About Immaculate Conception · Laotto, Indiana
Immaculate Conception Catholic Church is a historic rural parish in the tiny unincorporated settlement of Ege in Noble County, Indiana, within the Diocese of Fort Wayne-South Bend. Founded in 1853 by French pioneer Gabriel Girardot, the parish serves approximately 140–150 families today, many of them direct descendants of the area's original French and Polish settlers. Mass is celebrated on Saturday evenings, Sunday mornings, and twice during the week, and the parish is best known locally for its beloved annual Chicken Dinner held every Sunday after Labor Day — a 100-year-old Polish-cooking tradition that draws more than 1,000 guests.
- Established
- 1853
- Patron
- The Blessed Virgin Mary, under the title of the Immaculate Conception
- Rector
- Father Keeton Lockwood
- Diocese
- Diocese of Fort Wayne-South Bend
Why belong here
Immaculate Conception, Ege is a tight-knit, debt-free rural parish of about 140 families whose Catholic roots run more than 170 years deep — many current parishioners are direct descendants of the original French and Polish settlers. The parish offers daily and weekend Mass, Eucharistic Adoration on Tuesdays, religious education from preschool through 8th grade, RCIA (OCIA) for adults, an active Rosary Society, a choir and music ministry, and a Parish Pastoral Council organized around six missions: evangelization, education, pastoral ministry, liturgy, social concerns, and ecumenism. For more than 100 years the parish has also gathered each September for the famous Polish-style Chicken Dinner, a true parish-wide effort that draws the wider community together around food, faith, and heritage.
Mass times at Immaculate Conception
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Saturday 6:00–6:45 PM
Adoration times
- Tuesday 8:30–9:30 AM (Eucharistic Adoration Holy Hour following the 8:00 AM Mass)
History of Immaculate Conception Parish, Ege
Founded in 1853 by French pioneer Gabriel Girardot, who cleared the land, made a vow to build a 'church in the wilderness,' and personally built the first 25-by-40-foot church in 1863 with hand-made pews and altar. From 1863 to 1876 it was a mission station of St. Mary's, Avilla. The settlement's French character shifted to Polish in the 1860s under Fr. Dominic Duehmig, who brought railroad-logger Polish immigrant families to the cheap, Catholic-friendly land. In 1876 the community built a larger frame church and became an independent parish; in 1878 Fr. Francis Xavier Ege arrived and so endeared himself that the village was renamed 'Ege' in his honor. The current brick church, the parish's third building, was dedicated by Bishop Herman Alerding on November 14, 1923, after the second church burned during Mass in 1922; the building was re-consecrated by Bishop John M. D'Arcy on November 14, 1989, after an electrical fire destroyed the main altar.
- 1853 – Gabriel Girardot arrives from France and clears land in Noble County
- 1856 – First Holy Mass celebrated by Fr. Francis Deschamp in Girardot's home
- 1863 – First church built by Girardot; dedicated by Bishop John H. Luers
- 1876 – Larger 38-by-90-foot frame church built; parish becomes independent
- 1878 – Fr. Francis X. Ege arrives; settlement renamed 'Ege' in his honor
- 1879 – St. Anne School opens with Sisters of St. Francis of the Sacred Heart
- 1922 – Second church burns during Sunday Mass under Fr. Donnelly
- 1923 – Present brick church dedicated by Bishop Herman Alerding
- 1989 – Church restored and re-consecrated by Bishop John M. D'Arcy
- 2024 – Fr. Keeton Lockwood begins as current pastor
Parish Staff & Clergy
Immaculate Conception is currently shepherded by Father Keeton Lockwood (Administrator/Pastor), with Kim Kiracofe as parish secretary and a small, dedicated lay staff coordinating faith formation, music, and Sacramental preparation. The parish office is open Monday through Friday, 8:00 AM to 2:00 PM.
- Father Keeton Lockwood — Administrator/Pastor (260-693-9578)
- Kim Kiracofe — Parish Secretary (260-693-9578)
- Judy Egolf — Director of Religious Education (260-705-4577)
- Beth Konger — Music Director (260-693-2724)
- Jenna Ott — Music Assistant (260-414-3659)
- Paul Sade — OCIA (RCIA) contact (260-609-5607)
Religious Education & Sacramental Preparation
Religious Education is a top priority at Immaculate Conception, with the parish's stated goal of sharing the faith in Jesus Christ and his Church and helping children personally know Jesus and joyfully claim their Catholic identity. Children in the 2nd Grade class receive First Holy Communion on the First Sunday of May, after a First Reconciliation scheduled by their catechist and pastor; children in 8th Grade are confirmed after their year of instruction. Adults who have not yet been confirmed are invited to contact the parish office for direction.
- Classes run from the third Sunday in September through the end of April
- Preschool through 8th Grade registration available each year
- 2nd Grade — First Reconciliation and First Holy Communion (First Sunday of May)
- 8th Grade — Confirmation (date varies each year)
- Director of Religious Education: Judy Egolf
OCIA — Order of Christian Initiation of Adults
The parish welcomes new adult members through OCIA (the restored name for the RCIA process). Classes typically begin in September and run through Easter, meeting for about one hour per week, usually on Sunday. Interested adults are asked to sign up before September by contacting the parish office or OCIA coordinator Paul Sade.
