About Holy Guardian Angels Oratory [Brookville Parishes] · Cedar Grove, Indiana
Holy Guardian Angels Oratory is a small Catholic worship site in Cedar Grove, Indiana, part of the Brookville Parishes cluster of the Archdiocese of Indianapolis alongside St. Michael the Archangel in Brookville and St. Peter Church. Originally founded as a standalone parish in the 1870s and eventually merged into St. Michael Parish on December 1, 2013, the Oratory continues to host regular weekday Masses and remains the spiritual home of roughly 150 farm families from the Whitewater River valley. It is now served together with St. Peter by Pastor Fr. Santhosh Yohannan and Deacon Steve Tsuleff.
- Established
- 1874
- Patron
- Holy Guardian Angels
- Rector
- Fr. Santhosh Yohannan
- Diocese
- Archdiocese of Indianapolis
Why belong here
Holy Guardian Angels Oratory is a small, family-sized faith community of about 150 households in the Whitewater River valley, where neighbors still know one another by name. Even after its 2013 merger into St. Michael Parish, the Oratory keeps a robust weekday schedule — a Wednesday morning Mass, monthly First Friday and First Saturday celebrations with Marian devotion, and reconciliation before every liturgy — making it a quiet, contemplative option for those who live along the US 52 corridor. Joining means becoming part of a three-church Catholic family that runs St. Michael School, faith formation for every age, Team Jesus youth ministry, and cemetery care in Cedar Grove.
Mass times at Holy Guardian Angels Oratory [Brookville Parishes]
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- 30 minutes before every weekday and weekend Mass (20-minute session) at the relevant church
- Every Wednesday from 5:00 p.m. until the 6:00 p.m. Mass at St. Peter
- First Friday of each month following the 7:30 a.m. Mass until 9:00 a.m. at St. Michael
About the Brookville Parishes Cluster
Holy Guardian Angels Oratory in Cedar Grove is one of three Catholic worship sites that together make up the Brookville Parishes of the Archdiocese of Indianapolis. The cluster is centered on St. Michael the Archangel (145 St. Michael Blvd., Brookville, IN 47012), with St. Peter Church (1207 East Rd., Brookville) and the historic Oratory in Cedar Grove as satellite communities. Fr. Santhosh Yohannan serves as pastor of all three churches, with Dcn. Steve Tsuleff assisting.
- St. Michael the Archangel, Brookville — principal parish church
- St. Peter Church, 1207 East Rd., Brookville
- Holy Guardian Angels Oratory, 405 US Hwy 52, Cedar Grove
- Pastor: Fr. Santhosh Yohannan (765-647-5462)
- Deacon: Dcn. Steve Tsuleff
Founding and 19th-Century Growth (1872–1895)
Catholic families in the Whitewater valley began gathering for Mass in 1872 at the home of Phillip Eschenbach. Within two years the community built its first church — a red-brick structure opened on the third Sunday of January 1874, when the register already listed thirty families headed by the Fohl, Dehner, and Rosenberger households. Fr. Joseph Fleischman served as the first pastor, commuting from St. Michael in Brookville; he was succeeded by Fr. Henry (Henricus H.) Tegeder, ordained at St. Meinrad in 1883, who built the parish's first pastor's residence beside the church. Fr. Tegeder died November 24, 1886, and is buried in Holy Guardian Angels Cemetery.
- 1872 — first Mass celebrated at the Eschenbach home
- 1874 — first red-brick church opened, 30 families
- 1883–1886 — Fr. Henry Tegeder serves, builds first rectory on site
The Present Church (1895) and Its Architecture
By 1895 the original red-brick church and the white-frame school both overflowed their capacity. The old church was converted to a school, the original school into a teacher's residence, and on the same hilltop in August 1895 the present Queen Anne Gothic church was dedicated. The Brookville Democrat described the new building as nearly 100 feet long and 48 feet wide, with window arches shipped from Findlay, Ohio, and a monumental west-side bell tower rising 106 feet, capped by an 11-foot gilt ball and cross. More than twenty Cedar Grove families contributed the labor and craftsmanship that produced the structure still standing today.
- Queen Anne Gothic style, ~100 × 48 ft.
- Window arches from Findlay, Ohio
- 106-foot west bell tower with gilt ball and cross
2013 Merger and Continued Life as an Oratory
Because of declining rural population the Archdiocese of Indianapolis merged Holy Guardian Angels into St. Michael the Archangel Parish effective December 1, 2013. At closing the parish had 150 registered families and a worship space with seating for 255. The church building, however, was retained as an Oratory and continues to host regular weekday and monthly Masses for Catholic families along the US 52 corridor.
