GLASGOW, Ky. — A small Catholic church in downtown Glasgow, Ky., nestled a stone’s throw from half a dozen Protestant churches, catches the eye of a visitor with its rough fieldstone exterior.
Those stones, it turns out, were collected from nearby fields by the women of the parish in the early 1890s.
“People wanted to build a church so badly that they just started bringing in rock. And when they had enough to start construction, that’s what they did,” said James Bastien, a lifelong member of the parish, in a recent interview.
As the only Catholic church in Barren County, the parish is in “mission territory,” where Catholics make up less than one percent of the population, said Father of Mercy Joel Rogers, pastor.
The 132-year-old church, located at 103 W. Brown Street, has been designated a pilgrimage site by Archbishop Shelton J. Fabre for the 2025 Jubilee Year, themed “Pilgrims of Hope.” Each site offers an opportunity for the faithful to receive a plenary indulgence — see the decree from Archbishop Fabre listed below.
Although a “mission territory,” Catholicism isn’t new to the county.
Its presence dates to 1878, when visiting priests from Franklin, Ky., celebrated Masses in private homes, including in the home of Clarence and Cora Preston Wood.
In 1889, Cora Wood, the matriarch of a large family, began collecting funds to build a Catholic church. Just four years later, in 1893, St. Helen Church was constructed and dedicated.
Until 1937, the parish was served by priests from St. Joseph Church in Bowling Green, Ky., and Sacred Heart Church in Russellville, Ky. Then, in 1937, when the Diocese of Louisville was elevated to a metropolitan archdiocese, the parish became a mission of the Cathedral of the Assumption in Louisville. It was served on Sundays and holy days by priests serving and residing at the cathedral.
‘People wanted to build a church so badly that they just started bringing in rock. And when they had enough to start construction, that’s what they did.’
James Bastien, St. Helen parishioner
In 1954, St. Helen Church dedicated its mission church, Our Lady of the Caves, located at 1010 S. Dixie Street in Horse Cave, Ky. The church often serves visitors to Mammoth Cave National Park and Barren River Lake.
Then, in 1956, the Fathers of Mercy — a religious congregation of priests headquartered in Auburn, Ky. — began staffing both St. Helen Church and Our Lady of the Caves Church.
Frances Bastien, a St. Helen parishioner, remembers the Sunday the Fathers of Mercy came to St. Helen.
She said in a recent interview that she and her late husband had just moved to the area, and it was their first Sunday at church.
The pastor was celebrating his last Mass at the parish “and introduced Father Boyle and Father Rogers,” she said. Leaving the church, her husband jokingly said, “We’ve run off the priests,” she said with a chuckle.
She’s watched the parish grow as she raised four sons, she added.
“There were few, few Catholics when we moved here. There was just one Mass, and it didn’t completely fill up the church, and it’s grown over the years,” she said.
Now, St. Helen has four weekly weekend Masses — including a Sunday Mass celebrated in Spanish.
About a third of the parish is Hispanic, and the parish has an active Hispanic ministry, said Father Rogers.
Father Rogers celebrated the 25th anniversary of his ordination on June 10. Twenty of his 25 years of priesthood have been spent at St. Helen, he said.
“I’m just right at home,” he said. “They’re such supportive parishioners. They’re very patient with my imperfections.”
Being the only Catholic church in town makes the community “close-knit,” said Gina Newberry, a young adult parishioner.
Newberry, a native of Glasgow, is a convert to Catholicism, she said in a recent interview.
“I came to the church when I was in college at Western (Kentucky University) in Bowling Green, but when I moved back here, I started coming here and loved it here because it’s such a great, small, close-knit community,” she said.
At the parish, she helps out with catechism classes, attends daily Mass and is involved in the young adult group, she said.
The following are sights to see on a pilgrimage to St. Helen Church.
- Stations of the Cross
The church contains the original stations of the cross.
- Field stone exterior
The church was constructed in 1893 with stones gathered from surrounding fields by the local Catholic women. The stones speak of the history of the parish and the devotion of its earliest parishioners, said James Bastien.
- Stained glass
The church contains its original stained glass windows. Each bears the name of the individual who donated funds for its construction. One window bears the name of the 15th Duke of Norfolk, Henry Fitzalan-Howard, who financially contributed to the church.
- St. Helen statue
A statue of St. Helen, the parish’s patron, stands to the right of the altar. She is pictured holding a book in one hand and a nail in the other. St. Helen was the mother of Constantine the Great and is traditionally credited with recovering the True Cross. The parish celebrates her feast day on Aug. 18.
- Archway
In 2007, an archway was constructed above the altar, bearing the text “In hoc signo vinces,” which translates to, “In this sign, you will conquer.”
This text is associated with Constantine, the son of St. Helen, who is traditionally said to have seen a vision of a red cross with the Latin inscription. He then inscribed red crosses on his troops’ shields and was victorious in a decisive battle. The crucifix hangs underneath the text, reminding parishioners of the cross, said Father Rogers.
For a schedule of Mass, reconciliation and eucharistic adoration times at St. Helen Church, visit www.archlou.org/parishes/saint-helen-parish.
Other archdiocesan pilgrimage sites include the Cathedral of the Assumption and the Shrine of St. Martin of Tours in Louisville, the Basilica of St. Joseph Proto-Cathedral in Bardstown, Ky.; Holy Cross Church in Loretto, Ky. and the Church of St. Augustine in Lebanon, Ky.
This is the fifth of a series featuring the designated archdiocesan sites for the 2025 Jubilee Year. Tim Tomes, archivist of the Archdiocese of Louisville, contributed to this story. The Record’s archives were used as sources.
