Kentucky

Bishop of Lexington: Most Reverend Ronald W. Gainer

The Catholic Diocese of Lexington was established by Pope John Paul II on January 19, 1988. The Diocese is made up of 50 counties of central and eastern Kentucky. Forty-three of these counties had been part of the Diocese of Covington and seven had been part of the Archdiocese of Louisville.

The Diocese encompasses 16,423 square miles and is divided into six regions in order that priests and faith communities can coordinate more localized activities and events and are represented at the diocesan level. The Diocese consists of 64 parishes and missions with 45,773 members, roughly 3% of the total population (in most of the mountain regions, however, the percentage drops well under 1%).

The Most Reverend Ronald W. Gainer was installed as the second Bishop of Lexington February 22, 2003.