July 13, 2016 (New Haven, Ky.) – On Sunday, July 17,  2016, Archbishop Joseph E. Kurtz, D.D. will install Father Christopher B. Lubecke as pastor of St. Catherine Parish in New Haven and Immaculate Conception Parish in Culvertown.  This will take place at the 10:00 a.m. Mass at St. Catherine (174 North Main Street) Church.

In the Roman Catholic Church, priests are appointed by the (arch)bishop of the (arch)diocese to serve at parishes. At the Installation Mass, the priest assumes a relationship to the Church that gathers at that parish and that extends the ministry of the bishop.  The Mass of Installation is the Archbishop’s opportunity to support and celebrate this appointment with the parish, and it is the parish’s opportunity to officially receive and welcome the new pastor.  The Installation Mass is rich with special rituals, including the presentation of the pastor to the people of the parish, the presentation of other priests, deacons and parish staff members to the pastor, the greeting by a representative of the parish council, and so on.

Father Lubecke was first assigned as administrator of the two parishes in June of 2015, and his appointment as pastor was effective in June of 2016.  In the Archdiocese of Louisville, pastors are appointed to a parish by the Archbishop after a consultation process involving parish staff and the Parish Council of the parish. All priests who are appointed to lead their first parish after ordination are named as administrators for the first year of the appointment.

Ordained on May 25, 2013, Christopher Bradley Lubecke, 50, is a native of Grafton, Wisconsin and is the son of Barbara Lubecke and the late Leonard Lubecke, of Mellen, Wisconsin. He earned his bachelor and master of arts in Theology, along with a baccalaureate in Sacred Theology, from St. Mary Seminary and University in Baltimore, Maryland. Prior to entering seminary, Father Lubecke served in the U. S. Army from 1984 to 2005. After ordination, Father Lubecke served as associate pastor of St. Albert (2013-2014) and Holy Trinity (2014-2015) Parishes in Louisville.

Father Lubecke serves as a diocesan priest in the Archdiocese of Louisville.  A bishop ordains diocesan priests, also called secular priests, for a particular geographical area called a diocese or archdiocese.  Diocesan priests usually serve in parishes, though they also serve in schools, hospitals, prisons, or diocesan offices, depending upon local needs.  Diocesan priests ordained for the Archdiocese of Louisville serve in the 24 counties of Central Kentucky that make up the Archdiocese.

For more information, call: Cecelia Price at 502/585-3291.

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