Edmonton, Metcalfe Co.
Established 1975
Registrations: 35
Please note: parish mailing address is different from its location.
LOCATION
1610 W. Stockton St., Edomonton, Ky 42129
PARISH OFFICE
Mail to: P.O. Box 599, Edmonton, Ky. 42129-0599
Phone: (270) 432-0686
E-mail: hourhour57@yahoo.com
CLERGY
Pastor: Rev. Lawrence J. Gelthaus
MASS SCHEDULE (C.D.T.)
Sundays — Sun: 11 a.m.
Holy Days — Holy Day: 9 a.m.
Daily — Wed: 9 a.m.
HISTORY
Established on a farm located just outside Glasgow in 1975 under the pastoral direction of Father George Bowling, Christ the Healer Church introduced Roman Catholic faith, tradition and culture to south-central Kentucky, an area more familiar with various Baptist denominations and the Church of Christ. Christ the Healer is believed to be the first Catholic mission in the Metcalfe County area. A restored farmhouse served as both a church and a home for the Sisters of Charity of Nazareth, who were instrumental in introducing the faith by establishing prayer groups and religious education classes and by conducting home visits.
Father Bowling had envisioned a community that served the poor and provided a recreation space. He and parishioners founded the MARC Park as a recreation facility with a walking track, a gymnasium and courts for tennis, basketball, volleyball and softball as well as a shelter, a food pantry and a clothing store for the poor. Many years later, after Father Bowling retired, the park was renamed in his honor.
The parish outgrew the farmhouse living room, moving into an old barn that had been renovated into a worship space, affectionately dubbed “The Stable.” The parish used the Stable for a few years before constructing a new church in 1982, the first church dedicated by Archbishop Thomas C. Kelly, O.P.
At the geographic center of the southern part of the Archdiocese of Louisville, Christ the Healer hosts many diocesan regional, educational and outreach events. About 60 parishioners continue their activity in the larger community, participating in events such as Relay for Life and the Pumpkin Festival, besides their outreach to those in need. The parish’s social justice ministry has assumed a strong role with coalition partners seeking an end to the death penalty for juveniles.