A student of St. Mary of the Woods School in Whitesville serves as one of the cantors for the responsorial psalm during the Sept. 16 Rainbow Mass at the Owensboro Sportcenter. The name of the Mass comes from the variety of Catholic school uniforms present. ELIZABETH WONG BARNSTEAD | WKC
‘Praise the Lord!’
Catholic schools gather for Mass at Owensboro Sportscenter
BY ELIZABETH WONG BARNSTEAD, THE WESTERN KENTUCKY CATHOLIC
A rousing chorus of the happy birthday song filled the Owensboro Sportscenter on Sept. 16, where students, faculty and staff of the Diocese of Owensboro’s 17 Catholic schools sang to their bishop, whose birthday would be the following day.
Bishop William F. Medley gently smiled and looked up at the stands, where the multicolored school uniforms formed a rainbow of colors – hence the name for the Mass that had concluded several minutes prior: the “Rainbow Mass,” which is sponsored by the diocese’s Catholic Schools Office every other year.
The bishop had remarked during his homily at Mass that the Office of Worship had planned to distribute Holy Communion to about 2,400 people, and while he did not know the exact number of those attending, the sportscenter was certainly quite full. As is his tradition, Bishop Medley also called out every grade and every school throughout the sportscenter; all of whom respectively cheered when called upon.
“You are a sign of what’s best in God’s creation,” the bishop told the students in his homily, adding that “you are the promise of God – that you will take care of the earth.”
“We are born into a world of plenty, we are born into a world of abundance; we have everything we need,” said Bishop Medley, encouraging the young people to remember to share their blessings with others.
The bishop also explained the history of the Rainbow Mass, who was founded by previous Catholic schools superintendent, Sr. Amelia Stenger, OSU, who died this past March. Sr. Stenger had been inspired to bring the Catholic school students together in a large Mass after attending the Catholic Schools Mission Crusade Masses while a student at Mount Saint Joseph Academy; the first Rainbow Mass was held in 1985.
“We form a rainbow to speak of God’s covenant,” said the bishop, reminding the students of God’s promise “to sustain us, to sustain the earth.”
At the conclusion of his homily, he led the students in several rounds of cheering “Praise the Lord!”
Fr. Mike Williams, parochial vicar at Sts. Joseph and Paul Parish in Owensboro and chaplain of Brescia University, distributes Holy Communion during the Sept. 16, 2026 Catholic Schools Office’s Rainbow Mass, which is named for the array of multicolored uniforms among the 17 schools represented. RACHEL HALL | WKC
Several girls laugh and cheer as their school is called upon by Bishop Medley during the Sept. 16 Rainbow Mass, which is named for the array of uniforms seen across the Owensboro Sportscenter when schools gather for the special Mass every other year. RILEY GREIF | WKC
Students attend the Diocese of Owensboro’s Catholic Schools Office’s Sept. 16, 2026 Rainbow Mass, named as such for the colorful uniforms filling the Owensboro Sportscenter. RACHEL HALL | WKC
Bishop William F. Medley calls out grades and schools during his homily at the Sept. 16 Rainbow Mass at the Owensboro Sportscenter, which is named after the multicolored school uniforms among the 17 schools of the Diocese of Owensboro. ELIZABETH WONG BARNSTEAD | WKC
Originally printed in the October 2026 issue of The Western Kentucky Catholic.
