Holy Cross Church in Jackson, Kentucky, a part of the Diocese of Lexington in the Appalachian Mountain area, is the only Catholic church in Breathitt County. 

There are only 30 Catholics in all 495 square miles of Breathitt County. Of those 30, about 25 attend weekend Mass. How many other places can claim an 83 percent attendance rate? A priest travels at least 30 miles to celebrate the one Mass they have each weekend. If someone isn’t going to be at Mass, many of them will call to let the parish know. That’s a sign that people really feel they belong, and that they are all an important part of this small faith community. With 25 parishioners, there is only a small number of children. Attracting the few Catholic families in the area who have children has brought a vitality back to the rest of the church. 

Of the 13,000 people in the county, 33 percent live below the poverty line. With that level of poverty, there is a real need for this small number of Catholics to reach out to their brothers and sisters in the community. Holy Cross partners with groups in the community, helping them with the services that they already provide, like food and clothing. The parish also assists in paying gas and utilities bills, as well as providing some food for those who need it. They are continuing to explore where else they can be of the most help to those in the broader community.

Recently, the Parish Life Directors cleaned up the basement of the church to create dormitory-style rooms so the parish can host groups from distant areas. They tell the young people who come that they are not coming to “do service,” but to “encounter God.”