A Parish Founded on Four Acres in 1860
When thirty Catholic families in Alexandria, Kentucky, bought four acres of land on the south side of town in 1860, they set in motion a parish that has continued for more than 165 years. The first Catholic church in Alexandria went up on that acreage, with 133 feet of frontage on Jefferson Avenue. Reverend D. Beck arrived in 1865 as the community's first resident pastor, and in 1867 he opened a parish school with seventy pupils. A second, larger church was dedicated on October 25, 1891, after bricks were made right on the parish grounds.
For most of the twentieth century St. Mary remained a small rural parish. By 1953 it numbered 184 families. When suburban growth began reaching Alexandria in the 1970s and 1980s, both enrollment and parish size grew with it, exceeding 1,300 families by 2005. The 2010 sesquicentennial marked the parish's 150th year. Between 2019 and 2025 the Cultivating Legacy Capital Campaign (CLCC) added an elevator, an expanded parking lot, a four-classroom building with a new parish activity center and gym, and three more classrooms in the renovated old gym. The campaign ultimately raised $6.38 million against an original $4.2 million goal.
The parish's own statement of identity opens with this line: "St. Mary Parish is a Vibrant Catholic Community, Guided by the Holy Spirit and Centered on the Eucharist. With the welcoming and accepting Heart of Jesus, We Serve, We Evangelize, and We continue to Learn and Grow in our Faith."
Weekend Masses and a Daily Eucharist
The Mass schedule at St. Mary keeps the parish's Catholic identity front and center. The Saturday Vigil Mass is celebrated at 4:30 PM. On Sunday there are three Masses, at 8:00 AM, 9:30 AM, and 11:00 AM. The 9:30 AM Sunday Mass is livestreamed on the parish's Facebook page, allowing homebound parishioners and traveling family members to share in the liturgy in real time.
Daily Mass is offered Monday through Friday at three different times. Monday and Tuesday Masses are at 8:30 AM, Wednesday at 7:00 AM, Thursday evening at 7:00 PM, and Friday at 8:30 AM. On the first Friday of each month the morning Mass is followed by Adoration in the church or chapel until 10:00 AM, and Adoration continues in the chapel from 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM. The parish also celebrates Reconciliation (Confession) on the first Saturday of each month from 3:30 to 4:00 PM, and by appointment any other time.
Children in grades 1 through 4 are invited each month to Children's Liturgy of the Word at the 9:30 or 11:00 Sunday Mass, a parallel gathering that breaks open the readings at their level.
An Adoration Chapel That Never Closes
Through a parishioner's donation, the adoration chapel in the parish office building has been accessible around the clock since August 2026, giving Alexandria Catholics a place for silent prayer before the Blessed Sacrament at any hour of the day or night. Visitors obtain the access code by calling the parish office at 859-635-4188.
The chapel is set up for one-on-one time with Jesus in the Eucharist. A folding curtain frames the monstrance. A bookshelf holds spiritual reading, with a smaller shelf of materials for children. The parish asks visitors to maintain silence, silence their phones, leave food and drink outside, and accompany any minors. Visitors are encouraged to bow or genuflect when arriving and leaving.
Quotations from saints and popes line the chapel's welcome materials. St. Mother Teresa writes that time before the Blessed Sacrament is the best time on earth. Pope Benedict XVI speaks of not being afraid of silence. St. Jeanne Jugan addresses those who feel alone or overwhelmed: "Jesus is waiting for you in the chapel." St. Pope John Paul II adds, "in order 'to do', we must first learn 'to be', that is to say, in the sweet company of Jesus in adoration."
From Infant Baptism to Wedding Vows
The seven Catholic sacraments are each available at St. Mary. Baptisms are scheduled on the first, third, and fourth Sundays at 12:15 PM by appointment. Parents of children aged six and under attend a preparation class on the second Tuesday of every month before their first child is baptized, with a refresher required if more than four years have passed. Children aged seven and above move through an adapted preparation with the Director of Religious Education. Sponsors (godparents) must be confirmed Catholics in good standing, at least sixteen years old, and ready to assist in the Catholic upbringing of the baptized.