- Closed as a standalone parish: December 1, 2013
- 150 families at closing; 255-seat capacity
- Continues as an Oratory for weekday Masses
Parish Staff and Ministry Leaders
The Brookville Parishes share a single staff serving all three worship sites. Fr. Santhosh Yohannan is pastor; Dcn. Steve Tsuleff assists. Lay staff include directors of communications, religious education, evangelization and faith formation, music, operations and a school principal.
- Pastor — Fr. Santhosh Yohannan (765-647-5462)
- Deacon — Dcn. Steve Tsuleff (765-647-5462)
- Director of Communications — Mrs. Susan Leffingwell (765-647-4961 / 513-885-0464)
- Coordinator of Religious Education — Mrs. Donna Weekley
- Director of Evangelization & Faith Formation — Kayla Jonas (765-547-1462)
- Music Director — Mr. Dave McKinney (765-647-4961)
- Director of Operations / Business Manager — Theresa Back
- Administrative Assistant — Carla Hertel (765-647-4961)
- Principal (St. Michael School) — Mrs. Michelle Gramman (513-462-4821)
- Maintenance Director (St. Michael) — Mr. John Schock (812-569-8101)
- Maintenance Director (St. Peter) — Mr. Chad Moeller
- Team Jesus Youth Ministry — Mrs. Brenda Bertsch (765-698-6398)
Faith Formation, School and Youth Ministry
Religious education, youth ministry and Catholic schooling are coordinated at the parish cluster level so that families from Cedar Grove, Brookville and the surrounding townships have access to one faith-formation program. Mrs. Donna Weekley serves as Coordinator of Religious Education, while Kayla Jonas directs Evangelization & Faith Formation. Team Jesus Youth Ministry is led by Mrs. Brenda Bertsch (765-698-6398). St. Michael Catholic School (PreK–8) is led by Principal Mrs. Michelle Gramman.
- Coordinator of Religious Education — Donna Weekley
- Director of Evangelization & Faith Formation — Kayla Jonas (765-547-1462)
- Team Jesus Youth Ministry — Brenda Bertsch (765-698-6398)
- St. Michael Catholic School — Principal Michelle Gramman (513-462-4821)
Cemetery: St. Michael & Holy Guardian Angels Cemeteries
The Brookville Parishes maintain two related burial grounds. The parish publishes a combined Cemetery Fees schedule and Decoration Policy that applies to both the St. Michael and Holy Guardian Angels cemeteries, including the historic graves around the Oratory in Cedar Grove where founders such as Fr. Henry Tegeder rest. Inquiries about plot purchase or policies are handled by Carla Hertel at 765-547-1460 or [email protected].
- St. Michael Cemetery and Holy Guardian Angels Cemetery administered jointly
- Contact — Carla Hertel, 765-547-1460
- Annual income from the Holy Guardian Angels Catholic Church Endowment supports grounds and cemetery care
The Holy Guardian Angels Catholic Church Endowment
In 2004, Cedar Grove native Ruth Fohl established the Holy Guardian Angels Catholic Church Endowment at the Franklin County Community Foundation. The fund honors the founding families of the parish — especially the Eva Rosenberger Fohl and Louis Dehner families — and each year its income provides ongoing support for maintenance of the Oratory building, its grounds and the parish cemetery.
- Fund established 2004 at FCCF
- Honors founders Eva Rosenberger Fohl and Louis Dehner families
- Income supports church, grounds and cemetery maintenance
Becoming a Member
Newcomers are welcomed into the Brookville Parishes through the central parish office. The 'I'm New Here' page invites visitors and returning Catholics to register, learn about the Mass and reconciliation schedule, and connect with the appropriate ministry or sacramental preparation track.
- Office: 145 St. Michael Blvd., Brookville, IN 47012
- Phone: 765-647-5462
- Email: [email protected]
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Fr. Joseph Fleischman
First pastor of Holy Guardian Angels; resided at St. Michael in Brookville and commuted.
- Fr. Henry (Henricus H.) Tegeder1883–1886
Succeeded Fr. Fleischman and built a pastor's residence beside the Cedar Grove church. Died November 24, 1886; buried in Holy Guardian Angels Cemetery.