The damage from the Jan.11, 2026 fire is seen inside the St. Stephen Cathedral parish office on Jan. 12. COURTESY OF ST. STEPHEN CATHEDRAL
Moving forward after electrical fire, St. Stephen Cathedral asks for ‘patience and prayers’
BY ELIZABETH WONG BARNSTEAD, THE WESTERN KENTUCKY CATHOLIC
An electrical fire that occurred in the attic of St. Stephen Cathedral’s parish office has displaced the staff and ministries, but they are pressing on and grateful for the support of the local community.
The fire was originally believed to have started in the early hours of Jan. 12. However, according to further investigations, the fire is now believed to have been smoldering in the attic as early as 5 p.m. on Jan. 11.
This information was shared by rector Fr. John Thomas via a video update on the cathedral’s Facebook page on Jan. 17. Fr. Thomas went on to explain that alarms were activated only hours later and that emergency personnel were onsite by 12:35 a.m.
Fr. Thomas said that first responders were there within two minutes of the alarm: “Thanks to their tireless efforts and professional work, the blaze was contained to the interior of the building.”
He confirmed that all sacramental records are safe, but the building itself sustained extensive damages and is “not safe: it is unusable.”
“Now the slow process of moving forward begins,” he said.
The cathedral parish office has secured a temporary workspace but it is still weeks before the staff will be able to relocate to it. Its St. Vincent de Paul and related ministries will temporarily operate out of the Catholic Charities building facing Cedar Street beside the nearby McRaith Catholic Center, which was not affected by the fire.
Cathedral Preschool was not impacted by the fire, since it is housed in the McRaith Catholic Center, and has continued operations as usual. The regular Mass schedule, homebound ministry, and hospital visits have continued.
Fr. Thomas, in his video message, requested two things from the faithful: “Your patience and your prayers.”
“We are still gathering facts ourselves,” he added, expressing the cathedral’s commitment to transparency and keeping the community updated with further developments.
On Jan. 23, in a phone call with The Western Kentucky Catholic, Fr. Thomas shared that until the building is empty, insurance will not be able to assess the full extent of the damage, but that disaster services have been diligently clearing the space.
“I can report this morning that they found under the carpets, it is asbestos tile,” he said, which means that tile will now need to be removed and disposed within required regulations.
Fr. Thomas said many people are offering to help, but that for now, prayer is the most important contribution, and that the cathedral will let them know when more is needed.
“We are so appreciative of everyone’s support, especially the firefighters, the police, and the first responders,” he said. “We commend them for their actions taken that night.”
For latest updates, follow www.facebook.com/StStephenCathedral.
Originally printed in the February 2026 issue of The Western Kentucky Catholic.