Penance, Eucharist, and Confirmation are prepared in the parish's religious education programs. Second graders celebrate First Penance in mid-January and First Communion at the end of April. Eighth graders receive Confirmation on a date set each year by the Diocese of Covington. Adults preparing to become Catholic, or adult Catholics seeking Confirmation, are confirmed at the cathedral by the bishop on Pentecost each year. Couples preparing for Matrimony are asked to contact the priest at least eight months before their intended wedding date. The Anointing of the Sick is offered not only to those who are dying but to anyone facing serious illness or surgery; families may call the parish office to request a visit at home, in a hospital, or at a daily Mass. Men discerning Holy Orders can reach out through the diocese's Vicar for Vocations.
A Blue Ribbon School on Fifty Acres
St. Mary School has been part of the parish since 1867. In 2016 the U.S. Department of Education named the school a National Blue Ribbon School of Excellence, recognizing both its academic achievement and its Catholic character formation. Today the campus sits on more than fifty acres, with soccer and baseball fields, open green space, classrooms from preschool through eighth grade, and the separate parish activity center and gym a short walk from the church building.
The school enrolls about 620 students each year across Preschool 3 (two or five days a week), Preschool 4 (three or five days), full-day Kindergarten, and grades 1 through 8. The preschool offers half-day dismissal at 11:00 AM, full-day dismissal at 2:00 PM, and extended day until 6:00 PM, with morning drop-off between 6:45 and 7:25 AM. Beyond reading, writing, and arithmetic, students take religion, art, music, Spanish, STEM, and physical education, with intervention specialists in reading and math and a personal counselor on site.
Athletics include basketball, cheerleading, cross country, soccer, volleyball, and golf. Clubs and activities include 4-H, Academic Team, Chorus, Robotics, and Scouts. Hot lunches are $3.25 each through the Diocese of Covington's National School Lunch Program. Tuition follows an in-parish and out-of-parish structure for K-8. St. Mary School is led by Principal Jennifer Geiman and Vice Principal Jennifer Paolucci, with Megan Franzen directing the preschool program.
Sunday Mornings for Three- and Four-Year-Olds
While older children sit with their parents at Mass, the littlest members of St. Mary head downstairs to the undercroft for Sunday School. Elena McBride directs the program, which serves children age 3 through Kindergarten during the 9:30 AM Sunday Mass. A team of volunteer catechists runs engaging, age-appropriate lessons while the rest of the family worships upstairs; the program runs from September through May.
For first through fourth graders, Children's Liturgy of the Word takes place monthly at the 9:30 and 11:00 Sunday Masses. Older students can be trained as Altar Servers beginning in fifth grade through Deacon Tim Britt.
Wednesday Nights: WERE for Grades 1-8
Children in grades 1 through 8 who do not attend St. Mary School gather on Wednesday evenings for WERE, the Wednesday Evening Religious Education program. Director Ryan Lockemeyer leads a team of about fifteen catechists and youth peer leaders, with two catechists per grade. Classes use the Sadlier textbook along with activities and learning experiences, meeting on a school-year calendar from mid-August through April, beginning at 6:45 PM.
WERE prepares students for the sacraments of First Penance, First Communion, and Confirmation, while strengthening the family's overall faith at home. Every volunteer who works with WERE students must be Virtus trained and compliant with the diocese's child and youth protection requirements.
Going Deeper Through Retreats and OCIA
Adults who want to grow in their Catholic faith have several options. The parish's retreat ministry runs two well-loved programs. Christ Renews His Parish (CRHP) is a two-day weekend retreat held for women in the spring at Our Lady of the Holy Spirit Center in Norwood. A men's retreat called Camping with Christ takes place on the parish grounds each year, with tents, campfires, plenty of food, and conversations about faith, family, and life. CRHP began at St. Mary more than thirty-five years ago and has touched almost 1,000 lives.
