Sacred Heart [Jeffersonville Catholic]

History & Heritage of Most Sacred Heart of Jesus

Most Sacred Heart of Jesus was established in 1953 to serve the rapidly expanding east side of Jeffersonville. The Archdiocese of Indianapolis purchased an eight-acre tract on East Eighth Street in 1952; in March 1953 Father Robert J. Walpole was named founding pastor and ground was broken on August 7, 1953. The first Mass in the completed church was celebrated on May 16, 1954, and Archbishop Paul C. Schulte formally dedicated the church and school on September 19, 1954. The parish was dedicated to the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus — the 'Font of Divine Love and Inexhaustible Source of All Graces' — a name chosen by Father Walpole out of his special devotion. Decades later, the Legacy of Hope capital campaign funded a brand-new worship space; Archbishop Daniel Buechlein and 18 priests dedicated the new church on December 16, 2001 before more than 700 worshipers.

• 1952 — Archdiocese of Indianapolis buys 8-acre site on E. 8th St.
• 1953 — Fr. Robert J. Walpole named founding pastor; groundbreaking Aug. 7; cornerstone Oct. 4
• 1954 — First Mass on May 16; school opens September with 285 students; Archbishop Schulte dedicates church and school Sept. 19
• 1955 — Convent completed; by 1957 eight additional classrooms added
• 1974 — Liturgical renovation in keeping with Vatican II; reconciliation room replaces confessionals
• 1977 — Walpole recreational building dedicated at the parish's 25th anniversary
• 2000 — Groundbreaking for new church Nov. 5 (Legacy of Hope campaign)
• 2001 — Dedication of new church Dec. 16 by Archbishop Buechlein with 18 concelebrants and 700+ worshipers

Pastor: Fr. Adam Ahern

Fr. Adam Ahern is a native of Cincinnati and a U.S. Army veteran. He was ordained a priest of the Archdiocese of Indianapolis on June 6, 2015, beginning his ministry as associate pastor at Our Lady of Perpetual Help in New Albany and chaplain at Our Lady of Providence High School in Clarksville. He was commissioned as an officer in the Indiana Army National Guard in August 2015. Over subsequent years he served as Catholic chaplain at Hanover College and then as associate pastor at St. Mary, Greensburg, and sacramental minister at St. Charles Borromeo, Milan — including a National Guard deployment overseas beginning May 2019. In 2020 he returned to Southern Indiana as administrator (and later pastor) of St. Michael, Charlestown, and St. Francis Xavier, Henryville. In July 2022 he was appointed pastor of Most Sacred Heart of Jesus and St. Augustine, Jeffersonville. He continues to serve the Indiana Army National Guard with monthly drills and an annual two-week training. Reach him at [email protected].

Parish Staff

Because Sacred Heart and St. Augustine operate as one community with two campuses, the staff is shared across both parishes. The full-time team includes a Director of Youth & Sacramental Ministry, a Business Manager, a Director of Music & Liturgy, a Communications Director, a Maintenance lead, and an Administrative Assistant. The parish office is open Monday–Friday 11:00 a.m.–4:00 p.m. and closed Saturday–Sunday. The mailing address is P.O. Box 447, Jeffersonville, IN 47131.

• Pastor — Fr. Adam Ahern ([email protected])
• Director of Youth & Sacramental Ministry — Kyle Naugle ([email protected])
• Business Manager — John Martin ([email protected])
• Director of Music & Liturgy — Jesse Schuler ([email protected])
• Communications Director — Christa Hoyland ([email protected])
• Maintenance — Robbie Nelson
• Administrative Assistant — Kelly Ueding ([email protected])

Parish Ministries & Liturgical Roles

The parish's ministries run the full range from altar service to fellowship. Liturgical ministries include Altar Servers, Lectors, Extraordinary Ministers of the Eucharist, and Greeters/Ushers; faith-formation ministries include Youth Ministry and the Athletic Committee; community-building ministries include the CCJ Quilters, Young at Heart, and Coffee & Donuts. The parish encourages new volunteers to share their time and talent — the website even invites ideas for new ministries.

• Liturgical — Altar Servers, Lectors, EMEs, Greeters/Ushers
• Devotional — Eucharistic Adoration, Rosary (Dorothy Kelly)
• Fellowship — Coffee & Donuts (after 8:00 a.m. Sunday Mass at St. Augustine), Young at Heart (first Monday 11:30 a.m., St. Catharine Hall)
• Service — CCJ Quilters (Tuesdays; annual craft sale)
• Faith Formation — Youth Ministry (Kyle Naugle), Teen Bible Study (Emma Cox), WNPG (Dorothy Kelly)

Youth Ministry & Faith Formation

Youth Ministry at Sacred Heart and St. Augustine aims to help young people 'understand and own their faith' and become lifelong disciples. Programming includes weekly High School Bible Study after the Sunday 10:00 a.m. Mass, a Teen Bible Study on the 1st, 3rd, and 5th Sundays, Catalyst Catholic events (mission trip, middle-school monthly events, Summer Daze, retreats), and the NCYC (National Catholic Youth Conference). The Athletic Committee runs year-round sports programs for grades 3–8. Sacramental preparation for youth is directed by Kyle Naugle.

