Inez Mitchell, foreground, and Cynthia King listened to the choir at Immaculate Heart of Mary following Communion. Mitchell is a lifelong member of Immaculate Heart of Mary. (Photo Special to The Record by Jessica Able) 
Liturgical dancers were part of the closing Mass at Immaculate Heart of Mary Church Dec. 14. (Photo Special to The Record by Jessica Able) 
Choir members Eunice Lockhart, left, and her daughter DeShonda Lockhart held hands as Lockhart sang following Communion at the closing Mass of Immaculate Heart of Mary Church Dec. 14. (Photo Special to The Record by Jessica Able) 
Father George Otuma, pastor of Immaculate Heart of Mary Church, elevated the Precious Body and Blood during the Liturgy of the Eucharist at the parish’s closing Mass Dec. 14. Father William M. Bowling, left, concelebrated. He is the pastor of St. Martin de Porres Church, which has been given the territory of Immaculate Heart of Mary parish. (Photo Special to The Record by Jessica Able) 
Liturgical dancers were part of the closing Mass at Immaculate Heart of Mary Church Dec. 14. (Photo Special to The Record by Jessica Able) 
The Burse family lit the third candle of the Advent wreath at the closing Mass of Immaculate Heart of Mary Church Dec. 14, Gaudete Sunday. (Photo Special to The Record by Jessica Able)
Jesus is our source of joy, Father George Otuma told worshippers who gathered for a closing Mass of Immaculate Heart of Mary Church on Gaudete Sunday, the third Sunday of Advent.
“In this emotional moment, how can we rejoice?” asked Father Otuma, pastor. “How can we find the joys in the imperfections, in the sufferings and in the disorder? Because the Lord is the source of hope. God is our source of hope.”
Parishioners and supporters of Immaculate Heart of Mary gathered on Dec.14 for the last Mass of the parish on Louis Coleman Jr. Drive in the Park DuValle neighborhood of west Louisville. Father William M. Bowling, pastor of St. Martin de Porres and Holy Family churches, concelebrated.
Father Otuma, a member of the Apostles of Jesus religious order, said that even though “today is the last Mass at Immaculate Heart of Mary, there is hope and the hope is here.”
Archbishop Shelton J. Fabre decreed the closure of Immaculate Heart of Mary on Nov. 24. According to the official decree, the decision to close was based on the decline of the Catholic population in the area and the registrations in the parish. The number of parishioners doesn’t allow care for the church facility and property, the decree said, and parish leadership requested Immaculate Heart of Mary “to be suppressed,” and its territory be given to St. Martin de Porres Church, 3112 West Broadway.
Immaculate Heart of Mary was established in 1953, originally celebrating Mass in an old barn with no electricity on the original property on Southwick Avenue. The parish and school buildings were dedicated in 1955, according to the Archdiocese of Louisville’s website. The parish was originally led by the Verona Fathers, and Dominican Sisters joined the school faculty, beginning a long tradition of parish education.
In 1972, the school building housed the new West End Catholic School, which was supported by Immaculate Heart of Mary, the former Holy Cross and St. Augustine parishes. After West End Catholic School closed in 1989, the parish continued to support Catholic education at All Saints Academy (housed at Christ the King Church) until it closed in 1995.
“It’s about our grands and great-grands. We want to pass on a vibrant celebration of faith. That is our vision for the future. We want to preserve the faith for the future of our children and grandchildren, while honoring the past.”
— Kim Burse, parishioner
The parish ministries included Family Life, Knights and Ladies of St. Peter Claver, Lifelong Learning, the Junior Daughters, the Men’s Club and the Women’s Club, according to a published account from the parish.
Valarie Boone-Johnson, chair of the Parish Leadership Team at Immaculate Heart of Mary, said she hopes to continue the legacy that began in 1953.
“As we celebrate our legacy, we also look confidently to the future. Together we will lead our children and grandchildren forward, celebrating our African American heritage and the rich roots of West Louisville,” she said.
Boone-Johnson said the parish was hopeful that when nearby Christ the King Church closed earlier this year, parishioners of that parish would join Immaculate Heart of Mary. When those numbers didn’t materialize, parish leadership continued to assess their own declining membership and hefty operating costs.
Together with Father Otuma, the parish approached the archbishop about the closure and proposed joining with St. Martin de Porres Church, located about 1.5 miles east.
Boone-Johnson, who has been a parishioner for more than 60 years, said the parish means “everything” to her.
“It’s where my earliest religious education took place. Everything I learned about being a servant of Christ took place here,” she said.
It’s her hope that the remaining members of Immaculate Heart of Mary will join St. Martin de Porres. Items from Immaculate Heart, including the Stations of the Cross, will be incorporated into St. Martin de Porres.
Kim Burse, a parishioner of Immaculate Heart of Mary since 1972, said the closure of the parish “is not about us.”
“It’s about our grands and great-grands. We want to pass on a vibrant celebration of faith. That is our vision for the future. We want to preserve the faith for the future of our children and grandchildren, while honoring the past,” she said.
Father Otuma called upon the congregation to “not lose hope.”
“Do not lose hope, but be patient. Do not lose heart because of the situation you are going through. Do not lose heart,” he said. “When God closes one door, he opens another.”
The Mass included emotional music from the parish’s choir and movement by the liturgical dance group, as well as presentations by the Parish Leadership Team honoring various individuals and groups for their years of dedication to the parish.
The parish will officially close on Dec. 31, 2025.
