This month, the Cathedral of Christ the King parish community prepares to bid a fond and heartfelt farewell to Fr. Paul Prabell as he enters into retirement. Having twice served as our Cathedral Rector — first from 2002 to 2007, and then from 2015 to 2021 — our faith community was most certainly blessed with Fr. Paul’s faithful guidance, patience, empathy and compassion.
Fr. Paul George Prabell was born in Bellevue, Ky. on July 2, 1946. He attended Newport Catholic High School in Newport, Ky. and went on to earn his bachelor’s in Philosophy at St. Pius X Seminary in Erlanger, Ky. He went on to earn his master’s in Theology at Mt. St. Mary Seminary in Norwood, Ohio, and his master’s in Guidance and Counseling from Marshall University in Huntington, W.Va.
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Ordained into the priesthood on May 20, 1972, Fr. Paul began serving as Associate Pastor of Holy Family Parish in Ashland, Ky. From 1977 to 1982, he served as Associate Pastor of Holy Spirit Parish and the U of K Newman Center in Lexington, Ky. In 1982, he began serving as Pastor at St. Stephen the Martyr Parish and the EKU Newman Center in Richmond Ky.
In 1988, Fr. Paul’s ministry took him to Topeka, Kan., where he served a fellowship at Menninger Clinic. The next year, Fr. Paul began serving in the Diocese of Lexington, as Director of Priest Personnel and Director of Continuing Formation of Priests. Fr. Paul would serve as Associate Pastor of Good Shepherd Church in Frankfort, Ky. from 1989 to 1992, Pastor of St. Patrick Church in Mt. Sterling, Ky. from 1992 to 1995, and Pastor of SS. Peter and Paul Church in Danville, Ky. from 1995 to 2002.
We first welcomed Fr. Paul as our Cathedral Rector in 2002, and he would serve in this role until 2007, when he served as Pastor of Jesus Our Savior Church in Morehead, Ky. But in 2015, we welcomed him once again as our Cathedral Rector, a role which he has faithfully served up through his retirement this year.
As Cathedral of Christ the King looks back on Fr. Paul’s decades of ministry, parishioners have shared their reflections and memories of Fr. Paul’s years of service in our faith community.
Fr. Paul embodies the serenity prayer. He leads in a quiet, highly effective manner that brings great peace to every situation. — Katie Sheppard
It is hard to imagine a more important time at CTK when Fr. Paul stepped in and helped our parish TWICE overcome difficult situations. His patience and prayerful approach to leading our parish and his willingness to listen was the perfect recipe. His thoughtful weekly column inspired us. — Robert Kuhn
At a Chrism Mass a few years ago, a reflection was noted that described qualities that a priest embodies. In thinking about the many priests who we have known through the years, Fr. Paul was the only one that I felt actually exhibited all of them. Truly a special man! — Catherine Nalli
Fr. Paul has always reflected to me a sense of peace and serenity. I felt that he always led first with compassion and the spirit of Christ when dealing with issues and in his general demeanor. I felt this always brought a sense of calm to any situation. I will miss his presence at the Cathedral. — Jerry Felix
Fr. Paul has a beautiful ability to bring calm and peace to frightened souls. From the scared second-grader asking if it’s okay to cry during first confession, to giving me Anointing of the Sick during a scary time, Fr. Paul is a vessel of Jesus’ peace. — Kristy Tucker
The power of three — the Holy Trinity and three insights or points that Fr. Paul always presents in his homilies! He embodies clear thinking and humility. He is a true servant leader. — Vida Laureano
I think what I most admire about Fr. Paul is his ability to stay focused on the task, and stay calm under pressure. As I’m sure many will note, he came back under difficult circumstances. Yet. he was able to guide the parish through difficult times and changes by staying calm. — Joe Dawahare
Fr. Paul is a humble, empathetic leader who always sees good in people. I do not recall ever hearing him say a negative or critical statement about anyone. His low-key sense of humor often relieves any tension present in those around him. He is an example of the Good Shepherd. — John Hinkel
Fr. Paul has the patience of Job! Given that we all love the Cathedral and can sometimes get emotional regarding decisions made for the parish, I have witnessed Fr. Paul’s patience humbly guiding the parish to peaceful resolutions many times and am grateful to have worked for and learned from him. — Jennifer McKenna
Thank you for your heartfelt commitment to CTK. Your leadership, guidance and positive attitude have helped our parish grow and flourish. — Andy Reynolds
Thank you, Fr. Paul, for all your love and dedication to Christ the King. Your kindness and compassion for all is evident in everything you do. We appreciate all you give and will miss seeing you each day at CTK. We wish you an enjoyable retirement! — Paula Smith
Thank you, Fr. Paul, for joining us for a meal in the Cafeteria. It was so good to see you with the children. You will be missed. — The Cafe Ladies
We ask that all parishioners be sure to save two important dates — on June 26, we will be celebrating the Farewell Dinner for Fr. Paul, and on June 27, we will have the Family Day Farewell.
