The Catholic history of Louisville, Kentucky:
The Catholic Diocese of Louisville, KY, was established on April 8, 1808, when Pope Pius VII subdivided the Diocese of Baltimore, which was the first Catholic diocese in the United States, into the Dioceses of Boston, MA; New York, NY; Philadelphia, PA and Bardstown, KY. In 1841, the seat of the Diocese of Bardstown was transferred to Louisville, KY.
In 1937, Louisville was established as an archdiocese comprised of the Diocese of Covington (established in 1853) and the newly established Diocese of Owensboro. The Diocese of Lexington was established in 1988.
The Diocese serves Catholics in 24 counties in central Kentucky covering 8,124 square miles from the Ohio River to the Tennessee border.
Among the Catholic places of interest in Louisville, Kentucky are:
Grave and Monument of James Madison Smith Sr. and Catherine “Kitty” Smith, the Underground Railroad