March 2024

By Dr. Karen Shadle



You are never alone.

Something I think all Catholics should know is that the sacraments of the Church are always public. They are always celebrated in community. Even in the sacramental spaces that we think of as the most private – for example, in the confessional or at the hospital bedside – the minister acts on behalf of the whole Church.

The Archdiocese of Louisville is preparing for one of our most important annual liturgies: the Chrism Mass, at which the Archbishop consecrates the Sacred Chrism and blesses the Oil of the Sick and the Oil of the Catechumens, which will be used throughout the Archdiocese in the coming year. Whenever we celebrate the Chrism Mass, I think of the different sacraments and rituals at which the holy oils are used – the dedication of new altars and in the sacraments of the Anointing of the Sick, Confirmation, Baptism, and Ordination. I am reminded of the various ministries and people that these oils will touch. These oils will be present to welcome new life and to bless life near its end. They will be used to strengthen those called to ministry and to mark our sacred things as holy. In all of these ways, the holy oils make the Church palpably present at critical places and times.

The Chrism Mass is to be a celebration of the whole local Church – that is, the entire Archdiocese. It is called a “stational Mass” of the Archbishop, meaning that he celebrates it in the Cathedral, surrounded by his priests and the people of the archdiocese. We do it together, because it demonstrates our unity as one Body of Christ, united through grace. We may not know who will need of the holy oils throughout this next year, but whoever they are, they must be assured that it is the whole Church who prays for them. All of us are cooperators in the Church’s ministry and mission. 

The Chrism Mass is our night to all be together. As we go forth to our own parishes afterward, we take our charge from Isaiah: “The Lord has anointed me; He has sent me to bring glad tidings to the lowly, to heal the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives...to comfort all who mourn.”

You are never alone.

One of the great gifts of our Catholic faith is its corporate nature. As one Body of Christ, we are quite literally all in this together.

I invite you to join us - the people of the Archdiocese of Louisville, the Archbishop, and the priests and deacons of the Archdiocese - for this special Mass on Tuesday evening of Holy Week, March 26, at 7 p.m. at the Cathedral of the Assumption. It lasts about 1.5 hours. A reception will follow in the undercroft.

Dr. Karen Shadle is the Director of the Office of Worship for the Archdiocese of Louisville. 

Aaron Miller, Vice President of the Leadership Louisville Center and Martha Price Richardson, community volunteer, join Dr. Brian Reynolds, Chancellor of the Archdiocese, to discuss their experiences of service to the Church and community as they encourage others to get involved.

New episodes of What's New in ArchLou will be available on the first Tuesday of each month here.

This article originally appeared in The Record.

By Lisa DeJaco Crutcher

The status quo is not okay.

Kentucky has the sixth-highest poverty rate in the entire country. At 16.5%, we’re just three points behind Mississippi’s 19.1%, the worst state in the country. Twelve of the 24 counties within our Archdiocese of Louisville hit over 20%.

• The poverty numbers across the archdiocese are not okay.
• Our hunger numbers are not okay.
• Our human trafficking numbers are not okay.

In a world of increasing violence, social injustice, globalization, forced migration, isolation behind screens, and, with it all, the dehumanization of the person, central Kentucky is not okay.

If you’re like me, I think you’ll agree: We need to do better.

It’s time to “People Up.”

Catholic Charities is a community of social activists who look for those most often overlooked. Our actions strive to reclaim lives, restore dignity, break the cycle of poverty, mend families and launch new livelihoods. 

We don’t work “on” people, we work “with” people on their journey from struggle to self-sufficiency. And we could use your help.

As Catholics, we are all called to action by Jesus Christ himself: “Whatsoever you do to the least of my brothers, that you do unto me.” That’s good stuff.

If that doesn’t move you, here’s something a little more...Read More