Local Catholic Church History and Catholic Ancestors

of
Kentucky and Tennessee

The geographic areas of Kentucky and Tennessee are in the ecclesiastical province of Louisville which includes the Archdiocese of Louisville (Kentucky) and Dioceses of Covington, Lexington, and Owensboro (Kentucky) and Diocese of Knoxville, Memphis and Nashville (Tennessee).

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Genealogical Research of Catholic Ancestors
Kentucky and Tennessee

Online web sites found for the Archdiocese and Dioceses are below with online Churches, maps and histories highlighted.

Archdiocese of Louisville (Kentucky) (official), [Diocese est. 1808; Archdiocese 1937¹]

   Chancery: 212 E. College St. - P.O. Box 1073 - Louisville, KY 40201
   The Archdiocese of Louisville encompasses the central Kentucky counties of Adair, Barren, Bullit, Casey, Clinton, Cumberland, Green, Hardin, Hart, Henry, Jefferson, LaRue, Marion, Meade, Metcalf, Monroe, Nelson, Oldham, Russel, Shelby, Spencer, Taylor, Trimble and Washington. See Map
Archdiocese of Louisville / Diocese of Bardstown (Nelson County, KY) History from the Notre Dame Archives
History of the Louisville Diocese, by P. M. J. Rock, from The Catholic Encyclopedia, Volume IX, 1910, by Robert Appleton Company, Online Edition, 1999 by Kevin Knight.
   "...Prior to the erection of the Covington Diocese (29 July, 1853), it embraced all the State of Kentucky with an area of 47,000 square miles. Originally it was called Diocese of Bardstown, and its bishop administered spiritually a territory now divided into over twenty-eight dioceses (five of which are archdioceses)..."

Parish Directory
Cathedral of the Assumption - with HISTORY as third oldest Cathedral in the U.S.
Rectory: 443 S. Fifth St. - Louisville, Ky 40202.
Priory of St. Louis Bertrand (Dominican Friars) - Louisville, Kentucky
St. Louis Bertrand Church Parish
Rectory: 1104 S. Sixth St. - Louisville, KY. 40203-3114.
St. Luke Parish -
Rectory: 4211 Jim Hawkins Dr. - Louisville, KY 40229.
St. Margaret Mary -
P.O. Box 6387 - Louisville, KY 40206-0387.
St. Martin of Tours Catholic Church -
639 South Shelby Street, Louisville, KY 40202.
(Established in 1853, this site includes a History from Louisville's first German Catholic Church of St. Boniface established in 1836.)
St. Joseph Proto-Cathedral - Bardstown, Nelson County, KY [Est. 1816] designated a national landmark by the U.S. Congress. In 1808, the four new Catholic dioceses of Bardstown, Boston, New York, and Philadelphia were created at the request of Bishop Carroll of Baltimore. "...The new diocese of Bardstown covered almost the entire Northwest Territory, south to New Orleans and as far north as Detroit..." In 1995 Bardstown was named a titular see by the Vatican for its contributions to Catholic Church heritage in America. see History.
Rectory: 310 W. Stephen Foster Ave. - P. O. Box 548 - Bardstown, KY 40004-0548
Phone: (502) 348-3126 FAX: (502) 349-0941 E-mail: StJoe@Bardstown.com
St. Thomas Parish - Bardstown, Nelson County, KY [Est. 1812]
870 St. Thomas Ln. - Bardstown, KY 40004
Phone: (502) 348-3717 FAX: (502) 348-1905
St. Joseph Catholic Orphan Society History 2823 Frankfort Ave. - Louisville, KY 40206 Phone: (502) 893-0241

Diocese of Covington (Kentucky) [est. 1853¹, formed from a portion of the Diocese of Louisville, Kentucky]
Chancery: P.O. Box 18548 - Erlanger, KY 41018
The Diocese of Covington encompasses the northern Kentucky counties of Boone, Bracken, Campbell, Fleming, Gallatin, Grant, Harrison, Kenton, Lewis, Mason, Owen, Pendleton, and Robertson. (see map)

History of the Covington Diocese, by James L. Gorey, from The Catholic Encyclopedia, Volume IV, 1908, by Robert Appleton Company, Online Edition, 1999 by Kevin Knight.

Covington Diocese Parishes

Diocese of Lexington (Kentucky) [est. 1988¹] with Parish Directory Cursillo
Chancery: P.O. Box 12350 - Lexington, KY 40582.
The Diocese of Lexington encompasses the eastern Kentucky counties of Bath, Bell, Bourbon, Boyd, Boyle, Carter, Clark, Clay, Elliott, Estill, Fayette, Floyd, Franklin, Garrard, Greenup, Harlan, Jackson, Jessamine, Johnson, Knott, Knox, Laurel, Lawrence, Lee, Letcher, Lincoln, Madison, Magoffin, Martin, McCreary, Menifee, Mercer, Montgomery, Morgan, Nicholas, Owsley, Perry, Pike, Powell, Pulaski, Rockcastle, Rowan, Scott, Wayne, Whitley, Wolfe and Woodford.

