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Our Mission Statement
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We are called by the Lord to be a Spirit-filled, Gospel-directed, and Life-giving community. We gather to proclaim the gospel values inherent in worship, formation, service, and stewardship.
- We are a parish community that promotes a liturgical life that is core to our purpose.
- We are a parish community that promotes a life-giving liturgy based on the documents of Vatican II.
- We are a parish community that promotes progressive development in Christian formation.
- We are a parish community that believes that liturgy and formation leads us to answer our baptismal call to service, stewardship, and evangelism.
- We are a parish community that embraces the diversity of individuals, realizing that all people have worth.
We walk together as a community to the Kingdom.
History
On June 17, 1975, Archbishop Thomas J. McDonough assigned Fr. Charles B. McCauley the task of founding a new parish in Jeffersontown. St. Edward parish was to be divided to form the new Parish since it had grown to a great extent. Mr. John P. Riggs donated five acres and later agreed to sell three more acres to provide a home for the new Parish - which was to be called St. Michael.
Mass was first offered at the Jeffersontown Christian Church on the first Sunday of Advent in 1975. Groundbreaking was held on August 12, 1979. The church was completed and the first Mass held on November 8, 1980, with the rectory being completed at the same time. There were approximately 300 families registered.
Fr. Bill Griner was assigned to St. Michael Parish in June of 1987. Under his leadership, the Parish continued to expand with the addition of the Family Life Center. The Family Life Center was dedicated on April 26, 1992 by Archbishop Thomas C. Kelly.
In July 1997, Fr. Kenny Kamber joined our community as a part-time Associate Pastor to help ease the burden of overflowing growth.
As our community continued to grow, Fr. Bill recognized that a school was not only desired, but needed. The doors of the Family Life Center were opened to kindergarten and first grade students in the fall of 1997; and the new Lifelong Learning Center building was occupied for the first time on August 26, 1998. At this time the parish had 680 families.
After 12 years at St. Michael, Fr. Bill moved to another assignment n the Archdiocese. Fr. Gary Davis was assigned as the new leader of our Parish. Fr. Gary held his first Mass at St. Michael on June 20, 1999.
It was with special honor that we gathered together on June 1, 2003 to celebrate Fr. Kenny's Golden Jubilee as a priest.
On August 6, 2006, the new Community Center was dedicated by Archbishop Thomas C. Kelly and other officials including Mayor Jerry Abramson. This facility was built to house the many activities, including athletics, of an expanding parish.
After nine years at St. Michael, Fr. Gary received a new assignment in the Archdiocese and a new pastor, Fr. Dick Sullivan, was appointed in June, 2008. The current number of families registered for the parish is 1057.
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Our Patron Saint
St. Michael the Archangel
Feast: September 29
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Prayer to St. Michael
Saint Michael the Archangel,
defend us in battle.
Be our protection against the wickedness and snares of the devil.
May God rebuke him, we humbly pray;
and do Thou, O Prince of the Heavenly Host -
by the Divine Power of God -
cast into hell, satan and all the evil spirits,
who roam throughout the world seeking the ruin of souls. Amen.
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St. Michael, who ranks among the seven archangels, is also one of the three angels mentioned by name in the Scriptures, the others being St. Raphael and St. Gabriel. St. Michael is spoken of twice in the Old Testament, and twice in the New. The first reference occurs in the Book of Daniel (chapter x), where Michael comes to comfort Daniel after he has had a vision, and promises to be his helper in all things. In Daniel xii, Michael is called "the great prince who standeth for the children of Thy people." In these references Michael is represented as Israel's great support during the seventy years of the Babylonian captivity. Daniel, wise and holy leader that he was, wanted his people to understand that God had not forgotten them, and that, even though enslaved, they had a royal champion. In the New Testament (Jude ix), we are told that Michael disputed with the devil over the body of Moses; this episode is not mentioned elsewhere in the Bible.
In the Apocalypse (chapter xii) we find the most dramatic reference to St. Michael. Here John recounts the great battle in Heaven, when the wicked angels under Lucifer revolt against God, and how Michael, leading the faithful angels, defeats the hosts of evil and drives them out. In this role he has been painted by many artists, and the poet Milton, in book vi of <Paradise Lost>, recounts the famous struggle. Because of this victory, St. Michael is revered in Catholic tradition and liturgy as the protector of the Church, as once he was regarded as the protector of the Israelites. In the Eastern Church, as well as among many theologians in the West, St Michael is placed over all the angels, as prince of the Seraphim. He is the special patron of sick people, mariners, and grocers; in Asia Minor many curative springs were dedicated to him. His emblems are a banner, a sword, a dragon, and scales. The name Michael is a variation of Micah, meaning in Hebrew, "Who is like God?"
Saint Michael, Archangel. Scriptural Saint. Celebration of Feast Day is September 29.
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