Inside the Archives
How and why the Passionist nuns found their way to the Diocese of Owensboro
On May 3, 1946, Bishop Francis Ridgley Cotton – the first bishop of the Diocese of Owensboro – received an unexpected letter. The author of the letter was Mother Mary Agnes of the Mother of God, a Passionist nun located in Scranton, Pa.
God blesses Catholic High with historic monstrance
A woman once called the archives looking for genealogical information.
What did the Lenten season look like in 1950?
Most of us have heard stories of how much more demanding the Church was in our grandparents’ time. How much different was it though, really?
Sacramental registers reveal bonds of early Catholic communities
It’s February and the stores are no doubt filled with chocolates, roses and more heart decorations than a cardiologist convention. St. Valentine’s Day is just another day that Catholics can stand back and truly appreciate how deeply rooted and influential our beloved faith is on Western culture. Catholic or not, it is a feast day that nobody wants to be left out of.
‘Our last ounce of strength on behalf of life and in defense of life’
The year is 1996. 13,859 postcards depart from the Diocese of Owensboro and make their way to the elected representatives of Kentucky. The message of the postcards is clear: the Catholics of western Kentucky choose life.
The first Christmas in the Diocese of Owensboro
The Diocese of Owensboro’s first Christmas really does have all the makings of a classic Christmas tale. Through the final cold days of a hard year, parishioners remain prayerful, and faith-filled and are given a blessing that renews the spirit of hope and joy.
The unusual origin of this mysterious reliquary
The St. Pius V relic and reliquary, made from a former alarm clock. COURTESY OF ARCHIVESBY EDWARD WILSON, ARCHIVES In the November 2020 issue of the WKC, the archives featured a relic of St. Veneranda as “The most remarkable relic in the Diocese of Owensboro’s...
Most precious mementos: Mount Saint Joseph’s rosary collection of sisters who have passed
Pictured are three side rosaries that belonged to Ursuline Sisters of Mount Saint Joseph from the Mount's collection. Left to right: Sr. Angela Marie Krampe I, OSU (7/25/1899-2/15/1930); Sr. Mary Uriel Logsdon, OSU (8/18/1872-9/30/1966); and Sr. Mary Lucy Mattingly,...
Letter addresses and dispels perhaps the oldest rumor in the history of our diocese
Pictured is a commemorative funerary card for Bishop Francis R. Cotton, who died in 1960. COURTESY OF ARCHIVESBY EDWARD WILSON, ARCHIVES September is a month that holds great significance for our diocese; most focally, as it pertains to our first bishop, His...
Our Catholic church picnics: The sacred and the savory
It has been a long time coming, but after the hiatus last year, picnic season is back. Men’s groups, cooking teams, and Knights of Columbus will start striking up the grills and boiling the burgoo. Though these events have gotten smaller over the years, they have deep cultural roots that undergird many parishes.
