Saying a Prayer at the World’s Smallest Church
Everyone knows that the American south tends to lean in a religious direction. Every little town in Kentucky has at least a half dozen churches, and bigger cities like Lexington and Louisville are home to grand Mega Churches that can host thousands of worshipers. In a quiet little park in Covington though, at the corner of Turkey Foot Road & Thomas Moore Parkway sits a holy little structure of a very different nature.
The Monte Cassino Chapel was originally built in 1901 on a small winery near Covington to serve as a place of rest and prayer for the local monks who worked the grape fields. Initially prosperous and producing upwards of 5,000 gallons of sacramental wine per year, the winery was hit hard by the restrictions placed upon production by prohibition. The winery was completely abandoned by the mid 1920’s, and by the 1950’s this once sacred little chapel had been completely ransacked by vandals.
Following a series of articles by Chester F. Geaslen featured in the Cincinnati Enquirer and Kentucky Post in the 1950’s the new owner of the land decided to donate this humble structure to the Villa Madonna College in the Crestview Hills neighborhood. In April 1965 the building was relocated to the college property and renovated with a new roof.
Today the structure stands on the edge of a small pond which is heavily populated by ducks and geese. Its entrance is barred by an iron gate, but even so it is very easy to see the entirety of the tiny structure through the bars. The building is positioned so that both the rising and setting sun will brilliantly illuminate one of the stained glass windows that adorn either side of the structure creating a beautiful rainbow pattern within.
In an age of gilded mega churches and millionaire pastors, the incredibly humble inner sanctum of this chapel really is a site to behold. It features a bare stone floor and walls, and small wooden altar at the back of the structure. I don’t consider myself religious, but you can’t help but feel in awe of the humble devotion of the monks that once sought refuge and rejuvenation in this minimalist house of god.
If you’re religiously inclined, stopping by this neat little building that was certified by Guinness in 1922 as the world’s smallest church really is a pilgrimage worth the journey. Even if you’re not though, this beautiful little structure and its accompanying park makes for a great rest stop on any trip through the area. Stop and admire the church, and watch the ducks play for an hour. It’s a great opportunity to stretch your legs and relax a little.
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