Our Sister Parish: Holy Cross

St. Raphael signed a covenant with Holy Cross Catholic Church in September 2017, which makes Holy Cross our sister parish. We are bound together with promises that we make to pray for each other, to visit each other, and to offer support for each other as needed.


Holy Cross is in Jackson, Kentucky and part of the Diocese of Lexington. It is located in the Appalachian Mountain area and is the only Catholic Church in Breathitt County. Josh van Cleef and Ellen Salmi van Cleef served as Co-Directors of Parish Life at Holy Cross until May 2022. Kirsten Thorstad now serves in that role. She is responsible for all aspects of the leadership and management of the church in the absence of a full-time priest, acting in the capacity that Pastoral Leaders do in the Diocese of Green Bay. Of the approximately 13,000 people in Breathitt County, fewer than 50 are Catholic.  As part of its ministry, Holy Cross partners with groups in the community to help them serve the people of Breathitt County by providing, for example, food and clothing. The parish also assists in paying gas and utilities bills, as well as operating a small pantry for those who need it. They are continuing to explore areas where they can most help to those in need in the broader community.

 

Please visit the Holy Cross parish website for more information: https://www.holycrossjackson.org/contact

To see a 2022 Brochure created by Holy Cross which mentions us, click here.

 

St. Raphael hosts a “Giving Tree” during the Christmas season to benefit the children of Breathitt County.  St. Raphael also sends mission teams to Holy Cross when conditions permit.  An adult mission is typically held in spring and a youth mission is typically held in the summer.  Mission trips to Holy Cross offer an opportunity to encounter the people of Breathitt County by providing service to them and receiving community with them.  Watch the bulletin for details about upcoming mission trips.

About Holy Cross Catholic Church

holycrossjackson.org

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.”

How to Contribute

St. Raphael holds various collections throughout the year to assist our sister parish. The collections depend on the needs of Holy Cross at a particular point in time. Check the bulletin for details about upcoming collections.


You can also visit the Holy Cross parish website, scroll down, click DONATE, and make an online donation through the Diocese of Lexington.