About Saint John · Loogootee, Indiana
St. John the Evangelist Catholic Church in Loogootee, Indiana is the largest Catholic parish in Martin County, and since July 1, 2014 it has served as the merged home for what were once four separate parishes and a chapel: St. John the Evangelist in Loogootee, St. Joseph in Bramble, St. Martin in Whitfield, St. Mary (Immaculate Conception) in Shoals, and the St. Mary (Assumption of Mary) Chapel in Barr Township (now preserved as a Bell Tower). The parish belongs to the Diocese of Evansville and is pastored by Very Rev. J. Kenneth Walker, MCL, JCL, assisted by Deacon William Consley and a substantial lay staff. It offers daily and weekend Mass in Loogootee, an active faith-formation program, parish cemeteries, a Catholic Ministries Appeal, and the ministries typical of a multi-site rural parish.
- Established
- 1857 (mission); 1859 (parish)
- Patron
- St. John the Evangelist
- Rector
- Very Rev. J. Kenneth Walker, MCL, JCL
- Diocese
- Diocese of Evansville
Why belong here
St. John the Evangelist is the spiritual home for Catholics across all of Martin County — Loogootee, Bramble, Whitfield, Shoals, and Barr Township — drawn together under one roof in 2014. Parishioners can worship at one of four Sunday Masses in Loogootee, attend Eucharistic Adoration during the week, send their children to a robust catechetical and youth program run by Director Ashton Kahle, walk through RCIA with Peter McDowell, serve the homebound through Deacon William Consley's ministry, or join one of many liturgical roles (altar server, lector, Eucharistic minister, usher, greeter, sacristan, choir, church decorator) and outreach groups such as the Women's Welcome team and funeral-meal ministry.
Mass times at Saint John
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Saturday: 3:00 PM – 4:00 PM
- First Saturday of each month: 1:00 PM – 2:00 PM
- By appointment through the parish office
- 'The Lights Are On' reconciliation evening: Friday, March 20, 6:00 PM – 9:00 PM (or until last confession is heard)
Adoration times
- Mondays at St. John following the noon Mass (times listed in the bulletin)
- Thursdays: 9:00 AM Eucharistic Adoration at St. John (per recent bulletin); no Eucharistic Adoration at St. Mary on that day
About St. John the Evangelist Parish
St. John the Evangelist Catholic Church, 408 Church Street, Loogootee, Indiana, is a Roman Catholic parish of the Diocese of Evansville that since July 1, 2014 has united four former Martin County parishes and one chapel under one banner: St. John the Evangelist (Loogootee), St. Joseph (Bramble), St. Martin (Whitfield), St. Mary Immaculate Conception (Shoals), and the former St. Mary Assumption Chapel (Barr Township), now preserved as a Bell Tower. The parish office is staffed by Very Rev. J. Kenneth Walker as pastor, assisted by Deacon William Consley, and supported by an Administrative Assistant to the Pastor, a Business Manager, Choir Directors, a Catechetical & Youth Director, an RCIA Director, and facilities and cemetery coordinators.
- Pastor: Very Rev. J. Kenneth Walker, MCL, JCL
- Deacon: William Consley
- Parish office: 408 Church St, Loogootee, IN 47553
- Phone: (812) 295-2225
- General email: [email protected]
- Part of the Diocese of Evansville
Parish History
Catholic mission work in Martin County began in 1819 with the O'Brien and Raney families near Mount Pleasant, and by 1840 had become a regular mission served monthly by priests traveling from parishes such as Logansport and Madison. Loogootee's Catholic community traces its origin to 1857, when Mass was first offered in a rented room above the Campbell–Breen Store and later in a frame building belonging to Mr. Gootee. Father John Mougin, who resided at St. Mary's in Barr Township, Daviess County, built a proper church in 1858 that was finished in 1860; GCatholic records the parish's formal establishment as 1859. A one-room school opened in 1862, and a rectory was built in 1866.
- 1857 — First Mass in Loogootee, in a room above the Campbell–Breen Store
- 1858–1860 — Father John Mougin builds the first church (completed 1860)
- 1859 — Parish formally established (per GCatholic)
- 1862 — One-room school added
- 1866 — Rectory built
- 1880 — New, larger church erected on present site, with later additions
- 1968 — Parish school/auditorium building destroyed by fire (Feb. 8, 1968)
- 1969 — St. John School consolidates into Loogootee public schools after 107 years
- 2014 — Union of four parishes and the Barr Township chapel under St. John the Evangelist name
- 2019 — Fr. J. Kenneth Walker appointed pastor of the Martin County Catholic Churches
Liturgical Ministries
The parish invites parishioners to share their time and talent through a wide range of liturgical roles that support every Mass. Training is provided throughout the year, and most assignments rotate so that many families can participate.
