The secondary apostolate of the Fathers of Mercy is the staffing of "small, preferably rural parishes." Our Congregation currently staffs two rural parishes in the state of Kentucky:

Sacred Heart Church, Russellville -- This parish church, which is in the Diocese of Owensboro, was entrusted to the care of our community by Bishop John J. McRaith in 1999. It is the only Catholic parish in Logan County, Kentucky, and currently has about 150 Catholic families. Since it is located only 15 miles from our Generalate, the priests, brothers, and novices of our community often help with "Catholic Christian Formation" classes and other activities at Sacred Heart. The pastor of the parish is Father Peter Stryker, who was ordained to the priesthood in Sacred Heart Church on May 30, 1998.

St. Helen’s Church, Glasgow, with its mission church, Our Lady of the Caves, Horse Cave -- These two churches, which cover all of Barren County and Hart County, Kentucky, have been under the pastoral care of our community since 1952. They are located about one hour away from our Generalate, so the priests assigned to these parishes are able to visit the community on their days off, and the community is able to provide extra assistance when it is needed. The pastor of St. Helen's parish is Father Joel Rogers, who was ordained to the priesthood on June 10, 2000. The assistant pastor is Father Shannon Collins, who was ordained with Father Joel.

Please visit the website of one of our parishes!

Sacred Heart Church, Russellville, Kentucky