Bishop Francis R. Cotton and Pope St. John XXIII are seen during Bishop Cotton’s ad limina visit in this undated photo. COURTESY OF ARCHIVES
Did you know a saint named Precious Blood Catholic Church?
BY EDWARD WILSON, ARCHIVES
By 1960, Catholicism in the United States was enjoying a period of incredible acceptance. The religion that was seen as a foreign invader only a few generations prior, was now becoming viewed as downright American. Catholic movies like “The Song of Bernadette” and “The Bells of St. Mary’s” captured the hearts of the country. The Fighting Sullivan Brothers became tragic heroes, dying at the Battle of Guadalcanal; the country mourned the Irish American, Catholic brothers, forever placing them in a place of national reverence. Bishop Fulton Sheen, a young, Emmy-winning bishop with the hint of an Irish brogue, became one of the most beloved and respected authorities on religion in the whole country. Vocations were high and so was church attendance. The Church was growing larger and larger in the U.S. With all this going on in the country, Catholicism in the little city of Owensboro was growing as well.
In 1959, the Catholic churches in Owensboro were quite literally overflowing. That year, Our Lady of Lourdes celebrated their first Mass. Two years prior, St. Pius X was dedicated. Three years prior to that, Immaculate was built. But even with the addition of three large churches in five years, the number of Catholics in the small city still needed more room to worship. This caused Bishop Francis R. Cotton to look to the northwestern part of the city. It was decided that a church would be built there to serve the Catholics in the area that were currently served by the overwhelmed cathedral. It was announced that the church would be called Precious Blood.
This name may have surprised many. Most of the large projects established under the leadership of Bishop Cotton received Marian titles, like Blessed Mother, Immaculate, and Our Lady of Lourdes. The bishop was even insistent on referring to Owensboro Catholic High by its title as Assumption High School. So why is Precious Blood, Precious Blood?
Fr. Maurice Teill, who was crucial in the organization of the parish, as well as its third pastor, revealed that the name was suggested to Bishop Cotton by Pope John XXIII during his ad limina (when a bishop makes his routine visit to the pope). This makes perfect sense when looking at the Church during this period. Pope St. John XXIII, who was canonized in 2014, had a deep devotion to the Precious Blood and encourage the devotion among all Catholics. In 1960, the same year the first Mass at Precious Blood was celebrated, the pope released “On Promoting Devotion to the Most Precious Blood.” Likewise, during this period there was a movement gaining momentum to offer the Precious Blood as well as the Eucharistic Host, a practice that had not been utilized for centuries.
One of the most interesting things about history is how something as small as a name can have such a big story. A church’s name, just like many other things, may seem simple but it can have an origin that is anything but!
Edward Wilson is the director of the Diocese of Owensboro’s Archives and the Archives of the Ursuline Sisters of Mount Saint Joseph. Comments and questions may be sent to [email protected].
Originally printed in the April 2025 issue of The Western Kentucky Catholic.
