It is the seat of Archbishop Shelton J. Fabre, and Martin A. Linebach, vicar general for the archdiocese, serves as rector.

[2] In 1811, a small group of Catholics in Louisville formed Saint Louis Church at 10th and Main Streets.

The newly built Cathedral of the Assumption was nearly destroyed soon after its building due to anti-Catholic and anti-immigrant bigotry in the city of Louisville.

On Monday, August 6, 1855, George D. Prentice, editor of the Louisville Journal, placed an article of his own opinion in the paper that speculated the possibility of takeover by immigrants: German and Irish.

Also, the cathedral and the newly built St. Martin of Tours (completed in 1854) were believed to house weaponry in their basements.

They were threatened to be burned, but the mayor of the city at the time, John Barbee, himself a "Know-Nothing," inspected the churches and cleared them of such accusations.

In May 1994, Archbishop Kelly moved into the cathedral rectory, making him the first bishop to live in Downtown Louisville in one hundred twenty years.

During the renovation of the cathedral by the Conrad Schmitt Studios, the walls were faux finished to resemble stone blocks.

The stained glass that formerly stood in the side windows was removed to allow the congregation to view the surrounding buildings, in order to facilitate a sense of attachment to the community.

The old baptismal font was relocated to the rear of the nave, immediately inside the entrance doors, and an immersion pool, crafted of red granite, bronze, and marble from the original Communion rail, was added in the last renovation.

The gray marble was taken from the original high altar, which was removed from the back of the sanctuary in the renovation following Vatican II.

The brass Lamb of God, in Latin Agnus Dei, is a symbol of Jesus, the Paschal sacrifice offered on this altar.

The gray marble base of the altar has carved on the right side an open book and several keys, on the left a bishop's mitre and crozier.

The shape of the crozier recalls its origin as a shepherd's crook, or staff, suggesting the bishop's pastoral role, "Feed my lambs.

The window, designed and installed by the Blum Art Company of Louisville in 1883, depicts the crowning of the Virgin Mary as Queen of Heaven.

Symbols on the coat of arms, important to Louisville and the Archdiocese, include: The presider's chair was purchased from a local antique store because of its similarity in design to the cathedra.

Fanfare trumpets were added in 1994, along with both 32-foot ranks, full MIDI capability, and a Gothic casework of hand-carved mahogany.

Twenty years later, it continues to provide community outreach, fulfilling a portion of the mission of the cathedral.

Development of spiritual, educational, and cultural experiences is CIR's continuing mission, with the goal of inspiring and fostering individual growth.

Their repertoire includes examples of the great choral literature from early chant through the Renaissance, Baroque, Classical, Romantic, and 20th-century periods.

Additionally, the clock/bell tower is home to numerous Petit and Fritsen tuned bells from the Netherlands and is one of the few carillons in Kentucky.

The Verdin Company out of Cincinnati, Ohio, is responsible for taking care of the bells and is currently renovating one of the clock face time pieces.

The congregations of both cathedrals meet between the two churches and jointly bless the new fire used to light the Paschal candle.