golden Arrow Center. There are people who come here strictly for daily Mass because they might work downtown. They have their own parish on the weekend where they go for Sunday Mass, but they come here for daily Mass. People … come for adoration,” he said.
Though a pilgrimage to the shrine can be made at any time, pilgrims may consider visiting for the feast day of St. Bonosa on July 15, the feast day of St. Magnus on Aug. 19 or the feast of St. Martin on Nov. 11.
For those able to make the pilgrimage, the following are some sights to see during a visit:
- Relics of St. Magnus and St. Bonosa
The first thing that people want to see when they visit the shrine are the relics of St. Magnus, a Roman centurion, and St. Bonosa, a young woman, said Father Beach.
At the bottom of the left and right side altars, pilgrims can view the skeletal remains of these two Roman martyrs through their glass tombs.
The remains arrived in Louisville’s train station on Broadway on New Years Eve in 1901 with permission from Pope Leo XIII. They “were carried in procession down Broadway and placed in the side altars here at St. Martin’s,” said Father Beach.
Monsignor Francis Zabler, the pastor of the church, had written to Rome, asking for relics. “I’d love to know what he said in that letter, because they responded by sending two full skeletons,” said Father Beach with a laugh.
Many members of the shrine have a devotion to these saints, he said.
“There is a devotion to them amongst the members here, particularly St. Bonosa. I hear a lot of people who say, we’re praying to St. Bonosa for her intercession.”
- Stained glass
The church’s stained glass windows, which depict biblical stories and the lives of the saints, were installed in the early 1890s. They were produced by the Royal Bavarian Art Institute.
The church’s German influence can be seen at the bottom of the windows, where dedications to families who donated the funds for each window are written in German.
- Devotionals
Pilgrims with particular Catholic devotions may find an image, relic or statue that resonates with them during their visit. Among them are a bust of St. Teresa Benedicta of the Cross, a relic of St. Faustina and images of the Holy Face of Jesus and Our Lady of Perpetual Help, along with more than 30 statues of the saints. Large statues of the apostles line the sides of the shrine.
A self-tour of the church’s windows, statues and paintings is available at the rear entrance of the church, or can be found digitally at www.shrineofstmartin.org/selfguidedtours.
- Original baptismal font
The shrine’s baptismal font, which depicts the Baptism of the Lord, is currently located at the front left side of the church. It is original to the church and holds particular significance to a few long-time families, said Father Beach.
“Occasionally, I’ll have a baptism of an infant that’s like the fifth generation to be baptized in that font,” said Father Beach.
The shrine’s 1894 Farrand & Votey pipe organ has never moved from its original location in the loft, said Father Beach. It has undergone multiple restorations, and an extensive restoration of the organ, which began in 2016, is awaiting its final phase, dependent upon donations.
- Perpetual Adoration Eucharistic Chapel
Pilgrims are welcome to step into the perpetual adoration chapel, open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. The eucharistic chapel can be found in the back right corner of the shrine.
Other archdiocesan pilgrimage sites include the Cathedral of the Assumption, the Basilica of St. Joseph Proto-Cathedral in Bardstown, Ky.; the Church of St. Augustine in Lebanon, Ky., Holy Cross Church in Loretto, Ky., and the Church of St. Helen in Glasgow, Ky.
For more information about the shrine, visit shrineofstmartin.org or call the parish office at 582-2827.
This is the fourth in a series featuring the archdiocesan pilgrimage sites for the 2025 Jubilee Year. Sources included “The Centenary of the Church of St. Martin of Tours,” the shrine’s website and The Record archives.
