The 15th state to be admitted to the United States, June 1, 1792. Among the pioneer Catholics who settled in Kentucky, 1774, were the first resident physician, Doctor George Hart, and the mistress of the first school, Mrs William Coomes, who accompanied her husband and family from Maryland. They settled at Harrod's Station, but moved later to Bardstown where about 25 Catholic families had formed a colony, 1775, under Basil Hayden. There were soon several Catholic settlements, mainly in Nelson, Scott, and Boyle counties. The first resident priest was the Franciscan, Father Charles Whelan, who built a log hut on Pottinger's Creek near Bardstown, 1787, and ministered to the settlers for two years. About 1790 the first church, a log chapel, was erected at Holy Cross by the Dominican, Father William de Rohan. The apostle of the region was Father Stephen Theodore Badin, a Sulpician, later assisted by Father Charles Nerinckx. Father Badin was pastor at Louisville when the first church was built there, 1811. When Right Reverend Benedict Flaget, who had visited Louisville on his missionary journey, 1792, arrived at his See at Bardstown; 1811, as the first bishop of the whole Northwest Territory he found about 10 log churches in central Kentucky, and one of brick built at the Irish settlement of Danville on land given by Daniel McElroy. In 1813 the bishop established his seminary in a log building at Saint Stephen's.

Archdioceses, past and present, include

Dioceses, past and present, include:

Catholic influence on the place-names of the state is shown in the following:

See also,