The history of St. Leo Parish in Murray, KY began in 1933 with the establishment of a CCC (Civilian Conservation Corps) camp. Before the existence of this camp Catholics in the area had to go to Fancy Farm or Mayfield for Mass. With the CCC camp came more Catholics, so a priest began coming to Murray each weekend to say Mass under a pavilion at the camp.

Some time after 1937 the roof of the pavilion was lost, due to high winds. Fr. Joseph Saffer, pastor of St. Joseph Parish in Mayfield, and the congregation was invited to the home of Mr. Harry Fenton at 602 Olive St. for the Mass that Sunday, and the Fenton home became the regular site for Mass for the next two and a half years.

Due to some of the Navy’s programs at Murray State Teachers College during World War II, the Catholic community in Murray outgrew the Fenton home. From there, they moved onto the campus of Murray State, first at Wrather Hall, and then in the gymnasium, on the first floor of Wilson Hall.

During this period, Fr. Saffer and the congregation bought land which was fronted by a dirt road that would eventually become 12th Street, and plans were drawn up for the construction of the first Catholic Church building in Murray. With the help of a grant from the Catholic Extension Society, and the hard work of the pastor and many parishioners, the church building was completed and dedicated by Bishop Francis R. Cotton in the fall of 1943.

Because of the number of Catholic Navy personnel who were stationed at Murray State at the time, the new church was over-crowded from the beginning. This, however, was only a temporary problem, remedied by the eventual removal of the Navy program.

In 1950 the parish purchased another tract of land which gave the fledgling parish room to expand its physical plant as the parish grew. Another, smaller tract was added a few years later--a move that proved to be very wise as time passed.

From the time the church was dedicated in 1943 the parish’s Religious Education program benefited from the dedicated service of various Orders or Congregations of Sisters. The Ursuline Sisters of Mount Saint Joseph, Maple Mount, KY came from St. Joseph Parish in Mayfield when St. Leo was a mission of that parish. When St. Jerome, Fancy Farm was the "mother parish" the Sisters of Charity of Nazareth came to Murray, and from St. Edward, Fulton, KY the Dominican Sisters came.

In 1942 St. Leo Parish had approximately 150 members. In the early 1960’s there were around eighty families. Because of the growth, by 1961 the twenty year old church building was too small. With the permission of Bishop Soenneker, the parish constructed a new church building with a connecting rectory. It was dedicated in 1963, and was built to hold three hundred people. The old church became an annex at that time, named "Gleason Hall" in honor of the priest who, by bequest, was such a benefactor to the parish in earlier years.

Fr. Martin Mattingly was the first resident pastor, and he held that position for twenty years. Many priests have come and gone since then. For several years the parish was served by the Society of Jesus (Jesuits). In January of 1998, this relatively young parish celebrated the ordination of its fourth native son to the priesthood. Fr. Darrell Venters, Fr. Mike Clark, Fr. Bede Price, O.S.B., and Fr. Ken Mikulcik all found the support and nurturing needed to discern this call to priestly ministry in the Church. Fr. Tom Condin, O.P. was an alumnus of Murray State University by the time he entered religious life.

With the approval of Bishop Soenneker, Fr. Mattingly began a Newman campus ministry at Murray State. Gleason Hall was renovated and used for Newman Club activities. Bishop John McRaith bought a house on 13th street for the Newman Ministry. This house was recently replaced and a mobile home was permanently installed on the property. At the time that this history is being written, an addition is being built behind the Newman House. The Catholic presence on the campus of Murray State University has been growing over the past few years.

In 1963 St. Leo’s chapter of the Legion of Mary was established. They have been very faithful, especially in their assistance to the pastor in the visiting of the sick and shut-ins. In 1975 the St. Leo Parish Women’s Guild was established as a reorganization of the previously existing Altar Society. Lately renamed the Ladies Guild, this organization is instrumental in many different aspects of parish life. In 1977 the Fr. Saffer Chapter of the Knights of Columbus was established. While not directly a part of the parish, they have also been of great assistance to the parish in ways too numerous to count.

In 1979 the parish built the first half of the present Parish Center. It included several classrooms for religious instruction for the children of the parish. This building would be added on to several years later, giving the parish a large hall for meals, large meetings, and other activities. Another half acre, joining the church property to the north, was bought in 1986. This property is a part of our parish’s future, when we will surely have to expand due to an increase in our membership.

Over the years, Murray has become a top retirement area in the nation, and as a result, St. Leo Parish has continued to grow. The development of the Tennessee Valley Authority, Kentucky Lake and Lake Barkley, the Land Between the Lakes, and the growth of Murray State University have all contributed to this growth. Industries such as Briggs and Stratton, Ken Lake Foods, and Pella have brought more Catholics into the area, primarily from the North. These Catholic "immigrants" have brought with them a rich diversity in their Catholic heritage which has added greatly to the parish and to the community at large. We have also benefited from the seasonal return of many workers from Mexico who share with us a very old and sacred Catholic tradition. We have been able to experience a little of their rich heritage through hearing the Scriptures in Spanish, and through our getting to know these wonderful people!

St. Leo Parish is a vital, growing community of faith. Looking to the future, it is obvious that one day we will outgrow the physical facilities that those up to this time have sacrificed so much to build. This is not a problem to mourn! It is a testimony to the foresight of our parochial ancestors, and to the continued faith which we hand down to new generations. We pray that we, as our predecessors, may be open to the Spirit of Jesus, hear His words, and follow Him into eternal life.