About Saint Aloysius · Yoder, Indiana
St. Aloysius Catholic Church is a historic parish in Yoder, Indiana (Pleasant Township, Allen County), founded in 1859 by German, French, Irish and English Catholic farming families who had settled in the area. Located on Bluffton Road just outside Fort Wayne, the parish belongs to the Diocese of Fort Wayne–South Bend and is home to the oldest continuously operating Catholic school in that diocese (established 1882). Today it serves as a tight-knit rural community offering weekend and daily Mass, Eucharistic adoration, religious education, a parish school, and a vibrant parish life — most visibly the annual St. Aloysius Festival and a long-running Rummage Sale.
- Established
- 1859
- Patron
- St. Aloysius (Gonzaga)
- Rector
- Fr. Mark Gurtner (Parish Administrator, beginning 2026)
- Diocese
- Diocese of Fort Wayne–South Bend
Why belong here
St. Aloysius offers the feel of a small, multigenerational rural Catholic community with deep roots: founded in 1859, served by 27 pastors since, and home to the oldest continuously operating Catholic school in the Diocese of Fort Wayne–South Bend. Parishioners can worship at a Saturday Vigil or one of two Sunday Masses, pray a weekly Holy Hour and Benediction, attend weekday Mass Tuesday through Friday, and participate in a wide range of lay ministries — lectors, Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion, altar servers, ushers, the Music Ministry, the Rosary Sodality (women's group), the Pro-Life Committee, the Parish Committee, Finance Council, and Religious Education classes for children. Families who join also have the option of an excellent PreK–8 parish school on the same grounds.
Mass times at Saint Aloysius
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Saturday 4:00–5:00 p.m. (before the 5:30 p.m. Vigil Mass) or by appointment
Adoration times
- Holy Hour and Benediction every Thursday at 6:00 p.m. (Rosary or Divine Mercy followed by silent Eucharistic Adoration)
Our History
In the mid-1800s, Catholic families — most from Germany, others from France, Ireland and England — settled Pleasant Township in what is now Yoder, Indiana. In 1858 Bishop John Henry Luers assigned Father Jacob Mayer to the area; Father Mayer said the first Mass in the home of Fred Weaver, with sixteen families present. In 1859 Christian and Mary Magdalene Miller donated three acres on Bluffton Road for the parish, and Mary Magdalene asked that it be placed under the patronage of St. Aloysius. Father Mayer built a 29-by-36-foot frame church that same year. The parish grew to 65 families by 1875, when a sacristy, spire and new roof were added. In 1895 the baptismal font — still in use today — was purchased for $118.
- Founded 1859 in Pleasant Township (Yoder), Allen County, Indiana
- First Mass celebrated 1858 in the Fred Weaver home
- Land donated by Christian and Mary Magdalene Miller; patronage chosen by Mary Magdalene Miller
- Original frame church 29 x 36 feet; sacristy, spire and new roof added 1875
- 1895 baptismal font still in use today
Pastor Succession
The parish has been served by 28 pastors from its founding to the present day. The current parish administrator is Fr. Mark Gurtner, who succeeded Monsignor Bruce Piechocki in March 2026 after Monsignor Piechocki's ten years of service (2017–2026). A complete succession — including founders such as Rev. Jacob Mayer (1859), the long-tenured Rev. Jesse Lothamer (1937) and more recent pastors Fr. William Hodde, Fr. Dominique Carboneau, Fr. Bernard Galic, Monsignor Piechocki and Fr. Gurtner — is published on the parish's Our History page.
- Rev. Jacob Mayer (1859) — first pastor
- Ferdinand Koerdt (1876) — served through the 1875 expansion
- Jesse Lothamer (1937) — long tenure encompassing 1895 baptismal font era
- William Hodde (1986), Dominique Carboneau (2002), Bernard Galic (2010)
- Monsignor Bruce Piechocki (2017) — 40th ordination anniversary celebrated with the parish in 2024
- Fr. Mark Gurtner (2026) — current Parish Administrator
St. Aloysius Catholic School
In 1876 the parish began planning a school to ensure the teaching of Catholic doctrine to its young people. St. Aloysius School was built in 1882 and holds the distinction of being the oldest continuously operating Catholic school in the Diocese of Fort Wayne–South Bend. The original two-story brick schoolhouse cost about $4,000 (more than $125,000 in today's dollars) and was staffed first by the Sisters of St. Agnes and later the Sisters of St. Joseph of Tipton. A new four-room school with basement replaced it in 1955, and additions of five classrooms, a library, offices and a community center/gymnasium were completed in 2001.
- Oldest continuously operating Catholic school in the Diocese of Fort Wayne–South Bend (built 1882)
- Served 40 parish families and 45 students at its founding
- Originally heated by wood/coal stoves; indoor plumbing not added until 1951
- Now enrolls students in PreK through 8th grade
- Mascot: the Gators
- School address: 14607 Bluffton Road, Yoder, IN 46798 — phone (260) 622-7151 — [email protected]
- School website: https://www.saintaloysiusyoder.info/
Parish Ministries & Service
St. Aloysius runs a wide range of lay ministries so that Mass, adoration, formation and fellowship can flourish. Liturgical roles — lectors, Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion, altar servers, ushers and the Music Ministry — are filled by trained parishioners. The Rosary Sodality is the parish women's group; a Pro-Life Committee supports Right to Life of Northeast Indiana; and the Parish Committee (formed in 2017 as an advisory to Monsignor Piechocki) organizes parish fellowship events including the St. Aloysius Festival, Bingo Night with Chili Dump, picnics, Coffee and Donut Sundays, farmers markets, flea markets, and craft bazaars.
