Brenda Spees shares about the history and visuals of St. Francis de Sales Parish in Paducah with the Adoration chapel in the background. COURTESY OF ROBIN L. MURPHEY
Community, history, hospitality: A pilgrimage in the footsteps of Catholicism in western Kentucky
BY BETH HENDRICKSON, SPECIAL TO THE WESTERN KENTUCKY CATHOLIC
On Saturday, Aug. 30, 2025, pilgrims across the Diocese of Owensboro came together and enjoyed a pilgrimage to three of the sacred diocesan jubilee sites: St. Francis de Sales (Paducah), St. Leo (Murray), and the Diocesan Marian Shrine (Bowling Green). The pilgrimage was not only a spiritual journey, but more than anything, a creation of relationships and community among pilgrims from across the diocese and jubilee communities. As community is important to sustain life’s journey and God calls us to community, this pilgrimage was a beautiful way of growing in community and faith.
To prepare for the pilgrimage, nine days prior, pilgrims joined together in their own homes with a jubilee pilgrimage novena. Then the physical pilgrimage began with pilgrims being greeted at St. Francis de Sales by Brenda Spees, a member of the St. Francis de Sales church tour ministry, who shared the rich history of the church, the paintings, and the Stations of the Cross. Then, pilgrims had the opportunity to explore the church facilities, the Adoration chapel, and have a quiet visio divina reflection with the art and visuals before a communal reflection.
The next site was St. Leo, which included church history, and then pilgrims went on a beautiful journey around the church grounds, processing in prayer together, bringing all present one step closer to our Savior, Jesus Christ. St. Leo’s hospitality was beautiful, as the ladies from the church prepared a wonderful luncheon of delicious salads, delectable desserts, and fresh warm hot rolls.
The final jubilee site of the pilgrimage was the Diocesan Marian Shrine. The shrine, dedicated to Mary, Mother of the Church and model of all Christians, began as a dream in 1973. It is a perpetual Adoration chapel illumined by the sunlight shining through a stained glass image of the Miracle of the Sun, Fatima, Portugal, Oct. 13, 1917. Pilgrims, alongside local adorers, gathered as Fr. Chris Kight shared a message of Marian hope.
As the pilgrims went forth from this western Kentucky Jubilee of Hope pilgrimage, each grew in their faith, walking in the footsteps of those who years ago sacrificed much to begin the journey of the Catholic faith in the diocese.
The Jubilee Year of Hope is a special invitation to pause and take a moment to experience the richness of the Catholic faith across the diocese and continue your own Jubilee of Hope pilgrimage to the Owensboro and neighboring dioceses’ jubilee sites.
Pilgrims journey around St. Leo Parish on Aug. 30, 2025, processing in prayer together. COURTESY OF STEVE SHOULTA
Originally printed in the October 2025 issue of The Western Kentucky Catholic.