For adults who want to become Catholic, the Order of Christian Initiation of Adults (OCIA) runs from late August each year through the Easter Vigil. Deacon Tim Britt welcomes inquirers. Sponsors and team members accompany candidates through weekly sessions and liturgical celebrations, and the parish offers a free Formed.org subscription so everyone can keep learning between meetings. Daily Mass readings, USCCB readings, and a parish app round out the parish's formation tools.
High Schoolers, Hosea House, and Family Ministry
Susan Stewart leads the parish's Youth and Family Ministry for middle and high school students. Peer leaders in grades 9 through 12 help plan events, while all teens are welcome to participate in service projects, retreats, and monthly fellowship. The program uses the TimeTree calendar app to share its schedule.
Service is built into the youth calendar. The parish provides meals on scheduled Sundays for Henry Hosea House, a homeless shelter in neighboring Covington; eighth grade Confirmation candidates and high school youth can sign up to help. Faith in Action, the parish's social concerns group, gathers home-baked and store-bought cookies the first weekend of every month for Hosea House guests. Other youth events include monthly Fourth Sunday Youth Activities, which combine the 11:00 AM Mass with food, games, and faith-sharing afterward from noon to 3:00 PM, and the Adopt-A-Grandparent ministry that links younger parishioners with older ones for fellowship.
Serving Alexandria Through St. Vincent de Paul and More
Service to neighbors in need is central to the parish's identity. The St. Vincent de Paul conference answers calls for help with food and basic needs, makes home visits, and meets monthly. The Pro-Life group supports diocesan and parish efforts to protect life from conception to natural death, including the annual Baby Bottle Campaign. Visitor to the Sick brings Communion to parishioners who are homebound or in nursing homes; volunteers must be commissioned Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion. Prayer Shawl Ministry knits and distributes shawls to the sick, gathering every other month; knitting can also be done at home.
Two other parish traditions anchor community life: Friday evening Bingo in the church undercroft raises funds for the parish and school, and a Fish Fry takes place on the first three Fridays of Lent each year. The Health Ministry offers awareness programs and monthly blood pressure screenings. Throughout the year, families can support St. Mary School through the Kroger Community Rewards program, Scrip gift card purchases, Box Tops for Education, and other easy fundraisers run by the Parent-Teacher Club.
On a bigger scale, each year the parish participates in the Diocesan Parish Annual Appeal (DPAA) of the Diocese of Covington, supporting ministries like Catholic schools, soup kitchens, food pantries, pregnancy counseling, substance abuse treatment, homeless shelter, seminary education, and tuition assistance.
Leadership and Parish Life
Fr. Aby Thampi, C.M.I., serves as pastor. Fr. Edward Brodnick lives in residence as a retired priest, and Deacon Tim Britt assists with liturgy, retreats, and adult faith formation. Ken Glaser is the parish business manager, and Laurie Marzullo is the parish secretary. Becki Cross serves as the parish office assistant and welcomes new parishioners.
Ministry directors include Jim Wolfe (Music Ministry), Emily Scheper (Religious Education), Ryan Lockemeyer (WERE), Elena McBride (Sunday School), and Susan Stewart (Youth and Family Ministry). The parish has nearly fifty named ministries across faith formation, justice and charity, ministry to families, prayer and worship, and community life. Anyone interested in joining the parish may download the New Parishioner Form, return it to the parish office at 8246 East Main Street, or email the parish office at stmaryalex@fuse.net.
The parish offices sit a short distance from St. Mary School, easily reached from East Main Street in Alexandria, with the church elevator making the worship space accessible. Mass is celebrated seven days a week, the chapel stays open around the clock, and confession is offered the first Saturday of every month and by appointment, so visitors can find a way to pray with St. Mary whenever they need to.