St. Francis de Sales Catholic Church

6th & Broadway
Paducah, Kentucky 42001

Parish Office: 116 S 6th Street phone: (270) 442-1923
fax: 270-443-4616


	Parish Mission Statement

	The mission of St. Francis de Sales Parish, Paducah, KY, is to live as disciples of Jesus Christ and to proclaim his Good News in the tradition of the Roman Catholic Church: by prayer and celebration of the sacraments, by teaching and preaching the word of God through lifelong faith formation through outreach to inactive Catholics and the unchurched, by daily Christian living in the Parish ,in married and family life, in the single life by compassionate charity and service to the human family. Together we commit ourselves to the development and stewardship of our spiritual, human, physical and financial potential and resources

	Parish History

	St. Francis de Sales Parish was formed in 1848 by Fr. Elisha Durbin, a well-known missionary priest. Ground was purchased at the southeast corner of Sixth and Broadway for $225. Masses were held in the home of John Grief while the church was being built. One year later, in 1849, the first Catholic Church in Paducah, Kentucky was completed. It was built by the Parishioners and is the only church in Paducah still on its original property. It was built of brick and set at the rear of the lot. A substantial fence enclosed the lot and church since livestock roamed at large at that time. Fr. Durbin named the church after a saint he venerated: Francis de Sales, the 16th Century Bishop of Geneva, a Doctor of the Church and the Patron Saint of writers. The congregation outgrew the church, and a second church building was started in 1869 under the direction of Fr. Ivo Schacht. It, too, was fenced in, and was located at the corner of Broadway and Sixth Street, which allowed the previous church to continue to be used until all but the sanctuary of the new church was constructed. As the congregation continued to grow, the church again became too small. Services were held in Lehrer's Hall over a grocery at the southwest corner of Seventh Street and Kentucky while a new church was being built. The corner stone for the present church was laid on June 5, 1899. The church was constructed of pitched-face buff brick with Bedford stone trimmings. Reflecting the Italian renaissance architectural style, it has two domed bell towers. With auditorium style seating, even at the back of the church, one can easily see the altar. The windows are set with beautiful stained glass. The church, which cost $35,000, was formally dedicated on May 13, 1900. Rev. H. W. Jansen was pastor. The Dorians, a family that was prominent both at this church and in the city of Paducah, donated our large crucifix in 1906. Katie Dorian was the principal of a high school, and John was both a politician and journalist. The priest's home, corresponding in design to the church, was built immediately behind the church in 1927. This building, no longer the priest’s home, currently houses the Parish Offices. During the early 1930's, the church was completely renovated, with the current terrazzo flooring being laid. A partition was installed to create a front vestibule. A large mural high on the sanctuary wall, depicts the Ascension of Jesus, and was painted by Leo Mirabile. Two years after the renovation was completed, the church was damaged during the Flood of 1937. Much of Paducah was flooded, with floodwaters reaching as far west as 28th Street. Because of the elevation of the church and its sloping floor, the water in the church reached only to the first few pews. However, no services could be held in the church for three months. In 1949, the sanctuary wall mural was restored by the original artist, Leo Mirabile, who was then 73 years of age. Mirabile also painted ten portraits of saints on the overhead walls. The church murals were considered the largest art project in the city of Paducah prior to the painting of the Flood Wall murals. A second renovation occurred during the late 1970's and early 80's. With the changes in the liturgy of the Catholic Church following the Second Vatican Council (1963-1965), changes were made to the church interior. Most of the communion rail was taken down. Some of the ornamentation of the back altar was removed. The front confessional was removed and a side entrance was added in its place. The left side altar was removed to create the Blessed Sacrament Chapel to house the Tabernacle. The outside of the church was cleaned, and the center front entrance steps were rebuilt to their current design. About 1984, Fr. Pat Bittel, then the Associate Pastor, brought the current front Altar to St. Francis from St. Pius X Seminary in Erlanger, Kentucky. The Altar is made of Italian marble from the same quarry from which Michelangelo obtained the marble used for his sculptures. The Altar contains a first class relic – a bone chip of St. Pius X. A new baptismal font has been added, with a piece from the original communion rail making up one side of it. Paducah artists, Sharon Vandenbrook and Barbara Cissell, repainted all the back and side altars, the ambo, and the statues. Barbara also did the painting of Our Lady of Guadalupe that hangs above the votive candles. New lighting and sound systems have been installed, and the heating and air conditioning system has been updated. The pipe organ, one of the oldest in Paducah, has been restored. The organ has 1,817 pipes! In the near future, the church interior will be re-plastered and re-painted, and the front mural will be restored. A Rectory was purchased in August, 2002, and the old Rectory was converted to Parish Offices. Ground was broken for the new Parish hall in April, 2002 and construction was completed in January, 2004. The Hall was blessed by Bishop John McRaith on January 24, 2004, the Feast Day of St. Francis de Sales.