OUR LADY OF LOURDES
Catholic Church

We are a community of believers, young and old, male and female all created in the "image and likeness" of God. We come from Calhoun, Henderson, Utica, Whitesville, Philpot, Hawesville, Owensboro, and all over Daviess County. Most importantly we come together to serve God and to witness our Catholic lives to others.

 

Parishioners drawn from Blessed Mother and Immaculate parishes attended the first mass celebrated at Our Lady of Lourdes Church. On that day, September, 6th 1959, Lourdes began a tradition of being a close-knit, faith-filled Christian community.

 

Bishop Francis R. Cotton established Our Lady of Lourdes and appointed Reverend Victor Boarman as the first Pastor. He began this position on July 10, 1959. The first building included the church and four classrooms, in what is now the west end of the school. The rectory (Father’s house) was built next, and in following years the school responded to its growth with a new wing and convent for the Sisters of Charity. A social hall was built behind the school in 1964 and is now used by the school. In 1966, the current church was built, and the old one converted into classrooms. Father Boarman remained at Lourdes for 23 years molding the parish into a strong, caring family unit.

 

Father Anthony Ziegler was appointed the second pastor of Lourdes in 1982. He served three years, until 1985, when Father Delma Clemons became the third pastor.

 

Reverend John Meredith was installed as the fourth pastor of Lourdes Parish in 1995. Upon his arrival, Fr. John initiated many parish activities to assist the spiritual development of the parishioners. He and his staff developed a summer camp program for youth of the diocese held in June in Brandon Spring, Tennessee. The camp, Power Week, was designed for sixth and seventh graders to bring them closer to Jesus Christ and the Catholic Church. In 1998, Fr. John and Cliff Russell formed a non-profit company called Gideon Productions and through this company brought the parish's Saturday evening liturgy to thousands of homebound viewers via television.

 

In 2009, Fr. Brad Whistle was transferred from Precious Blood parish to Our Lady of Lourdes. He quickly found a home in the hearts of all of the parishioners. His openness and friendly nature brought a new light to the parish.

 

In 2015, Fr. Brad was transferred to St. Thomas More in Paducah and Fr. Pat Reynolds was transferred to Our Lady of Lourdes. For the first time in several years, Lourdes also received a newly ordained Priest, Fr. Gary Clark. Fr. Gary has since moved to Saint Joseph in Bowling Green, KY.

 

September 2017, two of our parishioners were ordained Permanent Deacons:  Ken Bennett and Mike Houtchen.

 

We have a new Parochial Vicar, Fr. Joe Schoettle, who joined us February 2018.

 

Our Lady of Lourdes Parish has been blessed to have two of its members become priests - Fr. Maury Riney, son of Tom and Mary Riney, ordained May 7, 1977, and Fr. Brian Johnson, son of Steve and Patty Johnson, ordained May 31, 1997.

 

Today, Lourdes Parish has 673 family households or 1,545 total members.