- Adult initiation into the Catholic Church
- Classes: Sunday, ~1 hour/week, September through Easter
- Contact: Parish office (260-693-9578) or Paul Sade (260-609-5607)
Music & Liturgical Ministries
Music is coordinated by Music Director Beth Konger and Music Assistant Jenna Ott, who support the parish's sung liturgy and choir at weekend and weekday Masses. The Liturgy / Lay Ministries umbrella on the parish website covers the many ways parishioners serve as lectors, extraordinary ministers of Holy Communion, altar servers, ushers, and in other roles at Mass.
- Music Director — Beth Konger
- Music Assistant — Jenna Ott
- Liturgy / Lay Ministries opportunities for parishioners
Parish Pastoral Council & Six Missions
Immaculate Conception operates a Parish Pastoral Council that, under the pastor's leadership, helps set parish direction and discern the needs of parishioners through prayer and communal wisdom. The Council's work is organized around six formal missions, drawn from the Second Vatican Council's Decree on the Apostolate of the Laity and the 1983 Code of Canon Law (Canon 536.1).
- Mission for Evangelization
- Mission for Education
- Mission for Pastoral Ministry
- Mission for Liturgy
- Mission for Social Concerns and Outreach
- Mission for Ecumenism and Interfaith Relations
Sacraments
The parish website walks parishioners through the canonical requirements for each sacrament. Infant baptism is typically celebrated after any Sunday Mass, with at least one practicing-Catholic godparent aged 16 or older (Canon 874). Marriage preparation must begin at least six months in advance with the proper pastor, and the Anointing of the Sick is available to any parishioner suffering serious illness by request through the parish office.
- Baptism
- Confirmation
- First Holy Communion
- First Reconciliation
- Anointing of the Sick
- Marriage
- OCIA (adult initiation)
Rosary Society & Parish Devotions
The Rosary Society is one of Immaculate Conception's longest-standing women's ministries, with many active members who come together in prayer and service to the parish. The parish also maintains the Tuesday morning Eucharistic Adoration Holy Hour as a weekly devotion, and participates in diocesan initiatives such as Walking With Moms in Need.
- Rosary Society — active women's prayer and service group
- Eucharistic Adoration — Tuesday 8:30–9:30 AM
- Walking With Moms in Need
Parish Traditions: The Annual Chicken Dinner
Since 1924, Immaculate Conception has been known throughout the area for its annual Chicken Dinner, held every Sunday after Labor Day. Fried chicken, mashed potatoes, and noodles are homemade by parishioners — recipes famous for their 'good Polish cooking.' The dinner averages about 1,000 guests and features games and entertainment for visitors; virtually every parishioner, adult and child, takes on a duty to make the day work. Today it remains the parish's primary fundraiser and a beloved community festival.
- Begun in 1924 — over 100 years of continuous tradition
- Held each Sunday after Labor Day
- Homemade fried chicken, mashed potatoes, and noodles
- About 1,000 meals served each year
- Parish-wide effort involving all ages
Contact & Visiting
The parish office is open Monday through Friday, 8:00 AM to 2:00 PM. While the physical church address is in the rural settlement of Ege (Laotto mailing address), parish mail goes to 216 North Main Street, Churubusco, Indiana 46723. The latest weekly bulletin is published on the parish website and is the best source for current announcements, Sacramental schedules, and parish events.
- Physical Address: 7046 E 400 S, Laotto, IN 46763
- Mailing Address: 216 North Main Street, Churubusco, IN 46723
- Phone: (260) 693-9578
- Email: [email protected]
- Website: http://icccege.org/
- Parish Office Hours: M–F 8:00 AM to 2:00 PM
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Rev. William Geers1876
First resident pastor
- Rev. Peter Franzen1877–1878
- Rev. Francis X. Ege1878–1897
After whom the settlement of Ege was named
- Rev. Francis P. Faust1897–1910
- Rev. Francis A. King1910–1919
- Rev. J. Nicholas Allgeier1919–1921
- Rev. Raphael F. Donnelly1921–1926
Pastor when the second church burned during Mass in 1922
- Rev. Peter Schmitt1926–1928
- Rev. Anthony V. Nadolny1928–1933
- Rev. Joseph A. Suelzer1933–1934
- Rev. Louis Michalski1934–1944
- Rev. Casimir B. Moskwinski1944–1950
- Rev. Joseph Buczyna1950–1953
- Rev. William S. Plotzki1953–1957
- Rev. Anthony J. Rzeszutek1957–1971
Founded sister parish St. John Bosco in Churubusco in 1958; served both parishes
- Rev. Dennis H. Blank1971–1973
- Rev. Camillo A. Tirabassi1973–1978
- Rev. James Seculoff1978
- Rev. Patrick Durkin1978–1981
- Rev. Donald Isenbarger1981–1997
Led the full restoration of the church after the electrical fire; consecration Mass celebrated by Bishop D'Arcy on November 14, 1989
- Rev. Danney Pinto1997–2016
- Rev. Francis C. Chukwuma2016–2021
- Rev. Andrew Curry2021–2023
- Rev. Emmanuel Abuh2023–2024
- Rev. Keeton Lockwood2024–Present
Current Administrator/Pastor