About Us
The Marian Center is a one-of-kind Catholic bookstore and gift shop located in St Matthews, where you can shop, use our lending library and spend time with Jesus in our Chapel. |
We are a non-profit 501c3 and totally staffed by volunteers.
The Marian Center was founded in the early nineties due to profound conversions through Medjugorje. We celebrated our 25th Anniversary in April of 2019! The mission of The Marian Center is to spread the gospel of Jesus Christ through the teachings of the Roman Catholic Church, in total obedience to the Holy Father and the Magisterium. Although the original focus was to spread the messages of Medjugorje, we have expanded to serve the Church in many ways. Not just a book and gift store, but we offer pilgrimages to Medjugorje and other Catholic Shrines. The Marian Center is dedicated to Our Lady Queen of Peace, under the patronage of St. Joseph. |
A short History of The Marian Center in Louisville, KY
The Marian Center in Louisville began as an apostolate of the apparitions of Medjugorje.
(Serving and evangelizing) We began in the early 1990’s informally, but a lease was
signed on March 25, 1994 for a store front at 165 Sears Avenue, in the Miraflores Center in St.
Matthews. Since that beginning, the storefront has expanded three times and now is not only a
resource center for Catholics and those wishing to know more about the Catholic
faith, but has a dedicated chapel with the Blessed Sacrament present at all times!
Presently, Fr. Dennis Cousens is our spiritual director. We celebrate Mass on the 3rd Thursday of
each month at noon, followed by a holy hour for the spiritual renewal of the Church.
Conferences
Through the years The Marian Center has sponsored Marian conferences
highlighting these world renown speakers:
Fr. Svetozar Kragjevic, Fr. Peter Rooky, Fr. Michael Scanlan, Fr. Tim Deeter
Fr. Bernard Powers, Fr. Emmanuel Iweh, Fr. Zlato Sudac, Fr. Peter Vasko,
Fr. Don Calloway, Fr. Papi, Fr. Mark Baron, Fr. Pat Dolan, Matthew Kelly,
Michael O’Brien, John Michael Talbot, Jose Melendez, Char Vance, Wayne Weible,
Bud McFarlane, Jr., Tom Booth, Daniel Lynch, Rosalie Turton, David Parkes,
Kristin Taylor, Larry & Mary Sue Eck, Ralph Martin, Ann Shields, Jim Cowan,
Jerry & Regina Morin, Rita Klaus and many more…
We also hosted two very special people to The Marian Center.
The first is Ivan Dragicevic, the Medjugorje visionary who had his
apparitions at our own chapel at The Marian Center. Our Lady appeared to Ivan where her
statue is in the chapel. About 13 of our members were present. Also as well at the churches
of St. Margaret Mary, St. Raphael, St. Gabriel, and convention sites of Memorial
Auditorium and Louisville Gardens. Our Lady has been with us so many times
in Louisville!
The second special friend of TMC is Ainja Simovic, who emceed many
of the conferences, led our pilgrimages and became a close personal friend.
Pilgrimages
The Marian Center has had the honor of introducing the pilgrimage site of
Medjugorje to many of our local priests. Some of those priests were able to become
the spiritual chaplains of our pilgrimages to Medjugorje, Rome, Prague, Assisi, Zagreb
and Dubrovnik, they are: Fr. B.J. Breen, Fr. Jonathon Stewart, Fr. Bert Brian,
Fr. Bill Martin, Fr. William Brennan, Fr. Dismas Venneman, Fr. Jack Caldwell,
Fr. Wally Dant, Fr. David Naylor, Fr. Martin Linebach, Fr. Christopher Lubeke, Fr. Francis Ralph and the present pastor of St. Louis Bertrand, Fr. Bernard M. Timothy, OP.
The Marian Center has sponsored dinners to raise money for food and clothing for
Bosnian war orphans. Some members sponsored families.
TMC has a successful
outreach program in smaller rural communities. In addition to those, we have provided
books and sacramentals for The Church Teaches Forum and recently for The Living
Rosary. It has organized retreats, scholarship funds, a children’s story hour, and
sponsored St. Michael Radio station.
The Marian Center is a long-time supporter of Kentucky Right to Life.
The Marian Center has touched the lives of hundreds of people by sponsoring
Masses, Holy Hours, prayer groups, and hosted Christmas and Summer
get-togethers for its members to participate in and enjoy.
