Historical Marker

Benedict Joseph Flaget (1763-1850)

A priest for 62 years, the "First Bishop of the West" became Bishop of Bardstown, 1810; of Louisville, 1841. Jurisdiction embraced area of Ky., Tenn., and old Northwest Territory. Flaget directed founding of colleges, congregations, and St. Joseph's Cathedral; witnessed ten dioceses formed from region. Bishop buried in Louisville.