Fr. Patrick Delahanty is the Executive Director of the Catholic Conference of Kentucky (CCK). A native of Kentucky, he is an honorary graduate of Trinity High School and a graduate of St. Mary’s College and University, as well as the University of Louisville. Since his ordination in 1969 for the Archdiocese of Louisville, he has worked in several parishes, primarily the former St. Charles Borromeo for the first 20 years of his priesthood. Currently, he is the sacramental moderator for St. Martin de Porres and St. Augustine parishes in Louisville.

Fr. Delahanty began at CCK in 2000 after serving for more than a decade as the Director of Migration and Refugee Services at Catholic Charities in Louisville where he helped resettle more than 9,000 refugees throughout Kentucky. He was the Interim Director of CCK from June 2003 until March 2004, and the Associate Director until December 2010.

Recognized for his long-time crusade in opposition to capital punishment, Fr. Delahanty has broad public policy experience. Prior to joining CCK in 2000, he worked closely with the conference for a number of years, leading passage of legislation to prohibit the execution of people with mental retardation and limiting race as a factor in capital cases. In 2004 he was a leader in the passage of fetal homicide legislation. He has chaired the Kentucky Coalition to Abolish the Death Penalty since 1988.

Fr. Delahanty is also a professional photographer. He was part of a team that produced an award-winning movie on Mother Teresa. His still photographs were used in the book associated with that project: Words to Love by Mother Teresa, published by Ave Maria Press.