Today, TMC is still active in its mission to bring about the awareness of
Our Lady in Medjugorje, promote solid Catholic teachings through the bookstore,
sponsor religious retreats, prayer services and pilgrimages and provide charitable
relief to the needy. We sponsor a family each Christmas so they may have an opportunity to open
presents, to bring some joy during this holy time.
Our Lady has truly enveloped The Marian Center with her Motherly blessings,
and has entrusted us with her mission to bring everyone closer to her Son, Jesus.
The Marian Center in Louisville began as an apostolate of the apparitions of Medjugorje.
(Serving and evangelizing) We began in the early 1990’s informally, but a lease was
signed on March 25, 1994 for a store front at 165 Sears Avenue, in the Miraflores Center in St.
Matthews. Since that beginning, the storefront has expanded three times and now is not only a
resource center for Catholics and those wishing to know more about the Catholic
faith, but has a dedicated chapel with the Blessed Sacrament present at all times!
Presently, Fr. Dennis Cousens is our spiritual director. We celebrate Mass on the 3rd Thursday of
each month at noon, followed by a holy hour for the spiritual renewal of the Church.
Conferences
Through the years The Marian Center has sponsored Marian conferences
highlighting these world renown speakers:
Fr. Svetozar Kragjevic, Fr. Peter Rooky, Fr. Michael Scanlan, Fr. Tim Deeter
Fr. Bernard Powers, Fr. Emmanuel Iweh, Fr. Zlato Sudac, Fr. Peter Vasko,
Fr. Don Calloway, Fr. Papi, Fr. Mark Baron, Fr. Pat Dolan, Matthew Kelly,
Michael O’Brien, John Michael Talbot, Jose Melendez, Char Vance, Wayne Weible,
Bud McFarlane, Jr., Tom Booth, Daniel Lynch, Rosalie Turton, David Parkes,
Kristin Taylor, Larry & Mary Sue Eck, Ralph Martin, Ann Shields, Jim Cowan,
Jerry & Regina Morin, Rita Klaus and many more…
We also hosted two very special people to The Marian Center.
The first is Ivan Dragicevic, the Medjugorje visionary who had his
apparitions at our own chapel at The Marian Center. Our Lady appeared to Ivan where her
statue is in the chapel. About 13 of our members were present. Also as well at the churches
of St. Margaret Mary, St. Raphael, St. Gabriel, and convention sites of Memorial
Auditorium and Louisville Gardens. Our Lady has been with us so many times
in Louisville!
The second special friend of TMC is Ainja Simovic, who emceed many
of the conferences, led our pilgrimages and became a close personal friend.
Pilgrimages
The Marian Center has had the honor of introducing the pilgrimage site of
Medjugorje to many of our local priests. Some of those priests were able to become
the spiritual chaplains of our pilgrimages to Medjugorje, Rome, Prague, Assisi, Zagreb
and Dubrovnik, they are: Fr. B.J. Breen, Fr. Jonathon Stewart, Fr. Bert Brian,
Fr. Bill Martin, Fr. William Brennan, Fr. Dismas Venneman, Fr. Jack Caldwell,
Fr. Wally Dant, Fr. David Naylor, Fr. Martin Linebach, Fr. Christopher Lubeke, Fr. Francis Ralph and the present pastor of St. Louis Bertrand, Fr. Bernard M. Timothy, OP.
The Marian Center has sponsored dinners to raise money for food and clothing for
Bosnian war orphans. Some members sponsored families.
TMC has a successful
outreach program in smaller rural communities. In addition to those, we have provided
books and sacramentals for The Church Teaches Forum and recently for The Living
Rosary. It has organized retreats, scholarship funds, a children’s story hour, and
sponsored St. Michael Radio station.
The Marian Center is a long-time supporter of Kentucky Right to Life.
The Marian Center has touched the lives of hundreds of people by sponsoring
Masses, Holy Hours, prayer groups, and hosted Christmas and Summer
get-togethers for its members to participate in and enjoy.
Today, TMC is still active in its mission to bring about the awareness of
Our Lady in Medjugorje, promote solid Catholic teachings through the bookstore,
sponsor religious retreats, prayer services and pilgrimages and provide charitable
relief to the needy. We sponsor a family each Christmas so they may have an opportunity to open
presents, to bring some joy during this holy time.
Our Lady has truly enveloped The Marian Center with her Motherly blessings,
and has entrusted us with her mission to bring everyone closer to her Son, Jesus.