• High School Bible Study — Sundays after 10:00 a.m. Mass
• Teen Bible Study — 1st, 3rd, 5th Sundays after 10:00 a.m. Mass; facilitator Emma Cox; text (615) 838-4398
• Catalyst Catholic — Mission Trip, Middle School monthly events, Summer Daze, Retreats
• NCYC Conference
• Athletic Committee — J.W. Nickell and Stacy Wisenski ([email protected])
• Sacramental Ministry — contact Kyle Naugle ([email protected])

Faith Groups (Adult Formation)

Faith Groups are small intentional gatherings for adults to grow in faith and friendship. The parish runs Lent-season groups such as Audito Divina (lectio divina applied to music/hymns), a Precious Blood study (with the chaplet), Stations of the Cross discussions on Fridays, and the always-open Wednesday Night Prayer Group (WNPG), facilitated by Dorothy Kelly.

• Audito Divina — Thursday mornings 9 weeks during Lent, St. Augustine Parish Hall (Christa Hoyland & Mary Chris Rodden)
• Precious Blood Study — Monday mornings (Diane McCue), St. Catharine Hall at Sacred Heart
• Stations of the Cross small group — Friday evenings in Lent (Celina Acosta)
• Wednesday Night Prayer Group (WNPG) — Wednesdays after 5:30 p.m. Mass, except first Wednesday

Sacred Heart Catholic School

Most Sacred Heart of Jesus Catholic School shares the parish campus at 1842 E. 8th Street (phone 812-283-3123). Founded the same year as the parish, the school opened in September 1954 with 285 students in grades 1–8 taught by the Dominican Sisters of St. Catharine, Kentucky, under first principal Sister John Francis, O.P. The school continues today as a PreK–8 elementary school serving parish families and the wider Jeffersonville community. (Hours of operation, tuition, and enrollment details were not found on the parish website and would need to be confirmed at sacredheartschool.us.)

• Address — 1842 E. 8th Street, Jeffersonville, IN 47130
• Phone — (812) 283-3123
• Grades — PreK through 8
• Founded — 1954, with 285 students grades 1–8 in its first year
• First principal — Sister John Francis, O.P. (Dominican Sisters of St. Catharine, KY)

Music & Liturgy

Music ministry across both parish campuses is led by Jesse Schuler, Director of Music & Liturgy. A Louisville native and lifelong Catholic, Schuler holds a degree in Music Education from the University of Louisville and a Master of Arts in Teaching; he previously directed music for the Archdiocese of Louisville at St. Elizabeth Ann Seton and St. Lawrence Parishes before joining the Archdiocese of Indianapolis in 2018 at St. John Paul II Parish in Sellersburg. He also serves as Musical Director for the New Albany Children's Theatre and teaches private piano lessons. (Email [email protected].)

Getting Involved & Stay Connected

The parish encourages newcomers to register, sign up for ministries, and stay in touch through the weekly newsletter and text-message notifications. Visitors and parishioners alike can register via an online form, give online, submit ideas for new ministries, and request the parish bulletin.

• Weekly Parish Newsletter on Wednesdays plus obituaries and other notices as needed
• Text JEFFCATHOLIC to 84576 to subscribe; STOP to 84576 to unsubscribe
• Online giving and registration linked from the homepage
• Parish office open Mon–Fri 11:00 a.m.–4:00 p.m. (closed Sat–Sun)
• Phone (812) 282-2677 — Fax (812) 282-8821

Contact & Visit

The parish office and Sacred Heart church share the campus at 1840 E. 8th Street, Jeffersonville, IN 47130. The mailing address is P.O. Box 447, Jeffersonville, IN 47131. The sister parish St. Augustine is located at 315 East Chestnut Street, Jeffersonville, IN 47130. Sacred Heart School sits adjacent at 1842 E. 8th Street.

• Parish Office & Sacred Heart Church — 1840 E. 8th St., Jeffersonville, IN 47130
• Mailing Address — P.O. Box 447, Jeffersonville, IN 47131
• Phone — (812) 282-2677 | Fax — (812) 282-8821
• Email — [email protected]
• Office Hours — Mon–Fri 11:00 a.m.–4:00 p.m.
• St. Augustine Campus — 315 E. Chestnut St., Jeffersonville, IN 47130
• Sacred Heart School — 1842 E. 8th St., Jeffersonville, IN 47130 | (812) 283-3123