I am a priest of the Archdiocese of Louisville, Kentucky. Ordained May 16, 1970, I have served as a home missionary, college teacher, campus minister, pastor, cathedral rector, traveling evangelist, homiletics instructor, archdiocesan vocation director, founding director of the Saint Meinrad Seminary Institute for Priests and Presbyterates and a weekly columnist for 15 years.
I have given major addresses at national conventions on church renovation, parish revitalization, homiletics, presbyteral unity and vocations. I have presented more than 75 parish missions and retreats and led more than 150 presbyteral convocations around the US and nine countries abroad.
I have a Master of Divinity degree from Saint Meinrad School of Theology in Indiana, a Doctor of Ministry degree from McCormick Presbyterian Seminary in Chicago and an honorary Doctor of Human Letters degree from Bellarmine University in Louisville. I have authored several books for seminarians and priests, two humor books, two parish history books, an autobiography, a book of reflections during COVID and published several collections of my homilies and fifteen volumes of my For the Record book series. A few of my books for clergy are available in Spanish, Vietnamese and Swahili.
In April of 2021, I decided to focus my attention on my home parish of Saint Theresa of Avila an hour away from where I now live. I had the dream of turning my old grade school building, Saint Theresa (Cross Roads) School which was closed in 1993, into a new Saint Theresa Family Life Center to serve the whole area. My third cousin, Father Bob Ray, another priest from the same parish, partnered with me to found the Saint Theresa Heritage Partners, an alumni organization of the parish and school, to support this effort. I led the remodeling project, and raised the funds for, the Saint Theresa Family Life Center and Retreat House.
In 2024, I became a partner with Father John Judie, a fellow priest of the Archdiocese of Louisville, in his mission organization Father John Judie Ministries to do mission work in the African countries of Kenya and Tanzania. I started by sponsoring a young Tanzanian seminarian in 2024 and funding a house addition in Tanzania. In 2025, we built a 500-seat church, St. Veronica Church, in Kenya. Following that, I helped fund a new house for a single mother of two children, found the funds to pay off the seminary debts of five more seminarians, found the funds to finish a half-finished new Catholic School in Tanzania and secured school supplies for its students in 2026.
CURRICULUM VITAE
Reverend J. Ronald Knott
Born: Rhodelia, Kentucky on April 28, 1944
Attended: St. Theresa Academy, later called St. Theresa School, later called Cross Roads School in Meade County. (1950-1958)
St. Thomas Seminary, Louisville, Ky. 1958-1964
St. Meinrad Seminary, St. Meinrad, Indiana, 1964-1970 BA, M. Div.
McCormick Presbyterian Seminary, Chicago, Illinois 1979-1981 (DOCTOR OF MINISTRY in Parish Revitalization)
Ordained Priest: May 16, 1970
Pastoral Assignments:
Campground Minister for A Christian Ministry in the National Parks (Crater Lake) sponsored by United Church of Christ 1968
St. John Vianney (deacon) 1969
Sts. Mary and Elizabeth Hospital (deacon) 1970
St. Mildred Church (Somerset) 1970-1975
St. Peter Church (Monticello) and Good Shepherd Chapel (Whitley City) pastor 1975-1980
Holy Name of Mary Church (Lebanon) (pastor) 1980-1983
Cathedral of the Assumption (pastor) 1983 – 1997
Vocation Director, Archdiocese of Louisville 1998-2003
Director of Catholic Worship, Bellarmine University, 1999-August 2016
Founding Director, Institute for Priests and Presbyterates, Saint Meinrad School of Theology, 2004-2013
Officially Retired in the Archdiocese of Louisville, 2014
Other Assignments:
Archdiocesan Board of Consultors
Priest Senate (4 terms)
Vice-President (Emeritus), Cathedral Heritage Foundation (now Center for Interfaith Relations))
Part-time Instructor, Homiletics, Saint Meinrad School of Theology, 1997
Conducted 75 Parish Missions in the US and over 150 priest assemblies, retreats and study days in United States, Canada, England, Ireland, Wales, The Bahamas, St. Lucia, Trinidad and St. Vincent and the Grenadines.
Weekly columnist for THE RECORD 2002-2017
In retirement, he has continued with some of his previous work, but added volunteer work in the foreign missions of St. Vincent and the Grenadines 2015-2020, Little Sisters of the Poor (Louisville) presently.
Founder: Saint Theresa Heritage Partners 2021
Publications: (Some translated into Spanish, one in Swahili)
Author, An Encouraging Word, Crossroad Press, NY, 1995 (Homilies)
Author, One Heart At A Time, Sophronismos Press, 1999 (Homilies)
Author, Sunday Nights, Sophronismos Press, 2000 (Homilies)
Author, For the Record I (2003), For the Record II, (2004), For the Record III (2005), For the Record IV (2006) For the Record V (2007) For the Record VI (2008), For the Record VII (2009), For the Record VIII (2010), For the Record IX (2011), For the Record X (2012), For the Record XI (2013), For the Record XII (2014), For the Record XIII (2015), For the Record XIV (2016), For the Record XV (2017) (All published by Sophronismos Press)
Author, Intentional Presbyterates, Sophronismos Press, (2004)
Author, Intentional Presbyterates (The Workbook) Sophronismos Press (2007)
Author, From Seminarian to Diocesan Priest: Managing the Transition, Sophronismos Press,
Author, The Spiritual Leadership of a Parish Priest, 2007
Author, Diocesan Priests in the Archdiocese of Louisville, 2001
Co-Author, Religious Communities in the Archdiocese of Louisville, 2002
Author, A Bishop and His Priests Together, 2011
Author, Affirming Goodness: A Collection of Memorable Articles From Twelve Years of Encouraging Words
Author, The Character of a Pastor In Exercising Authority, 2013
Author, Personal Growth Plan: A Handbook for Priests, 2013
Co-Author, Daily Bread: A Handbook for Priests Learning to Cook for Themselves, 2013
Author, A Passion For Personal Excellence, 2015
Author, The Lord is Close to the Brokenhearted, 2015
Author, Our Journey of Lent, 2018
Author, Between Courage and Cowardice: Choosing to Do Hard Things For Your Own Good, 2018
Author, I Just Had to Laugh, 2018
Author, While Keeping My Distance: Random Reflections During a Pandemic, 2020
Author, St. Theresa Family Life Center: Protecting a Rich History, Securing a Prosperous Future, 2022
Author Preaching Good News to the Poor, 2023
Author, The Little Community That Could: The Story of a Rural Eco-Friendly Family Life Center, 2023
Author, Building Intentional Presbyterates: A Collection of Reflections, 2024
Author, For Your Good and For Mine: Preaching, Teaching and Writing, 2025
Author, You Just Can’t Make This Stuff Up: Life Lessons From 55 Years of Priestly Ministry, 2025
Published Articles: AMERICA, CHURCH, SEMINARY JOURNAL, THE PRIEST, ORIGINS, PASTORAL REVIEW (London, UK) and DEACON DIGEST
Blogger: An Encouraging Word (2015 - )
Awards: Louisville Forum’s Fleur de Lis Award, 1995; Louisville Central Area Community Award For Significant Contribution to the Revitalization of Downtown 1983-1997; National Conference of Christian and Jews Award, 2003; NFPC Touchstone Award, 2008; St. Meinrad's Distinguished Alumnus, 2010. Honorary Doctorate Bellarmine University 2016; Louisville Defender’s Lifetime Community and Spiritual Enrichment Award, 2017
Boards: A trustee of the J. Graham Brown Foundation, Louisville, Ky. Two terms till 2014.
