About Butler Catholic Community (Butler University) · Indianapolis, Indiana
The Butler Catholic Community (BCC) is the Catholic campus ministry serving students, faculty, and staff of Butler University in Indianapolis, Indiana, under the Archdiocese of Indianapolis. A Newman-style ministry rooted in the university's Northside neighborhood, the BCC gathers the campus Catholic community through Sunday Mass in Sweeney Chapel, weekday Masses (including on campus and at neighboring St. Luke Catholic Church and St. Thomas Aquinas Parish), faith-sharing groups, retreats, service projects, and Sunday Suppers. It also partners with Butler's Compass Center (formerly the Center for Faith and Vocation, which has served religious life on campus for over 20 years) to provide spiritual care and Catholic life on campus.
- Established
- 1950s
- Rector
- Fr. Daniel McMullin (Priest Director and Chaplain, per publicly listed profiles)
- Diocese
- Archdiocese of Indianapolis
Why belong here
The Butler Catholic Community welcomes every Butler student — Catholic or simply curious — to an authentic campus Catholic life centered on the Eucharist. Members grow through Sunday Mass in Sweeney Chapel, a midweek Mass, faith-sharing small groups, retreats, and 'Sunday Suppers' that build real community. Service is built in: students serve as liturgical ministers at Mass and volunteer at a neighborhood food pantry and other Indianapolis service projects, while having access to confidential spiritual care through Butler's Compass Center chaplains.
Mass times at Butler Catholic Community (Butler University)
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Sunday 3:00 PM – 4:00 PM
- Tuesday 7:00 PM – 8:00 PM (during Adoration at Sweeney Chapel, South Campus, during the school year)
Adoration times
- Tuesday 7:00 PM – 8:00 PM (Sweeney Chapel, South Campus, during the school year) — once a month includes praise & worship and guided prayer
About the Butler Catholic Community
The Butler Catholic Community (BCC) is the Catholic campus ministry of Butler University, under the Archdiocese of Indianapolis. Its self-described mission is to be 'your home away from home on campus,' helping students encounter Jesus Christ and an authentic Catholic community. It welcomes all students to its events — Sunday Mass, Sunday Suppers, small groups, service events, retreats, and more — and extends the love of Christ to the wider Butler community. The BCC works hand-in-hand with Butler's Compass Center, which stewards religious life and spiritual care across the university.
- Catholic campus ministry of Butler University
- Part of the Archdiocese of Indianapolis
- Open to all students — Catholic or simply exploring
- Programs rooted in Mass, formation, service, and community
History of Catholic Life at Butler
Catholic life at Butler University has long been nurtured by neighboring St. Thomas Aquinas Parish, founded in 1938 by Father Joseph Tieman at the appointment of Bishop Joseph Ritter. From the parish's earliest days, students, faculty, and staff worshipped there, and the parish supported a Newman Center on Butler's campus from the 1950s until it closed in 2003. After the campus Newman Center closed, the ministry reorganized as the Butler Catholic Community, with St. Thomas Aquinas continuing to seek new and creative ways to serve Butler students. On the university side, the Center for Faith and Vocation (renamed the Compass Center in 2024) has cultivated multifaith communities at Butler for more than 20 years.
- 1938: Father Joseph Tieman founds St. Thomas Aquinas Parish
- 1950s: On-campus Newman Center opens at Butler
- 2003: Newman Center closes; ministry continues as the Butler Catholic Community
- 2024: Center for Faith and Vocation renamed the Compass Center
Ministries and Student Life
Beyond the Mass schedule, the BCC builds community through faith-sharing small groups, retreats, Sunday Suppers, and service. Students serve as liturgical ministers at Mass — lectors, Eucharistic ministers, sacristans, servers, musicians, and hospitality — and volunteer at a neighborhood food pantry and other service projects throughout the Indianapolis community. The BCC also connects students to confidential spiritual care through Butler's Compass Center, where ordained chaplains offer non-judgmental listening and pastoral support.
- Faith-sharing small groups
- Retreats (campus and off-campus)
- Sunday Suppers community meals
- Liturgical ministry at Sunday Mass
- Neighborhood food pantry service
- Other Indianapolis-area service projects
- Confidential spiritual care via the Compass Center
Clergy and Spiritual Care
The BCC is led by a priest director and chaplain from the Archdiocese of Indianapolis. Fr. Daniel McMullin is publicly identified as Priest Director and Chaplain of the Butler Catholic Community. Fr. Jeff Godecker, a retired priest who remains active, has been listed as Chaplain at Butler University from January 2006 onward. Additional Catholic clergy associated with Butler's Compass Center include Fr. James Brockmeier and Fr. David Wey; both are available as confidential conversation partners for students, faculty, and staff seeking spiritual direction, discernment, or simply a non-judgmental listener.
- Fr. Daniel McMullin — Priest Director & Chaplain, BCC
- Fr. Jeff Godecker — Chaplain at Butler University since 2006
- Fr. James Brockmeier — Catholic clergy, Compass Center staff
- Fr. David Wey — Compass Center confidential conversation partner
Compass Center and Wider Butler Faith Life
The BCC is one of several faith communities housed within Butler's Compass Center, the multifaith hub for spiritual and religious life on campus (renamed in 2024 from the Center for Faith and Vocation, which had served Butler for over 20 years). The Compass Center provides staff, student interns, space, and leadership development for both faith-based and secular communities, and partners with campus and community groups to help students explore questions of meaning and purpose. Catholic students therefore have both a dedicated ministry (the BCC) and the wider Compass Center network of conversation partners and chaplains.
- Compass Center (formerly Center for Faith and Vocation) — Butler's multifaith hub
- Renamed in 2024 after more than 20 years of service
- Offers confidential spiritual care conversations across traditions
- Houses the BCC alongside Jewish, Muslim, and Protestant life
Visit, Contact, and Practical Info
The Butler Catholic Community can be reached at (317) 940-8254, with its main mailing address at 4615 Sunset Avenue, Indianapolis, IN 46208 (also listed at 4298 Haughey Avenue, Indianapolis, IN 46208). The official website is butler-catholic.org. New students can register through the BCC's online registration form, and visitors to Sunday Mass are reminded that the Sweeney Chapel door is key-card access — if locked, a phone call to the office number will open the door.
- Phone: (317) 940-8254
- Address: 4615 Sunset Avenue / 4298 Haughey Avenue, Indianapolis, IN 46208
- Website: http://www.butler-catholic.org
- Online registration available for new students
- Sunday Mass door is key-card access — call (317) 940-8254 if locked
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Fr. Jeff Godecker2006–present
Listed publicly as Chaplain at Butler University from Jan 2006; later described as a retired priest who remains active.