Pilgrims from the Diocese of Covington and the Diocese of Owensboro visited the Basilica of St. Joseph Proto-Cathedral in Bardstown, Kentucky, over the summer as part of activities marking the Jubilee Year of Hope in the Archdiocese of Louisville. The proto-cathedral is one of six designated pilgrimage sites for this special year.

The area, often called the Kentucky Holy Land, has historical significance for Catholics in the region. The original Diocese of Bardstown was established in 1808 and included what are now several other dioceses. Its territory once extended from the Allegheny Mountains to the Mississippi River, up to Canada’s border and into the deep South. The Basilica’s cornerstone was laid in 1816 and served as the first cathedral for the diocese before it was moved to Louisville in 1841.

Mary Ann Kelly, pastoral assistant at Mother of God Church in Covington, joined a group of about 50 pilgrims who traveled with their pastor, Father Michael Comer. “We hear so much about our Catholic roots in Kentucky. How they (the first Catholics) came and the life they experienced in these unsettled territories and what life was like for Stephen Badin, (the first priest ordained in the U.S.), how he traveled and how they kept the church alive, praying devotions,” Kelly said, adding, the group expressed a “great admiration for the people who brought the faith to Kentucky.”

Archbishop Shelton J. Fabre named five additional pilgrimage sites within central Kentucky: Cathedral of the Assumption and Shrine of St. Martin of Tours in Louisville; Church of St. Augustine in Lebanon; Church of St. Helen in Glasgow; and Church of the Holy Cross in Loretto. At each site, pilgrims can receive a plenary indulgence.

Kelly reflected on her experience by emphasizing unity among Catholics: “We’re all one church,” said Kelly. “You see the church at work in another diocese and realize it’s universal. … You can extrapolate that to other parishes around the world and realize we’re one and the same.”

The Covington group also visited local historic sites such as Abbey of Gethsemani where they were given a tour. During their journey, participants collected prayer requests beforehand and prayed together while traveling by bus.

“We were truly on a prayerful pilgrimage,” she said, noting that parishioners, who appreciated the opportunity for a local pilgrimage, returned to Covington feeling refreshed and renewed.

“Whenever you can step away and make your spirituality the focus, you will feel renewed,” she said. “Anytime you make a pilgrimage, it changes you. You’re professing that through this action, God will hear our prayers, and it will change me and deepen that relationship.”

In June, members from St. Mary Church and Christ the King Church—both located within clustered parishes in Franklin under Owensboro’s jurisdiction—also traveled to Bardstown with 56 participants.

Margaret Wolter described their trip: “It was a wonderful day. Everybody had a great time.” Their pastor Father Tom Buckman led prayers during their journey including rosaries and intentions attributed to Pope Leo XIV on their way there; on return they recited Divine Mercy Chaplet.

Wolter highlighted features seen during their guided tour such as poplar tree columns inside Basilica St Joseph Proto-Cathedral along with altar rails/stones/umbraculum—the latter indicating its status as minor basilica—and time spent together in adoration.

“I hope we can do this annually and not have to wait for another jubilee year,” she said.

Pope Francis declared May 9th as start date for Jubilee Year via papal bull “Spes Non Confudit” (“Hope Does Not Disappoint”). The Record is publishing ongoing coverage about each pilgrimage site at https://therecordnewspaper.org/tag/jubilee-2025-pilgrimage-sites/.