About Saint Francis Xavier · Vincennes, Indiana
The Basilica of St. Francis Xavier, popularly known as "The Old Cathedral," is a historic Roman Catholic basilica in Vincennes, Indiana, located at 205 Church Street opposite the George Rogers Clark National Historical Park. It is the oldest Catholic parish in Indiana, with roots going back to the Jesuit mission founded around 1732–1734 on land donated by the King of France. The present Greek Revival brick church was built in 1826 on or near the site of two earlier log churches, served as the cathedral of the Diocese of Vincennes from 1834 to 1898, and was elevated to the rank of minor basilica by Pope Paul VI on 14 March 1970. It is now an active parish of the Diocese of Evansville, offering Mass in both English and Spanish, and houses one of the state's oldest libraries and a French-and-Indian-era cemetery with more than 4,000 burials.
- Established
- 1734
- Patron
- St. Francis Xavier, Jesuit missionary (1506–1552)
- Rector
- Rev. Anthony (Tony) Ernst
- Diocese
- Diocese of Evansville
Why belong here
St. Francis Xavier is a rare chance to belong to Indiana's oldest Catholic parish in a building that is itself nearly two centuries old. The parish offers daily and weekend Mass in both English and Spanish, a perpetual-adoration chapel inaugurated by Bishop Joseph M. Siegel, the sacrament of Reconciliation multiple times each week, an active faith community served by Flaget Elementary School and Rivet Middle/High School, and the chance to pray in the same brick church where four early bishops of Vincennes are buried and where George Rogers Clark accepted the surrender of Fort Sackville. Whether you come as a pilgrim, a history lover, or a Catholic seeking a vibrant downtown parish, the basilica welcomes you.
Mass times at Saint Francis Xavier
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Sunday 7:00 AM (St. John)
- Sunday 9:00 AM (Sacred Heart)
- Sunday 5:00 PM (Old Cathedral)
- Friday 11:30 AM (Old Cathedral)
- Saturday 4:00 PM (St. John)
Adoration times
- Perpetual Eucharistic adoration at the St. Rose Adoration Chapel (courtyard behind the basilica) — inaugurated 2018 by Bishop Joseph M. Siegel
History of St. Francis Xavier Parish
St. Francis Xavier is the oldest Catholic parish in Indiana, founded by Jesuit missionaries around 1734 on land granted by the King of France. The parish has served continuously under the Diocese of Quebec (1749–1789), the Diocese of Baltimore (1789–1808), the Diocese of Bardstown (1808–1834), the Diocese of Vincennes (1834–1898, as cathedral), the Diocese of Indianapolis (1898–1944), and finally the Diocese of Evansville (1944–present). Its early history is intertwined with the French colonization of the Wabash Valley, the American Revolution, and the birth of the Catholic Church in Indiana.
- 1732–1734 — Jesuit mission established, first log chapel built (~22 × 66 ft)
- 1748 — Father Sebastian Louis Meurin, S.J., first resident priest
- 1749 — Earliest parish records begin (marriage of Julien Trattier and Josette Marie, 21 April 1749)
- 1763–1785 — No resident priest after the Jesuits are expelled by the Treaty of Paris
- 25 February 1779 — British General Henry Hamilton surrenders Fort Sackville to George Rogers Clark at the church
- 1788 — Father Pierre Gibault administers the oath of allegiance that places Vincennes under the Commonwealth of Virginia
- 1825 — Father Champomier proposes a new brick church
- 30 March 1826 — Cornerstone of Tennessee marble laid
- 1827 — First services held in the unfinished building
- 8 August 1841 — Bishop Hailandière consecrates the cathedral
- 1834–1898 — Serves as cathedral of the Diocese of Vincennes
- 1870 — Wilhelm Lamprecht paints the three great interior murals
- c.1883 — Fourteen French Stations of the Cross installed
- 1908 — Von Gerichten Art Glass Evangelist windows and brick buttresses
- 14 March 1970 — Elevated to minor basilica by Pope Paul VI
- 17 August 1976 — Listed on the National Register of Historic Places (#76000025)
- 2018 — St. Rose Adoration Chapel inaugurated by Bishop Joseph M. Siegel
- 2016, 2025 — Designated a Jubilee Church
Architecture and Interior
The basilica is a Greek Revival brick church in Flemish bond, modeled on St. Joseph Cathedral at Bardstown, Kentucky. It measures about 115 × 60 feet with a façade of three entrance doors, a bell tower added in the 1830s, and a barrel-vaulted ceiling supported by Doric columns of yellow poplar painted to imitate marble. The interior is decorated with 1870 murals, 1883 French oil Stations of the Cross, and 1908 stained glass by Von Gerichten Art Glass of Columbus, Ohio.
- Style: Greek Revival, basilica plan
- Materials: Reddish-orange brick in Flemish bond
- Columns: Doric, yellow poplar encased in plaster and painted to resemble marble
- Bell tower: designed by architect Jean Marie Marsile, built 1830s, $1,566; bell ca. 1742 from the first log church
- Façade statues: St. Joan of Arc, St. Francis Xavier, St. Patrick (in arched niches); Father Pierre Gibault (in front)
- Murals by Wilhelm Lamprecht, 1870: Crucifixion, Madonna with Saints Simon, Celestine, Stephen, and Maurice, and St. Francis Xavier
- Stations of the Cross: 14 oil paintings from France, ca. 1883; frames carved locally
- Stained-glass Evangelists by Von Gerichten Art Glass Co., Columbus, Ohio, 1908
Old Cathedral Library & Museum
Established in 1840 when Bishop Simon Bruté placed more than 5,000 of his personal books adjacent to the church, the Old Cathedral Library is the oldest library in Indiana. It has grown to more than 11,000 rare volumes, the oldest of which is an original papal document from Pope John XXII dated 1319. In 1968 the Lilly Endowment funded a new museum-and-library building behind the basilica. It is open Memorial Day through Labor Day, Monday–Saturday 12:30–4:00 PM, or by appointment.
