In the distance, Fr. John Okoro boards a boat to reach St. Elizabeth Parish in Curdsville, whose roads were cut off from historic flooding on April 13. Thanks to the boat ride, Fr. Okoro was able to celebrate Palm Sunday Mass for his Curdsville parishioners. COURTESY OF RUTH ANN THOMPSON

BY ELIZABETH WONG BARNSTEAD, THE WESTERN KENTUCKY CATHOLIC

Fr. John Okoro never expected to be taken to church by boat in order to celebrate Mass for his parishioners, but on April 13, Palm Sunday, that’s exactly what he did.

In the weeks leading up to Palm Sunday, western Kentucky and surrounding regions experienced record-breaking rain and historic flooding. This followed the disastrous hailstorms that had struck portions of the Diocese of Owensboro in the early hours of March 15.

“On Saturday evening, I wasn’t sure,” said Fr. Okoro, the pastor of St. Alphonsus Parish in St. Joseph (where he resides) and St. Elizabeth Parish in Curdsville. “People were calling to ask if there would be Mass at St. Elizabeth.”

“I said, ‘Let’s see if there is a miracle,’” he said. But by Sunday morning, the roads into Curdsville were too flooded and blocked off.

“There would be no Mass (in Curdsville),” said Fr. Okoro. “It was really troubling my heart.”

The Church permits the pastoral accommodation of a simple Communion service to be celebrated by the lay faithful in the extreme occasion that a priest cannot be present. Fr. Okoro had arranged with his St. Elizabeth parishioners to do this, but it saddened him that they would lack the full Palm Sunday experience with no priest to bless the palms.

While vesting to celebrate Mass at St. Alphonsus that morning, however, Fr. Okoro was approached by parishioner George Shadler who offered the use of his boat. He agreed immediately, called St. Elizabeth, and soon as Mass concluded at St. Alphonsus, he joined Shadler to drive out to his boat.

“He gave me a life jacket, I put it on,” said Fr. Okoro, describing that in sections the flooding was estimated to be 12 feet deep. “At one point the engine stopped working! And as we got closer (to Curdsville) we had to do some paddling. Then we arrived and got into a car and drove to St. Elizabeth.”

Parishioners were already gathered to celebrate the Communion service, and warmly welcomed their pastor.

“That’s what made the beginning of Holy Week complete,” he said. “It was a miracle, actually.”

Fr. John Okoro, far right, takes a boat driven by George Shadler, far left, after celebrating Palm Sunday Mass at St. Elizabeth Parish in Curdsville on April 13, 2025. The man in the center is unknown, as he requested and received a ride across the floodwaters that day on their way back. COURTESY OF MARIANNA ROMERO

Flooded camp

Gasper River Catholic Youth Camp and Retreat Center in Bowling Green experienced serious consequences from the flood waters that encroached on its property.

Crystal Coleman, the office manager and registrar at Gasper, said in an April 8 phone call that the camp’s new chip-sealed driveway, completed last year, was wrecked by the flooding.

“It wasn’t that the waters were that high there, but it washed away the chip-sealing,” said Coleman. “We were able to patch a bit of it with gravel (for the time being). And the low elements were under water so we lost a couple of pieces.”

Part of the platform for the zip line was also under water when the Gasper River encroached onto the camp property – the highest Coleman has ever seen.

She said the staff is grateful that they didn’t experience as much damage as they could have, and that “we’ll have camp this summer as usual, but the driveway is back to being in rough shape like it was before.”

The washed-away road into Gasper River Catholic Youth Camp and Retreat Center is seen in early April, after flooding destroyed the recently completed chip sealing that had made the road safer for travel. The staff saw the extent of the damage after the floodwater receded and confirmed that the road will need to be repaired once again. COURTESY OF BEN WARRELL

Hail recovery

Multiple Diocese of Owensboro sites are still in recovery from the hail damage, including properties of the Owensboro Catholic School System.

On April 15, exactly one month after the hailstorms struck their school, Owensboro Catholic Middle School’s principal, Michelle Magan, told The Western Kentucky Catholic that they are looking forward to a new roof.

The school was so damaged that classes were on NTI (non-traditional instruction, also known as virtual learning) for a week after the storms, but they were able to come in after that – albeit with strategically-placed trash cans to catch ceiling rainwater leaks.

Magan said OCMS had already been in the process of receiving bids for a new roof when the hail came, so this set them back to square one.

Still, “our maintenance staff did a fantastic job,” she said, describing their commitment to creating a safe and functional learning environment for the students.

The school is no longer using its gym, as the roof and ceiling were so damaged that pieces of the ceiling are at risk of falling down.

But “there have been no major problems since we came back in person,” said Magan. “The team and students did great on NTI, and we’re just trying to get through the end of the school year.”

“We’re back in business and everything is going well,” she said. “We’re looking forward to a new roof for sure.”

Floodwaters cover Smothers Park and creep up Veterans Boulevard in downtown Owensboro on April 9, 2025, during historic rains and flooding that impacted the region. COURTESY OF JOSH BENNETT

Witnessing care

Brescia University in Owensboro continues to move forward amid the hailstorm aftermath that significantly impacted numerous portions of the campus.

Madison Silvert, Brescia’s president, said that there have been “countless prayers” and an attitude of “how can we best frame this tragedy in a way that gives glory to God?”

“Often in situations such as these, it is easy for us to concentrate on the material,” said Silvert. “Yes, we have severe damage. Yes, it must be fixed, and, yes, it does matter. However, we all recognize that what matters most is that we were spared of injury.  As a campus, we give thanks for that every day.”

He said the greatest challenge to the university is the sheer size of its deductible.

“With almost every building suffering damage to some degree, it has created a situation where each building’s deductible has to be met,” he said. “The result is about $1 million out of pocket for the university.”

He emphasized Brescia’s charism of “caritas,” that is, love of God and one another, and that central to that philosophy is “we all want what is best for each other.”

“What was most impressive through the damage was just how immediately everyone was concerned about others,” he said. “It was beautiful to witness.”

To support Gasper River’s road repairs, visit gasperriverretreatcenter.org/support-gasper-river. To support Owensboro Catholic Schools’ storm recovery, visit owensborocatholic.org/support-ocs. To support Brescia University’s disaster relief fund, visit brescia.edu/give.

Originally printed in the May 2025 issue of The Western Kentucky Catholic.