History

St. Margaret Mary Catholic Church was established by a decree of Louisville’s Archbishop John A. Floerish on December 4, 1950. Father Ehrich J. Stuart was assigned as pastor and given the task of building the new parish. His official duties began on February 28, 1951.

Property on Arterburn Drive was purchased in November 1951. The home constructed on this property eventually became the parish rectory. Less than a year later, on October 17, 1952, the cornerstone of the church was laid. The first Mass was celebrated in the newly dedicated church on August 2, 1953.

St. Margaret Mary Catholic Elementary School opened one month later. Staffed with seven Ursuline Sisters from Mount St. Joseph, the school sought to respond to the needs of parents wanting a Catholic education for their children. Enrollment grew quickly and construction of a larger facility began in the summer of 1956.

In June 1973 Father Stuart announced and Father C. Patrick Creed was appointed to succeed him as pastor. In 1975 a renovation of the church and school was undertaken that included the construction of Stuart Hall (our current gym). After seven years Father Creed was transferred, and Father James E. Wafzig assumed his duties as pastor. His seven years of service as pastor saw a marked increase in the level of lay involvement and ministry throughout the parish community.

The fourth pastor, Father Nick Rice, came to St. Margaret Mary in January 1987. Under his direction, the parish continued its growth both in membership and in spiritual development as a faith community. On April 14, 1991 ground was broken for the construction of a new worship space. The present church was dedicated on October 17, 1992, forty years after the cornerstone was laid for the original church.

On January 19, 1994, Father B. J. Breen left his position as Chancellor for the Archdiocese and was installed as the fifth pastor. As Father Breen led the parish through a year of special activities to celebrate our parish’s 50th Anniversary in 2001, St. Margaret Mary also enjoyed the completion of the parish’s most recent construction project, which included the Pastoral Center and renovation and expansion of our school. The growing parish school was granted the prestigious “Blue Ribbon” status in the fall of 2004, and the fall of 2006 saw the school at a full complement of three classrooms per grade level.

The current pastor, Father Bill Hammer, was installed in October of 2015.

We continue to evaluate the needs of our thriving parish of over 2000 families and over 5900 members. In the Strategic Plan for 2008-2012, our parish has adopted a new official vision and mission statement: Striving to know, love, and serve God.

Thanks to parishioners living out their Baptismal call, St. Margaret Mary has a wonderful, supportive community in which we celebrate God’s blessings and love for us. The Sacraments, especially the Eucharist, provide the grace-filled motivation and momentum from which we go forth in love and service to proclaim the Good News of Jesus Christ!