Parish Directory
Cathedral of Christ the King
299 Colony Blvd., Lexington 40502-2322.
Holy Family Parish [est. 1860] - (Ashland, Boyd County, TN)
900 Winchester Ave., Ashland 41101-7497 + Phone: (606) 329-1607.
St. Gregory Parish [est. 1960] - (Barbourville, Knox County, TN)
329 N. Sycamore, Barbourville, KY 40906-1129 + Phone: (606) 546-4461.
Queen of All Saints Parish [est. 1965] - (Beattyville, Lee County, TN)
90 Railroad Street, P.O. Box 563, Beattyville 41311-0563 Phone: (606) 464-3357.
Missions: St. Therese, Heidelberg; Holy Family, Booneville; and Good Shepherd, Campton.

Diocese of Owensboro (Kentucky) [est. 1937¹]
Chancery: 600 Locust St. - Owensboro, KY 42301

Diocesan Archives (Historical and genealogical research)
Parish Directory
St. Stephen Cathedral – Owensboro, KY

Diocese of Knoxville (Tennessee) [est. 1988¹]
Chancery: 805 Northshore Drive, SW - P.O. Box 11127 - Knoxville, TN 37919; (865) 584-3307 (Archives and Cemeteries)
History of Tennessee, by Thos. J. Tyne, from The Catholic Encyclopedia, Volume XIV, 1912, by Robert Appleton Company, Online Edition, 1999 by Kevin Knight.

Brief History of the Diocese of Knoxville, Tennessee
Parish Directory
Sacred Heart Cathedral

711 Northshore Drive – Knoxville, TN 37919

Holy Ghost Parish
1041 North Central Avenue - Knoxville, TN 37917 + Phone: (423) 522-2205.

Diocese of Memphis (Tennessee) [est. 1970¹]
Chancery: Catholic Center - P.O. Box 341669 - Memphis, TN 38184
"...The Catholic Diocese of Memphis in Tennessee, comprises the 21 counties of west Tennessee - Benton, Carroll, Chester, Crockett, Decatur, Dyer, Fayette, Gibson, Hardeman, Hardin, Haywood, Henderson, Henry, Lake, Lauderdale, McNairy, Madison, Obion, Shelby, Tipton, and Weakley..." The city of Memphis is located in Shelby County, Tennessee.
History of Tennessee, by Thos. J. Tyne, from The Catholic Encyclopedia, Volume XIV, 1912, by Robert Appleton Company, Online Edition, 1999 by Kevin Knight.

Diocesan Archives and History
Diocese of Memphis Parish Directory
Catholic Cemeteries
The West Tennessee Catholic Newspaper Online.
The Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception
1695 Central Avenue - Memphis, TN Phone: (901)725-2700.
St. Andrew the Apostle Parish (Lexington, Henderson County, TN)
895 N. Broad Street - Lexington, TN 38351 + Phone: (901) 968-6393.
St. Mary Catholic Church (Bolivar, Hardeman County) - with brief History.
223 Mecklinburg Drive - Bolivar, TN 38008-1736 + Phone: (901) 658-4627.

Diocese of Nashville (Tennessee) [est. 1837¹], Parish Directory
Chancery: 2400 - 21st Ave. S. - Nashville, TN 37212.
On June 24, 1883, Father Rademacher was consecrated Bishop of Nashville. He remained the Bishop of Nashville until 1893, when he was transferred, by Pope Leo XIII, to the Diocese of Fort Wayne. In his "History of the Diocese of Fort Wayne", Bishop Alerding reports: "...His Vicar General and intimate friend, Rev. P. J. Gleeson, in reply to an inquiry, writes: "It gives me pleasure to do anything to honor the memory of Bishop Rademacher. When he took charge the diocese of Nashville was still suffering from the effects of the yellow-fever in Memphis, where so many priests and religious had fallen victims to that dreaded scourge..."

History of the Nashville Diocese, by Jas. T. Lorigan, from The Catholic Encyclopedia, Volume X, 1911, by Robert Appleton Company, Online Edition Copyright © 1999 by Kevin Knight
History of Tennessee, by Thos. J. Tyne, from The Catholic Encyclopedia, Volume XIV, 1912, by Robert Appleton Company, Online Edition, 1999 by Kevin Knight.

Diocesan Parish Directory with map
Parish Directory for Nashville and Davidson County Parishes.

