St. John The Evangelist Parish of Sunfish, KY

John the Evangelist Parish is located 20 miles west of Mammoth Cave & 10 miles north of Green River. It is the only Catholic Church in Edmonson County & began its history with missionary priests serving the remote town. In 1817 the family of the future Father Elisha Durbin settled in the area. A log structure was built in 1845 and served as the church until 1893 when a larger frame church was cons

tructed. During those years the Catholic community was served by missionary traveling priests and those from nearby Grayson County. The remote location of the church & its missinary status made it difficult for the church to grow. Several notable missions preached in the church during its history has brought many conversions to the parish. In 1938, not long after Bishop Cotton was installed in the diocese, lightining struck the church in Sunfish & fire destroyed it completely. Father Louis Beruatto had providentially increased the insurance claim on the church just a few years prior & allowed the parish to recover more quickly from this disaster. In November 1938 Bishop Cotton was present for the dedication of the new church. John an independent parish in 1942, no longer a mission of St. the first residents were Glenmary priests from Ohio, the first pastor being Father Clemens Borchers. Glenmary priests stayed untill 1971. In 1941, the Sisters of St. Francis from St. Francis, Wisconsin came to start a parish school for St. The school was open for gradesf 1-12. Low enrollment led to the closing of the high school in 1961. The school eventually closed in the early 1980's. Ursuline Sisters of Mount St. Joseph came to Sunfish in 1990 to minister to the local people. John is currently served by the pastor of St. Joseph in Leitchfield.