About Annunciation · Brazil, Indiana
Annunciation Catholic Church is a small Roman Catholic parish in Brazil, Indiana, the county seat of Clay County, founded in the mid-1860s by Benedictine missionaries and serving all of Clay County and a small part of Vigo County. The parish's mission statement is to 'serve our Lord Jesus Christ both in the poor and through a reverent celebration of the Sacraments,' and it sustains this with a parish council, finance council, altar society, Legion of Mary, Liturgical Committee, St. Vincent de Paul food pantry, and a religious education program that uses both a traditional youth track and Catechesis of the Good Shepherd for younger children. Its current church building — begun in 1880 under Father Mousset and completed in 1881 by his successor Fr. Hippolyte Pierrard — sits on the same Alabama Street campus that the Catholic community has occupied since 1866, and the parish numbers about 230 registered families.
- Established
- 1865
- Patron
- The Blessed Virgin Mary, under the title of the Annunciation of the Blessed Virgin Mary
- Rector
- Rev. Suresh Edward (Administrator)
- Diocese
- Archdiocese of Indianapolis (formerly the Diocese of Vincennes at the parish's founding, referenced historically in parish records)
Why belong here
Annunciation offers a small, family-style Catholic community where every household is known and where a single pastorate serves 230 families across all of Clay County. Parishioners worship in a church built in 1881 that is still the centerpiece of the same Alabama Street campus the community has occupied since 1866, gather for coffee and donuts after Sunday Mass, and serve one another through the Altar Society, Legion of Mary, Knights of Columbus, parish-run bingo, and a St. Vincent de Paul food pantry that distributes canned goods, tuna, peanut butter, and cereal. Children are formed through both a traditional youth ministry track (grades 5–12) and Catechesis of the Good Shepherd for ages 3 through 4th grade, and adults inquiring about the faith can enter the OCIA process year-round by simply calling the parish office.
Mass times at Annunciation
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Saturday — 3:30 PM (per parish Mass Times page)
- Saturday — 9:00 AM (per parish Sacraments page)
- Sunday — 30 minutes prior to Mass (per parish Mass Times page)
- 30 minutes prior to each daily Mass
- After daily Masses or by appointment (call 812-448-1901)
Adoration times
- Tuesday — 4:30 PM to 5:30 PM (Adoration & Benediction)
- Last Sunday of the month — 10:00 AM to 11:00 AM
Parish History
Catholic life in Clay County began with the Watts family's 1855 arrival near Hoosierville and the 1860 first Mass said in the home of Henry and Ann Boucher. The first Catholic church was built in 1865, moved to the present Alabama Street campus in 1866, and from February 1868 Father Meinrad McCarty, O.S.B. — who had celebrated that first 1860 Mass — served as Annunciation's first resident pastor. The present church was begun under Father Mousset in 1880 and completed in 1881 by Father Hippolyte Pierrard, who served for twenty-six years. Father A. G. Wicke became pastor in 1921 and co-authored the 1928 parish history that remains the parish's principal historical source. The parish marked its 150th anniversary on April 4, 2016 with the theme 'Celebrating 15 Decades of Mercy.'
- 1855 — First Catholic family (Joseph and Mary Ann Watts) settles in Clay County near Hoosierville
- 1860 — First Mass in Clay County celebrated in the home of Henry and Ann Boucher
- 1865 — First Catholic church built in Brazil
- 1866 — Church moved to the present Alabama Street campus
- 1868 — Father Meinrad McCarty, O.S.B. becomes first resident pastor; parochial school opens in the fall
- 1880–1881 — Present church built under Fathers Mousset and Pierrard
- 1882 — Sisters of St. Francis take charge of the school
- 1921 — Father A. G. Wicke becomes pastor
- 1923 — New rectory built, incorporating the original 1866 church
- 1928 — Wicke and L. C. Cullison compile the parish history
- April 4, 2016 — 150th anniversary celebration on the Feast of the Annunciation
Mission, Vision & Values
Annunciation states that its parish 'exists to serve our Lord Jesus Christ both in the poor and through a reverent celebration of the Sacraments.' Its parish boundaries include all of Clay County and a small part of Vigo County, and the parish says it wants every person within those boundaries to encounter the Gospel and to understand the teachings of Jesus Christ and His Church. Three core commitments follow from that mission: serving those in need in the wider community; bringing the Sacraments to the community; and welcoming all who wish to join the Church.