   The Cathedral of the Incarnation
   Assumption Parish
   Christ the King Parish
   Holy Name Parish
   Holy Rosary Parish
   St. Ann Parish
   St. Edward Parish:
       188 Thompson Lane - Nashville, TN 37211.
   St. Henry Parish
   St. Ignatius of Antioch Parish [est. 1976]:
       601 Bell Road - Antioch, TN 37013.
   St. Joseph Church - Madison
      1225 Gallatin Road S. - Madison, TN 37115 Phone: (615) 865-1071
   St. Lawrence Church - Joelton
   St. Mary Church
   St. Mary Villa Parish Community
   St. Patrick Church
   St. Pius X Church
   St. Vincent de Paul Church

Parish Directory for Parishes outside of Nashville
     Alto - St. Margaret Mary Mission
     Antioch - St. Ignatius of Antioch Church
     Ashland City - St. Martha Church
     Brentwood - Holy Family Church
     Centerville - Christ the Redeemer Church
     Celina - Divine Savior Mission
     Clarksville - Immaculate Conception Church
     Columbia - St. Catherine Church
     Cookeville - St. Thomas Aquinas Church
     Decherd - Good Shepherd
     Dickson - St. Christopher Church
     Dover - St. Francis of Assisi Church
     Fayetteville - St. Anthony Church
     Franklin - St. Matthew Church
     Franklin - St. Phillip Church
     Gallatin - St. John Vianney Church
     Hendersonville - Our Lady of the Lake Parish
          1729 Stop Thirty Road - Hendersonville, TN 37075
           Mail to: P. O. Box 279 - Hendersonville, TN 37077-0279
     Hohenwald - Holy Trinity Church
     Joelton - St. Lawrence Church
     Lafayette - Holy Family Church
     Lawrenceburg - Sacred Heart Church
     Lebanon - St. Frances Cabrini Church
     Lewisburg - St. John the Evangelist Church
     Loretto - Sacred Heart Church
     Madison - St. Joseph Church
     McEwen - St. Patrick Church
     McMinnville - St. Catherine Church
     Murfreesboro - St. Rose of Lima Church
     Old Hickory - St. Stephen Parish:
        14544 Lebanon Road - Old Hickory, TN 37138 Phone: (615) 758-2424.
     Pulaski - Immaculate Conception Church
     Shelbyville - St. William Church
     Smithville - St. Gregory Church
     Smyrna - St. Luke Church
     Sparta - St. Andrew Church
     Springfield - Our Lady of Lourdes Church
     St. Joseph - St. Joseph Church
     Tennessee Ridge - St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Church
     Tullahoma - St. Paul the Apostle Church
     Waynesboro - St. Cecilia Church

For Byzantine Catholic Churches

The Apostolic Exarchate Armenian-Rite for the U.S. & Canada in New York (Venerable Exarch.: Hovhannes Terzakian, 1995)

Address: 110 East, 12th Street - New York, NY 10003 U.S.A. Ph: (212) 477-2030

Eparchy of Our Lady of Deliverance of Newark of the Syrians: Syriac Catholic Diocese for Syrians in the U. S. and Canada (Chorbishop Joseph Younan appointed as the first Bishop of this diocese in 1995)
P.O. Box 8366 - Union City, NJ 07087-8262
Archeparchy of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania (Byzantine)
Address: 66 Riverview Ave. - Pittsburgh, PA 15214
The Archeparchy of Philadelphia (Byzantine)

The Byzantine Catholic Church in America (unofficial)

For more information on the Byzantine Catholic Churches in the United States Click here to return to Main Local Catholic Byzantine Links

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Historical Research of Catholic Churches & Ancestors
Kentucky and Tennessee

Catholic History in Kentucky, by Frank M. Tracy, from The Catholic Encyclopedia, Volume VIII, 1910, by Robert Appleton Company, Online Edition, 1999 by Kevin Knight.
History of Tennessee, by Thos. J. Tyne, from The Catholic Encyclopedia, Volume XIV, 1912, by Robert Appleton Company, Online Edition, 1999 by Kevin Knight.

St. Martin of Tours Catholic Church -
639 South Shelby Street, Louisville, KY 40202.
(Established in 1853, this site includes a History from Louisville's first German Catholic Church of St. Boniface established in 1836.)

1792: Three French priests, Revs., Flaget, Levadoux, and Richard, met in Louisville, Kentucky, and probably said Mass there for the first time in 1792.
1808 Apr 8: The Diocese of Bardstown, Kentucky was established. It originally encompassed the entire states of Kentucky and Tennessee. Bishop Benedict Joseph Flaget was the first bishop. (see Descendants of the Diocese of Bardstown)
1837 Jul 28: The Diocese of Nashville, Tennessee was formed.
1841 Feb 13: The see of the Diocese of Bardstown was removed to Louisville, Kentucky.
1853 July 29: The Diocese of Covington, Kentucky was formed, 29 July 1853, from a portion of the Diocese of Louisville, Kentucky.
1937 Dec 9: The Diocese of Owensboro, Kentucky was formed.
1971 Jan 1: The Diocese of Memphis, Tennessee was formed.
1988 Mar 2: The Diocese of Lexington, Kentucky was formed.
1988 Sep 8: The Diocese of Knoxville, Tennessee was formed.

