Did you know that in central Kentucky was founded only the second archdiocese in the United States? Separated from the Archdiocese of Baltimore by Pope Pius VII in 1808, the Diocese of Bardstown originally encompassed all the territory from the Great Lakes to the Allegheny Mountains to the Mississippi River.
Kentucky is home to the first cathedral west of the Appalachians, what is now The Basilica of St. Joseph Proto-cathedral. The first parish church of what was in those days the "western frontier" was St. Thomas parish, the "cradle of Catholicism" in America that also served as the first seminary in the American frontier. It still stands today and is an active Catholic parish.
If you have some extra time, you won't want to miss the beauty and contemplative silence you'll find at the Trappist Abbey of Gethsemane (not to mention the delicious jams and cheeses and beautiful works of art in their gift shop.)
While you're in New Haven, it would be well worth your time to drop by the stunningly beautiful St. Catherine of Alexandria Catholic Church, also a vibrant parish today. (St. Catherine was one of the first parishes in our area to practice extended hours of Eucharistic Adoration).
