About Immaculate Conception · Millhousen, Indiana
Immaculate Conception Church is a small Roman Catholic parish in the unincorporated community of Millhousen, in southern Decatur County, Indiana. Built at the center of a German Catholic community, it has served local families since 1834 and remains one of the oldest parishes in the Archdiocese of Indianapolis, serving about 120 families today from a 200-seat church. The parish is led by Father Binu Mathew as Parish Administrator and belongs to a cohort of small country parishes with St. John the Baptist (Osgood) and St. Maurice (Napoleon) in the Batesville Deanery.
- Established
- 1834
- Patron
- Immaculate Conception (the church building is also historically under the patronage of St. Boniface)
- Rector
- Rev. Binu Mathew (Parish Administrator)
- Diocese
- Archdiocese of Indianapolis (Batesville Deanery)
Why belong here
Immaculate Conception is a small, multigenerational country parish where the same families have worshipped for nearly two centuries. Visitors are welcomed to a 9 AM Sunday Mass and a Thursday evening Holy Hour with adoration, confession, and rosary, and can join RCIA, faith formation for children (Confirmation in junior year of high school), and a full sacramental life from Baptism through Anointing of the Sick. As part of a three-parish cohort with St. John the Baptist in Osgood and St. Maurice in Napoleon, parishioners share resources and community with fellow German-Catholic-heritage parishes across southeastern Indiana.
Mass times at Immaculate Conception
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Sunday — after the 9 AM Mass (approximately 10 AM)
- Thursday — 5:10 to 5:25 PM
- During Advent and Lent — cohort-wide Penance Services (dates announced)
Adoration times
- Thursday — 5:00 PM to 6:00 PM (Holy Hour, with rosary)
- Friday — 12:00 PM to 3:00 PM
- First Friday — Adoration continues until 8:00 AM Saturday, followed by Mass
Our History
Immaculate Conception traces its roots to 1834, when German Catholic families who had first settled in Cincinnati moved into southeastern Indiana and founded the town of Millhousen. Originally placed under the patronage of St. Boniface, the parish was renamed Immaculate Conception in 1867 after a dispute with Father Ferdinand Hundt during construction of the present church. The parish was briefly placed under interdict by Bishop Maurice de St. Palais, lasting six months until a new pastor was assigned. The longest-serving pastor, Father Carl Riebenthaler, shepherded the community from 1928 to 1971, and the parish school closed the same year he retired. In 1984 the community produced "The Story of Millhousen" to mark its 150th anniversary; the book was reprinted for the 175th anniversary in 2009 and digitized in 2017 by parishioner Kenny Stier.
- Founded 1834 by twelve German-Catholic families
- Originally under the patronage of St. Boniface; renamed Immaculate Conception in 1867
- Present church building dates to the 1860s–1870s construction under Father Ferdinand Hundt
- Father Carl Riebenthaler: pastor 1928–1971 (43+ years)
- Parish school closed 1971
- 150th anniversary celebrated 1984 with "The Story of Millhousen" book
- 175th anniversary Mass celebrated October 11, 2009, with Archbishop Daniel M. Buechlein
- "Story of Millhousen" digitized in 2017 by Kenny Stier
Historic Parish Records & Genealogy
The parish history page hosts a rich genealogy resource compiled by Greg Meyer from records spanning 1840 to 1940. Visitors can use CTRL-F to search baptisms, marriages, and deaths. Many headstones in the parish cemetery are also documented on Find A Grave, and old photos and documents are shared via a Shutterfly archive, with additional prints displayed at Stone's Family Restaurant and the parish office.
- Baptisms spreadsheet (1840–1940)
- Marriages spreadsheet (1840–1940)
- Deaths spreadsheet (1840–1940)
- Cemetery records on Find A Grave
- Photo/document archive on Shutterfly
- 1882 map of Millhousen
- Millhousen Wiki for further local history
The Seven Sacraments
Immaculate Conception celebrates all seven Catholic sacraments. Baptism is scheduled by appointment after preparation; Penance is offered after Sunday Mass and Thursday afternoon; First Communion is received within the Faith Formation program; Confirmation is celebrated when students are juniors in high school; Anointing of the Sick is available on request; Holy Orders discernment is encouraged through the Archdiocese Vocations Office; and Marriage requires at least six months of preparation, with couples asked to contact the parish office before setting a date. Communion can be brought to the homebound by calling the parish office.
- Baptism — by appointment, with preparation
- Penance — Sunday after Mass & Thursday 5:10–5:25 PM
- Eucharist — Sunday 9 AM & Thursday 6 PM; homebound visits on request
- Confirmation — juniors in high school, in Faith Formation
- Anointing of the Sick — on request
- Holy Orders — discernment via Archdiocese Vocations Office
- Matrimony — minimum six months of preparation
Faith Formation & RCIA
Religious education for children and youth is led by Coordinator of Religious Education Jeanne Fry. Students preparing for Confirmation must be attending Faith Formation classes and are typically confirmed as juniors in high school. Adults interested in learning about or joining the Catholic Church are invited to inquire about the Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults (RCIA) by contacting the parish office.
- Faith Formation classes for parish children
- Confirmation preparation for juniors in high school
- RCIA for adults — contact the parish office
- Coordinator: Jeanne Fry ([email protected])
Staff & Volunteers
Day-to-day parish life is supported by a small but dedicated staff and team of volunteers, including the Parish Administrator, Coordinator of Liturgical Ministries, Coordinator of Religious Education, and a webmaster who also digitized the parish's anniversary history.
- Father Binu Mathew — Parish Administrator ([email protected])
- LaDonna Hoeing — Coordinator of Liturgical Ministries ([email protected])
- Jeanne Fry — Coordinator of Religious Education ([email protected])
- Kenny Stier — Webmaster; digitized "The Story of Millhousen" in 2017
Our Cohort & the Archdiocese
Immaculate Conception belongs to the Batesville Deanery of the Archdiocese of Indianapolis (Parish #097). For collaboration and shared sacramental events, it is grouped with two neighboring small country parishes — St. John the Baptist in Osgood and St. Maurice in Napoleon — forming a pastoral cohort that shares resources and Penance Services during Advent and Lent.
- Archdiocese of Indianapolis — Parish #097
- Batesville Deanery
- Cohort partner: St. John the Baptist, Osgood
- Cohort partner: St. Maurice, Napoleon
- 120 registered families, church capacity 200
Visit Us & Stay Connected
The parish invites visitors to join Sunday Mass at 9 AM and stay in touch through bulletins (a paper copy is available in the Bulletin Box in front of the church), the online events calendar, and parish archives. Office hours are posted on the contact page, with Father Binu Mathew typically available Tuesday and Thursday afternoons.
- Mass: Sunday 9 AM, Thursday 6 PM
- Office phone: (812) 591-2362
- Office hours: Tue 10–1 (with Fr. Binu), Wed 10:30–2:30, Thu 1–5 (with Fr. Binu), Fri 9–3
- Paper bulletins in the Bulletin Box outside church
- Events calendar and bulletin archives on the parish website
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Father Ferdinand Hundtmid-1860s–1867
Pastor during the construction of the present church; conflict with parishioners led to his being locked out of the rectory and the parish's being placed under interdict by Bishop de St. Palais.
- Father Carl Riebenthaler1928–1971
Longest-tenured pastor in parish history (43+ years); remembered fondly by centenarian parishioners as a stabilizing figure.