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Catholic Biographies
If you know of a web site for a biography of a Catholic with a Kentucky or Tennessee connection, please let me know.

On June 24, 1883, Father Rademacher (1840-1900) was consecrated Bishop of Nashville. He remained the Bishop of Nashville until 1893, when he was transferred, by Pope Leo XIII, to the Diocese of Fort Wayne. In his "History of the Diocese of Fort Wayne", Bishop Alerding reports: "...His Vicar General and intimate friend, Rev. P. J. Gleeson, in reply to an inquiry, writes: "It gives me pleasure to do anything to honor the memory of Bishop Rademacher. When he took charge the diocese of Nashville was still suffering from the effects of the yellow-fever in Memphis, where so many priests and religious had fallen victims to that dreaded scourge..."
The Abbey of Gethsemani in Trappist, Kentucky, contains a brief biography of Thomas Merton born in Padres, France in 1915, he entered the Abbey of Gethsemani in 1941.
Thomas Merton(1915-1968) from Saint Joseph's College Wellehan Library (in Maine).

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Local Kentucky and Tennessee
History and Genealogy Links

State of Kentucky (Official)

U. of K.: Kentucky Vital Records Index
Cabinet for Health Services - Office of Vital Statistics
                            275 East Main Street
                            Frankfort, KY 40621
                            Phone: (502) 564-4212

Kentucky Land Office / Kentucky Secretary of State – Land Records Database
Kentucky Atlas and Gazetteer - from the University of Kentucky, Lexington

Kentucky Vital Records Index – Death Index, 1911-1992; Marriage and Divorce Indexes, 1973-1993

Kentucky Department for Libraries & Archives
Kentucky Historical Society

State of Tennessee (Official)

Metropolitan Government of Nashville and Davidson County, TN

Circuit Court Clerk:
506 Metro Courthouse - Nashville, TN 37201 PH: (615) 862-5181
Metropolitan Archives of Davidson County
   1113 Elm Hill Pike - Nashville, TN 37210-3505 PH: (615) 862-5880
        Fax (615) 862-5724 Carl Kenneth Fieth, Manager
        E-mail: archives@waldo.nashv.tn.us
The Friends of Archives- The Friends of the Public Library of Nashville and Davidson County with
Davidson County Nashville Local History searchable indices.

Tennessee Department of Health

Vital Records

Tennessee State Archives & Library

Shelby County (Memphis), Tennessee
Memphis, Shelby County Public Library
Tennessee Genealogy - TNGenWeb

Goodspeed's History of Tennessee, County Histories. Nashville: The Goodspeed Publishing Co. 1887. brought to you online by TNGenWeb
History of the Catholic Church in Tennessee, From History of Tennessee From the Earliest Time to The Present, Goodspeed Publishing Co., Nashville, TN, 1887. Retyped for the page by Diane Payne & Danene Vincent, 1998.

East Tennessee Historical Society

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Contact: Webmaster

I am voluntarily creating this site as a helpful guide to researching the history of the local Catholic Churches and to help genealogists who are researching Catholic ancestors in this geographic area.
Though links to this page for Catholic Church, genealogical, historical research and non-profit use are encouraged, please do not download the page without requesting permission since it contains copyright protected material.
If you have a suggestion, or a site that you believe will be helpful, please let me know. --Ann Mensch

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References used include:

¹1990 Catholic Almanac. Felician A. Foy, O.F. M. (Editor), Rose M. Avato (Associate Editor). Huntington: Our Sunday Visitory Publishing Division, Our Sunday Visitor, Inc.

²New Advent, Inc. From the Catholic Encyclopedia, copyright © 1913 by the Encyclopedia Press, Inc. Electronic version copyright © 1997 by New Advent, Inc. (A Catholic Web Site transcribing The Catholic Encyclopedia: an International Work of Reference on the Constitution, Doctrine, Discipline and History of the Catholic Church. Herbermann, Pace, et al. (Editors). Imprint: Appleton (New York) 1907-1912.) Information learned from the web sites for the Archdioceses, Dioceses, and Catholic Church.

List:

· Archdiocese of Louisville (Kentucky)
   Diocese of Covington (Kentucky)
   Diocese of Lexington (Kentucky)
   Diocese of Owensboro (Kentucky)
   Diocese of Knoxville (Tennessee)
   Diocese of Memphis (Tennessee)
   Diocese of Nashville (Tennessee)