- Founded 1840 (Bishop Bruté's collection of 5,000+ books)
- Oldest library in Indiana
- 1968 new building funded by Lilly Endowment
- Holds more than 11,000 rare books and volumes
- Oldest document: papal parchment from Pope John XXII, 1319
- Hours: Memorial Day–Labor Day, Mon.–Sat. 12:30–4:00 PM, or by appointment
St. Francis Xavier Cemetery
Adjoining the basilica is a historic French-and-Indian-era cemetery that is the final resting place of more than 4,000 of Vincennes' earliest settlers — French colonists, Native Americans, and early Anglo-American pioneers — as well as the four Bishops of Vincennes interred in the cathedral's crypt.
- More than 4,000 burials
- Bishops of Vincennes interred in crypt: Simon Bruté, Célestin de la Hailandière, John Stephen Bazin, Jacques Maurice de St. Palais
- Adjacent to the basilica and library complex
- Listed on the National Register of Historic Places as part of the Old Cathedral Complex
Vincennes Catholic Schools
St. Francis Xavier Parish sponsors the Vincennes Catholic Schools system, which educates students from 3-year-old preschool through 12th grade in the Catholic tradition. The schools are advertised on the parish website as 'educational institutions that are grounded in the Catholic traditions of worship, the pursuit of truth and service.'
- Flaget Elementary School: preschool through 5th grade, (812) 882-5460, flagetces.org
- Rivet Middle/High School: 6th through 12th grade, (812) 882-6215, rivethighschool.org / rivetchs.org
- Claim: ~85% of students attend tuition-free through Indiana school-choice programs
Clergy, Staff and Parish Office
The parish is led by pastor Rev. Anthony (Tony) Ernst, who oversaw the 2018 renovation and inauguration of the St. Rose Adoration Chapel, assisted by parochial vicar Rev. Clint Johnson (who designed the chapel renovation) and Rev. Garrett Braun, with deacons Ron Cardinal and Sam Worland. The parish office is at 106 S. Third Street, open Monday–Friday 7:30 AM–4:30 PM (closed for lunch), phone (812) 882-5638.
- Pastor: Rev. Anthony (Tony) Ernst
- Parochial Vicar: Rev. Clint Johnson
- Rev. Garrett Braun
- Deacon Ron Cardinal
- Deacon Sam Worland
- Parish Office: 106 S. Third Street, Vincennes, IN 47591
- Hours: Monday–Friday 7:30 AM–4:30 PM (closed for lunch)
- Phone: (812) 882-5638
Visiting the Basilica and Historic Site
The basilica is one of Vincennes' most-visited historic attractions, located directly across Second Street from the George Rogers Clark National Historical Park and within the Vincennes Historic District. It is wheelchair accessible and open daily for self-guided tours from 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM (per the Vincennes/Knox County Visitors & Tourism Bureau). The complex is a National Register of Historic Places listing and a designated Jubilee Church (2016, 2025).
- Self-guided tours: daily 9:00 AM–5:00 PM
- Located opposite George Rogers Clark National Historical Park
- Wheelchair accessible
- Part of the Vincennes Historic District
- National Register of Historic Places (#76000025, listed 17 August 1976)
- Jubilee Church: Extraordinary Jubilee of Mercy 2016; Holy Year 2025
- Vincennes/Knox County Visitors & Tourism Bureau: 1-800-886-6443
Bulletin and Online Resources
The parish publishes a weekly bulletin (linked from stfrancisxaviervincennes.com/bulletin) and posts the daily Mass readings plus Bishop Robert Barron's Gospel reflections on the parish homepage.
- Weekly parish bulletin
- Daily Mass readings posted on homepage
- Bishop Barron's Gospel reflections linked on homepage
- Mass Times and Reconciliation pages updated regularly
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Father Sebastian Louis Meurin, S.J.1748–1753
First resident priest of the parish; earliest recorded baptism (25 June 1749).
- Father Louis Vivier, S.J.1753–1756
Succeeded Meurin; died at Vincennes October 1756.
- Father Julian Duvernay1756–c.1763
Last resident priest before the Jesuits were expelled after the Treaty of Paris (1763).
- Father Pierre Gibault1770 (visits); 1785–1789
Sent by the Bishop of Quebec; persuaded the French inhabitants to support George Rogers Clark in 1778/1779; first resident priest after 22-year vacancy; left Vincennes 11 October 1789.
- Father Benedict Joseph Flaget1792–
Sent by Bishop John Carroll of Baltimore; later became first Bishop of Bardstown and the first Catholic bishop to visit Indiana (1814).
- Father Blanc and Father Jeanjeanfrom 25 April 1818
Appointed by Bishop Flaget as resident priests.
- Father Jean Léon Champomierfrom 1823
Directed by Bishop Flaget to build the present brick church; cornerstone laid 30 March 1826.
- Father Hugo Peythieuc.1883
Procured the fourteen oil paintings of the Stations of the Cross from France.
- Rev. John Schipp
Identified by a 2026 church directory as a current pastor of the parish complex.
- Rev. Anthony (Tony) Ernstpresent
Current pastor; oversaw the renovation and inauguration of the St. Rose Adoration Chapel in 2018.