- Music Ministry — Choir Directors Connie McAtee and Lynn Gee; Musical Ministry & Parish Outreach Paula Ringwald; Liturgical music by Deacon William Consley
- Sacristans
- Ushers — collections and seating assistance
- Greeters — welcome, bulletins, offertory gift bearers, pew tidy-up
- Altar Servers — assigned on a rotating schedule; training provided
- Lectors — proclaim the Word; assigned on a rotating schedule; training provided
- Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion — distribute the Body and Blood of Christ; assigned by Mass-time preference
- Linen Ministry — clean and press altar linens and purificators
- Church Decorating — seasonal worship-space transformation
Faith Formation & Youth Ministry
The Catechetical & Youth Director, Ashton Kahle, coordinates the parish's faith-formation programming. The parish also maintains a Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults (RCIA) program under Director Peter McDowell for adults preparing to enter the Catholic Church, and Sacramental preparation (including First Reconciliation) is arranged through the parish office.
- Catechetical & Youth Director — Ashton Kahle
- RCIA Director — Peter McDowell
- First Reconciliation preparation — contact parish office
Outreach & Parish Life
Parish Outreach is coordinated by Paula Ringwald alongside her Musical Ministry role, and the parish supports a strong funeral-meals ministry. The Women's WELCOME group runs community fundraisers such as Soup & Dessert nights (raising $1,450 in one recent cycle to purchase cots, bibles, and guidebooks). The annual Catholic Ministries Appeal is actively promoted, with progress published weekly in the bulletin (most recent goal: $153,181).
- Parish Outreach — Paula Ringwald
- Funeral Meals — prepared and served after funeral services
- Women's WELCOME group — fundraisers and hospitality
- Catholic Ministries Appeal — annual diocesan appeal with goal/published progress in bulletin
- Knights of Columbus — council referenced in the bulletin
Cemeteries
Because the 2014 merger consolidated four parishes and a chapel into one, St. John the Evangelist maintains multiple parish cemeteries across Martin County. Each cemetery has a designated point of contact who can assist families with records and arrangements.
- St. John Cemetery — Tom McAtee
- St. Martin Cemetery — Ken Lannan
- St. Joseph Cemetery — Gerald Huelsman
- St. Mary Cemetery, Barr Township — Richard Hopkins
- St. Rose Cemetery, Mt. Pleasant — records available via the parish historical site
Parish Staff & Office
Day-to-day parish operations are run from the parish office at 408 Church Street, Loogootee (phone 812-295-2225; email [email protected]). The pastor is supported by an Administrative Assistant to the Pastor (Adam Strange), a Business Manager (Vicki Strange), an Assistant to the Pastor for Liturgical Records & Schedules (Mark Potts), and facilities staff Tom McAtee and Cam Ackerman.
- Pastor — Very Rev. J. Kenneth Walker, MCL, JCL
- Deacon — William Consley
- Administrative Assistant to the Pastor — Adam Strange
- Choir Directors — Connie McAtee, Lynn Gee
- Homebound Director, Liturgy, & Musical Ministry — Deacon William Consley
- Musical Ministry & Parish Outreach — Paula Ringwald
- Catechetical & Youth Director — Ashton Kahle
- Business Manager — Vicki Strange
- Assistant for Liturgical Records & Schedules — Mark Potts
- RCIA Director — Peter McDowell
- Facilities — Tom McAtee, Cam Ackerman
Online Records & Parish Archive
St. John maintains a separate online archive (historical.stjohnloogootee.com) of sacramental and burial records for genealogical research, including St. John baptismal records, two volumes of 'St. John Obituary Records — Buried Elsewhere,' St. John Obituary Records — Buried Locally, and St. Rose Cemetery and obituary records from Mount Pleasant. The weekly bulletin is the canonical source for up-to-date Mass times, Holy Day schedules, and ministry announcements.
- St. John Baptismal Records — online
- St. John Cemetery Records
- St. John Obituary Records — Buried Locally
- St. John Obituary Records — Buried Elsewhere, Vol. I & II
- St. Rose Cemetery Records, Mt. Pleasant
- St. Rose Obituary Records
- Weekly bulletin for current Mass and event times
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Father John Mougin1858–c.1860s
Resided at St. Mary's, Barr Township; built the first church in Loogootee (completed 1860) and took charge of it as a mission.
- Very Rev. J. Kenneth Walkerappointed Jan. 22, 2019; current pastor
Son of the late John E. (Jack) and Dolores (Dages) Walker of Montgomery; magna cum laude St. Meinrad College; M.Div. St. Meinrad School of Theology, Spring 1981; ordained May 29, 1981, by Bishop Francis R. Shea at St. John Catholic Church, Loogootee; first Mass there May 31, 1981; began as associate pastor at St. John the Baptist, Vincennes.