About Brebeuf Jesuit Chapel (Preparatory School) · Indianapolis, Indiana
Brebeuf Jesuit Chapel is the worship heart of Brebeuf Jesuit Preparatory School, a Catholic Jesuit college-preparatory school on the northwest side of Indianapolis founded in 1962. Named in honor of Saint Jean de Brébeuf, a French Jesuit missionary and North American Martyr, the school-chapel welcomes students of all faiths — roughly half its 829 students are non-Catholic — and centers its community life on daily Mass in the Ignatian tradition. Campus Ministry, led by a director and chaplain team, coordinates the chapel's liturgical life alongside the school's Jesuit priests and offers retreats, peer ministry, and interfaith dialogue. The chapel sits geographically within the Archdiocese of Indianapolis and is sponsored by the Midwest Province of the Society of Jesus, with the motto "Men and Women for Others" guiding its ministry.
- Established
- 1962
- Patron
- Saint Jean de Brébeuf (John de Brébeuf), Jesuit missionary and North American Martyr
- Diocese
- Archdiocese of Indianapolis (geographically); the chapel is sponsored by the USA Midwest Province of the Society of Jesus. Note: in 2019 the Archdiocese issued a decree no longer recognizing the school as Catholic; the decision is under appeal to the Vatican and the Jesuits continue to identify Brebeuf as Catholic.
Why belong here
Worship, learn, and serve in a community where Ignatian spirituality is lived out daily. Brebeuf's chapel offers daily 7:45 a.m. Mass open to all community members, monthly First Friday Eucharistic Adoration and Benediction, the Sacrament of Reconciliation every First Friday (and by appointment), and a graded retreat program from Freshman Retreat through the senior Kairos retreat. Liturgical choir, lectors, and Communion ministers are drawn from the student body, and roughly half of students come from non-Catholic backgrounds, making the chapel a striking place of interfaith encounter where friends of every tradition pray, retreat, and grow together.
Mass times at Brebeuf Jesuit Chapel (Preparatory School)
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- First Friday of each month during the first PRT
- By appointment (contact Campus Ministry at 317.524.7122)
Adoration times
- First Friday of each month: Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament following the 7:45 a.m. Mass; concludes with Benediction during the afternoon PRT
History of Brebeuf Jesuit
Founded in 1962 by Father William Schmidt, SJ as Indiana's first Jesuit secondary school, Brebeuf Jesuit opened on September 4, 1962, after Archbishop Paul C. Schulte officiated at the groundbreaking. Father Schmidt chose farmland on what was then a two-lane Road 100 northwest of Indianapolis, and for six years after opening remained to ensure the school was run well. The school became fully coeducational in the fall of 1976, and today is sponsored by the USA Midwest Province of the Society of Jesus with a current enrollment around 829 students in grades 9–12.
- 1962: Brebeuf Jesuit opens its doors — first Jesuit secondary school in Indiana.
- 1976: Becomes fully coeducational with the enrollment of 153 young women.
- Founder: Father William Schmidt, SJ (ordained at West Baden College, 1943).
- Sponsored by the Midwest Province of the Society of Jesus.
Daily Mass and Chapel Life
The chapel at Brebeuf Jesuit is the spiritual center of the school. Daily Mass is celebrated Monday through Friday at 7:45 a.m. and is open to all community members; an additional Mass is offered during Thursday afternoon PRTs. The traditional Mass of the Holy Spirit opens each school year, multiple all-school Masses bring the entire community together throughout the year, and each class celebrates Mass together during the Spring semester as a sign of community and renewal.
- Daily Mass: Monday–Friday, 7:45 a.m.
- Mass of the Holy Spirit — opening of school year
- All-School Masses — multiple times per year
- Class Masses — Spring semester
Campus Ministry
Brebeuf Jesuit's Campus Ministry brings prayer, a relationship with God, and communion with others alive in the lives of its students. The office is led by a Director of Campus Ministry (Shaughn Phillips has held the role since 2022) and works alongside the school's Jesuit priests. The team's pastoral presence focuses on accompanying students as they grow and wrestle with their faith, their relationship with God, and issues of concern — students are welcome to drop in or make an appointment. The motto of the office is 'To Praise, Reverence, Serve.'
- Director of Campus Ministry: Shaughn Phillips (since 2022)
- Pastoral presence: drop-in conversations and appointments
- Assistant Principal for Mission Formation: Adam DeLeon, SJ
Student Leadership in Liturgy
Students take active roles in creating and implementing religious activities within the school. They develop skills for planning community prayer and an appreciation for the role of God in everyday life. Beyond peer leadership of retreats and freshman orientation, students serve as planners of liturgical events, members of the liturgical choir, readers at school prayer services, and Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion.
- Liturgical choir (student singers)
- Lectors at school prayer services
- Distributors of Holy Communion
- Retreat planners and small-group leaders
Retreat Program
The retreat program is designed to give students at each grade level opportunities to develop spiritually by recognizing God in the people and events of their lives — one of the most direct ways the school fulfills its mission of helping students see God in all things. Retreats offer quiet prayer, peer leadership, music, student presentations, journaling, recreation, small- and large-group discussion, and sharing. Sophomores spend two days away from school on their retreat; juniors and seniors attend the multi-day Kairos retreat. Retreat leaders are juniors and seniors chosen through an application process that includes writing and presenting a talk and co-leading a small group.