- Being stewards of the gifts that God has given us
- The transforming power of education for our young people
- Religious liberty and respect for all who seek the truth
- The dignity and primacy of the family in faith and society
- The teachings of the Roman Catholic Church and of Jesus Christ
- The dignity of the elderly and of every human person from conception to natural death
Staff & Leadership
The parish is administered by Rev. Suresh Edward together with a parish council chaired by Roger Tames. Day-to-day operations are supported by Business Manager Annette Clawson, Pastoral Associate and Administrator of Religious Education Natalie Shonk, and Coordinator of Sacred Music Joyce Smidley. Parishioners can reach the office at 812-448-1901 or [email protected].
- Administrator: Rev. Suresh Edward
- Pastoral Associate / Administrator of Religious Education: Natalie Shonk
- Business Manager: Annette Clawson
- Parish Council Chair: Roger Tames
- Coordinator of Sacred Music: Joyce Smidley
Religious Education & Youth Ministry
Faith formation at Annunciation meets on Sundays from 10:15 AM to 11:30 AM and follows a two-track model. Youth Ministry serves students in 5th through 12th grade, while younger children ages 3 through 4th grade attend Catechesis of the Good Shepherd, a Montessori-style atrium program. Adult formation is available through Adult Education offerings and OCIA for adults preparing to enter the Church. Registration for the 2025–2026 year was due before August 31; the parish also provides a free online Catholic media resource accessible with parish code 7e12f6.
- Youth Ministry (grades 5–12) — Sundays 10:15 AM–11:30 AM
- Catechesis of the Good Shepherd (ages 3 through 4th grade)
- Adult Education
- OCIA — Order of Christian Initiation of Adults (call 812-448-1901)
- Free Catholic media portal — parish code 7e12f6
Parish Ministries & Organizations
Active parish groups are organized under several standing ministries. The parish council and finance council handle temporal affairs; the Altar Society and Liturgical Committee care for the church and the liturgy; the Legion of Mary runs a lay apostolate; and the parish supports the parish council chair, coordinator of sacred music, and pastoral associate. Older parish materials additionally reference the Knights of Columbus and the Lady Knights (a women's group).
- Altar Society
- Finance Council
- Parish Council
- Liturgical Committee
- Legion of Mary
- St. Vincent de Paul Conference
- Knights of Columbus (per older parish materials)
- Lady Knights (per older parish materials)
Outreach: St. Vincent de Paul
Annunciation maintains an active St. Vincent de Paul conference that operates a food pantry for Clay County residents in need and provides financial assistance. The pantry is regularly in need of canned goods, tuna, peanut butter, and cereal. Anyone seeking food or financial help, or anyone wishing to donate, may call 765-848-8252 or email [email protected].
- Food pantry — currently seeking canned goods, tuna, peanut butter, and cereal
- Financial assistance for individuals and families in need
- Contact — phone 765-848-8252; email [email protected]
Sacraments
The Annunciation parish office coordinates preparation for all sacraments. Reconciliation is offered every Saturday, after daily Masses, and by appointment; adults discerning baptism or full communion enter through the OCIA process. The Sacraments page invites parishioners to call 812-448-1901 for appointments and additional information about baptism, marriage, anointing of the sick, and first sacraments.
- Penance / Reconciliation — weekly and by appointment
- OCIA — for adults preparing for baptism, first Communion, or confirmation
- Baptism, Marriage, Anointing of the Sick, First Communion — contact the parish office
Parish Identity & Architecture
The Annunciation community has worshipped on its Alabama Street campus since 1866 and the present brick church — completed in 1881 after the foundation was laid in 1880 — has been called one of the most imposing church buildings in the old Diocese of Vincennes. Historical furnishings cared for by parishioners include a pipe organ and a stained-glass window that is the subject of restoration interest, as noted on the parish's history page.
- Original 1865 church moved to the Alabama Street campus in 1866
- Present church begun 1880, completed 1881 (Father Hippolyte Pierrard)
- 1923 rectory incorporates parts of the original 1866 church
- Historic pipe organ and stained-glass window on parish grounds
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Rev. Meinrad McCarty, O.S.B.first resident pastor, Feb 1868–
Benedictine from St. Meinrad Monastery; celebrated the first Mass in Clay County in 1860; purchased the first church in 1865 and opened the parish school in fall 1868; directed nearly every Catholic initiative in the area for fifteen years.
- Father Mousset1870s–August 1880
Planned the new church and laid the foundation and cornerstone in early 1880; reassigned before completion.
- Rev. Hippolyte Pierrard1880–c. 1906
Sent by the bishop as the fourth pastor; completed the present church in 1881; served twenty-six years until failing health forced him to retire.
- Rev. A. G. Wicke1921–
Pastor during the rise of the KKK in Clay County; oversaw the 1923 rectory and other improvements totaling about $25,000; co-authored with L. C. Cullison the 1928 parish history that remains the principal source.