- Lectors, Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion, Altar Servers, Ushers
- Music Ministry — cantors, choirs at 8 a.m. & 10 a.m. Sunday Masses; organists Tim Johnson & Cheryl White
- Rosary Sodality — women's spiritual and service group (dues $10/year)
- Pro-Life Committee — affiliated with Right to Life of Northeast Indiana
- Finance Council — advises pastor on parish and school finances
- Parish Committee — organizes parish fellowship and fundraising events
- Prayer Chain — coordinated by Harriet Follis
- Funeral Dinner Food Donations
Religious Education & Faith Formation
Religious Education at St. Aloysius provides a healthy learning environment in which children come to know Christ, meet Him in the sacraments and evangelize through acts of love and works of mercy. Classes meet Sunday mornings from 9:00 a.m. to 9:50 a.m., September through April/May. Registration is required and may be completed by mail or online via the parish Google Form.
- Classes Sundays 9:00–9:50 a.m., September–April/May
- Director of Religious Education: Erica Roberts ([email protected] / 260-760-4024)
- Registration by mail to 14623 Bluffton Road, Yoder IN 46798 or via the parish Google Form
- Dedicated catechists drawn from the parish
Sacraments
The parish celebrates the sacraments of the Eucharist, Reconciliation, and Anointing of the Sick, and offers sacramental preparation for children through its Religious Education program. The Anointing of the Sick — broadened after the Second Vatican Council beyond Last Rites — is available to anyone struggling with illness, ideally celebrated communally within the Eucharist.
- Eucharist — at all scheduled Masses
- Reconciliation — Saturdays 4:00–5:00 p.m. or by appointment
- Anointing of the Sick — by request through the parish office
- Sacramental preparation for children through Religious Education
Parish Staff
The parish is led by Parish Administrator Fr. Mark Gurtner and supported by a small lay staff. Fr. Mark assumed the role in March 2026 following Monsignor Bruce Piechocki's ten-year pastorate.
- Parish Administrator: Fr. Mark Gurtner
- Office Manager: Jennifer Girardot
- Prayer Chain and Bulletin Editor: Harriet Follis
- Pro-Life Committee: Christy Gunkel
- Director of Religious Education: Erica Roberts (260-760-4024)
- Music Ministry contact: Kathy Heckber (260-414-5286)
- Ushers contact: Erica Roberts (260-760-4024)
- Parish Committee contact: Pat Wyss (260-740-2296)
Events & Parish Life
St. Aloysius maintains an active calendar of worship, fellowship, and fundraising events. The annual St. Aloysius Festival (held in August) features a chargrilled chicken dinner, silent auction, 50/50 raffle, knockerball tournament, farmers market, children's games and a petting zoo. Other regulars include a Rummage Sale (June), Coffee and Donut Sunday, Bingo Night with Chili Dump, parish picnics, and seasonal potlucks. The parish bulletin is published digitally and can be received by email each week.
- St. Aloysius Festival — annual August event with chargrilled chicken dinner, silent auction, 50/50 raffle, knockerball, farmers market, children's games
- Rummage Sale — held in mid-June
- Bingo Night with Chili Dump
- Coffee and Donut Sunday
- Parish Picnics and Potlucks
- Digital bulletin available via the parish website
Visit, Contact & Office Hours
The parish office is open Tuesdays from 8:00 to 11:00 a.m. and Fridays from 2:00 to 4:00 p.m. Messages can be left at any time via phone or the contact form on the parish website, and the parish shares Mass online through its YouTube page.
- Address: 14623 Bluffton Rd, Yoder, IN 46798
- Phone: 260-622-4491
- Email: [email protected]
- Office Hours: Tuesday 8:00–11:00 a.m.; Friday 2:00–4:00 p.m.
- Recorded weekend Masses available on the parish YouTube page
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Rev. Jacob Mayer1859
First pastor; celebrated the area's first Mass in the Fred Weaver home in 1858 and built the original frame church in 1859.
- Martin Kink1864
- William Woeste1866
- Aloysius Meile1871
- Theodore Hibbelen1872
- Ferdinand Koerdt1876
Long tenure through parish growth to 65 families and the 1875 sacristy/spire/new roof additions.
- Rudolph Denk1896
- John Bathe1900
- Henry Hellhake1900
- John Biedermann1910
- John Steger1915
- Fridolin Hasler1922
- F.A. Reinwand1927
- H. Victor Magsam1929
- M.P. Howland1930
- John Oberholtz1932
- John Bapst1936
- Carl Schnitz1936
- Jesse Lothamer1937
Long tenure; the parish baptismal font remains from this era (1895).
- Aloysius Phillips1951
Served during the period the school got indoor plumbing (1951) and a new school building (1955).
- Donald Muldoon1958
- James Hayes1964
- Eugene Kazmierczak1970
- Daniel Leeuw1972
- William Hodde1986
- Dominique Carboneau2002
- Bernard Galic2010
- Monsignor Bruce Piechocki2017
Tenth-anniversary farewell in March 2026; his 40th ordination anniversary was celebrated with the parish in 2024.
- Fr. Mark Gurtner2026
Succeeded Monsignor Piechocki as Parish Administrator in March 2026.