- Freshman Retreat — one day off campus
- Sophomore Retreat — two days off campus
- Kairos Retreat (juniors/seniors) — three days off campus
- Retreat Leadership: juniors and seniors apply to lead
Interfaith Life at Brebeuf
Roughly half of Brebeuf Jesuit's students are non-Catholic and ascribe to a variety of traditions including multiple denominations of Protestantism, Judaism, Hinduism, Islam, Sikhism, and many more. The campus ministry office reaches out in both small and large ways to non-Christian students. During the Kairos retreat, for example, Christian students receive a cross, Jewish students a Star of David, Muslim students a crescent moon, Hindu students an aum or lotus, and agnostic students a dove medal. The school has opened a Contemplation Room — a simply appointed space for students of all faiths, or no identifiable faith, to pray or take time apart from school for quiet and reflection. Active interfaith clubs include the Muslim Student Union and the Jewish Student Union.
- Contemplation Room for prayer and quiet reflection
- Muslim Student Union and Jewish Student Union
- Kairos symbol presentation reflects interfaith character
- America Magazine (Jan. 2025) profiled Brebeuf as a model of interfaith Jesuit ministry
Faith & Justice in the Ignatian Tradition
Brebeuf Jesuit's broader Faith and Justice programming flows from its identity as a Jesuit, Catholic, Ignatian school. The school's motto is 'Men and Women for Others,' and its students are required to complete community service hours. The 13th-century Franciscan scholar St. Bonaventure's line — 'We love Muslims not because they're Catholic but because we're Catholic' — is cited by Brebeuf's director of campus ministry as inspiration for a culture of encounter that welcomes students of every tradition.
- School motto: Men and Women for Others
- Community service hours requirement for students
- Rooted in the Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius of Loyola
Jesuit Leadership & Sponsorship
Brebeuf Jesuit is one of 16 secondary schools sponsored by the USA Midwest Province of the Society of Jesus. Jesuit priests and lay ministers serve together in mission formation. The 12th president is Father William 'Bill' Verbryke, SJ. The principal is Greg VanSlambrook; the Assistant Principal for Mission Formation is Adam DeLeon, SJ. Father Brian Paulson, SJ, Provincial of the Midwest Jesuits, has led the Society's appeal of the 2019 Archdiocesan decree.
- USA Midwest Province of the Society of Jesus — sponsor
- Fr. William 'Bill' Verbryke, SJ — 12th president
- Greg VanSlambrook — principal
- Adam DeLeon, SJ — Assistant Principal for Mission Formation
Canonical Status & the Archdiocese
Brebeuf Jesuit Preparatory School is geographically located within the Archdiocese of Indianapolis. In June 2019, Archbishop Charles C. Thompson issued a canonical decree stating that the Archdiocese would no longer formally recognize the school as Catholic. The Midwest Jesuits appealed this decision through the formal appeal process established in church law — first requesting the Archbishop to reconsider, then referring the matter to the Congregation for Catholic Education in Rome. The archdiocese has orally assured the school that Jesuit priests will retain their ability to celebrate Mass on campus, and daily 7:45 a.m. Mass continues in the chapel.
- Geographically within the Archdiocese of Indianapolis
- Sponsored work of the Midwest Province of the Society of Jesus
- Daily 7:45 a.m. Mass continues on campus
- Vatican appeal (Congregation for Catholic Education) ongoing
School at a Glance
A snapshot of Brebeuf Jesuit Preparatory School today:
- Founded 1962; co-ed Jesuit college preparatory school in northwest Indianapolis
- Enrollment ~829 students in grades 9–12
- Student-Teacher Ratio 12:1
- More than 50 co-curriculars and clubs; 38 athletic teams
- 40% of students receive need-based financial aid; over $5 million awarded annually
- 17 Honors courses and 26 AP courses
- 80% of faculty hold a Master's degree or above
- Campus is approximately 58 acres
Plan Your Visit
Brebeuf Jesuit is located at 2801 West 86th Street, Indianapolis, IN 46268. The chapel is open to all community members for daily Mass at 7:45 a.m. on school days. Visitors wishing to make an appointment for the Sacrament of Reconciliation or to speak with a member of Campus Ministry may call the Campus Ministry Office at 317.524.7122.
- Address: 2801 West 86th Street, Indianapolis, IN 46268
- Daily Mass open to all: Monday–Friday, 7:45 a.m.
- Campus Ministry: 317.524.7122
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Rev. William Schmidt, SJ1962–c.1968
Founder; chose the campus land on two-lane Road 100, oversaw construction, and stayed six years after the school opened.
- Rev. James P. Gschwend, SJby 1982
President who invited Fr. J. Paul O'Brien, SJ to become alumni director.
- Rev. M. Joseph Casey, SJ
Former Brebeuf Jesuit president who later reflected on Fr. O'Brien's role 'liaison between past and present'.
- Rev. Jack Dennis, SJ
President who in 2019 announced he would return to work for the Maryland Province in Baltimore.
- Rev. William 'Bill' Verbryke, SJsucceeded Fr. Jack Dennis
12th president; led the school's public response to the 2019 Archdiocese decree and the Vatican appeal.