In 1951 the first Mass was offered in Russell County at the Cumberland Lodge Restaurant. While there were few resident Catholics in the county, priests would visit from St. Mildred in Somerset to offer Sunday Mass for the influx of tourists resulting from the completion of Wolf Creek Dam and Lake Cumberland.
Holy Spirit parish was founded in 1953 when the current property including a small church building was purchased from the Nazarene Church. In 1968 the current Holy Spirit church building was completed with financial support from Holy Spirit parish in Louisville. Priests continued to commute from Somerset until 1972 when a priest took up residence in the apartment in the rear upstairs of the church. In 1975 the counties making up the Southern Kentucky Missions of the Archdiocese of Louisville were re-aligned and Holy Spirit in Jamestown was paired with Good Shepherd in Columbia, Adiar County. A priest was assigned to reside in Jamestown while ministering to both parishes. Those priests included Rev. Tom Clark, Rev. David Stoltz, Rev. Tony Smith, Rev. Tom Hommrich, and Rev. Dan Lincoln.
The parish of Holy Redeemer in Greensburg, Green County was added with Rev. Kevin Bryan's assignment in 2007. Following his service were Rev. Winson Parekkat, and Rev. Paul Eve. In 2012 Rev. David Naylor was assigned to minister to Holy Spirit, Good Shepherd, and Holy Redeemer. Fr. Naylor shares residence in Jamestown during spring and summer months, and Columbia in the fall and winter.
Holy Spirit and Good Shepherd were blessed to have a permanent deacon, Jerry Antle, ordained in 1993 to serve both parishes until his death in 2001.
Sisters who have served as pastoral associates include: Sr. Dorothy McMannon, O.L.V.M, Sr. Rosella McCormick, O.S.U., Sr. Eileen Carney, O.S.U., Sr. Vera Gardner, O.S.U., Sr. Marietta Wethington, O.S.U., Sr. Karen Freund, O.P., and presently Sr. Marian Stenken, S.C.N.
Holy Spirit parish is now home to 78 registered Catholic families while continuing to serve visitors and tourists, providing a vibrant Catholic presence to the people of Russell County.