About Saint Therese · Fort Wayne, Indiana
St. Therese Catholic Church is a Roman Catholic parish in the Waynedale neighborhood on the southwest side of Fort Wayne, Indiana, in the Diocese of Fort Wayne–South Bend. Founded in 1946–1948 by Father Herman A. Schoudel, a discharged Army chaplain, the parish grew from a humble surplus military chapel moved in from Baer Field and is today home to St. Therese Catholic School, daily Mass, perpetual adoration, and a thriving list of ministries. The parish lives out the motto of its patroness, St. Thérèse of Lisieux: 'Pursue the Way to Do Even the Little Things with Great Love.'
- Established
- 1946 (parish appointed 1946; church dedicated 1948)
- Patron
- St. Thérèse of Lisieux (the 'Little Flower')
- Rector
- Rev. Glenn Kohrman
- Diocese
- Diocese of Fort Wayne–South Bend
Why belong here
St. Therese is a tight-knit Waynedale parish where daily Mass is the norm — including morning and evening weekday Masses and a Saturday Vigil — alongside Thursday Eucharistic Adoration and a Saturday Bible Study. The parish school (PreK–8) shares the campus and is now staffed in part by three Catechist Sisters of St. Ann from India, giving the community a genuinely Catholic, family-centered character. Ministries for every stage of life (OCIA, Knights of Columbus, women's and men's groups, youth, the St. Dymphna peer support group, St. Vincent de Paul, choir, lectors, altar servers, extraordinary ministers, and more) make it easy to plug in and serve — exactly the 'little things with great love' spirit of the Little Flower.
Mass times at Saint Therese
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Thursday 6:00–7:00 pm
- Saturday 3:30–4:15 pm
- First Saturday of the month 11:00 am–11:50 am
Adoration times
- Thursday 6:00–9:00 pm (with Contemporary Music until 8:00 pm)
- First Saturday of the month 9:30 am–12:00 pm
- Perpetual Adoration scheduled periodically (e.g., June 7 5:30 pm through June 12 7:00 pm Mass)
- Adoration Chapel open daily 8:00 am–6:00 pm
Our Story — From Baer Field Chapel to a 21st-Century Parish
St. Therese began as the dream of Catholic families in unincorporated Waynedale who, for decades, had to drive into Fort Wayne for Mass. Bishop John F. Noll purchased a wooded plot on Lower Huntington Road in 1937 and, after a 1946 census of Catholic households, appointed Father Herman A. Schoudel — a 31-year-old, just-discharged Army chaplain — as founding pastor on November 13, 1946. The parish's first Mass was said in a school gym on April 13, 1947, while Father Schoudel lobbied Washington, Chicago, New York, and Louisville for a surplus Army chapel from Baer Field. When approval finally came on November 13, 1947, parishioners prayed for the ground to stay frozen, and on January 17, 1948 the chapel was rolled down Bluffton Road to its new foundation. The first Mass in the relocated chapel was celebrated March 7, 1948, and Bishop Noll solemnly dedicated St. Therese Church on October 5, 1948, the original feast of its patroness.
- Founding pastor appointed November 13, 1946
- First parish Mass: April 13, 1947 (Wayne Township School gym)
- Surplus chapel moved from Baer Field: January 17, 1948
- First Mass in relocated chapel: March 7, 1948
- Solemn dedication by Bishop John F. Noll: October 5, 1948
- 75th anniversary celebrated in 2023
Fires, Growth, and the 2003 Church
Tragedy and renewal have marked the parish's history. A fire of 'undetermined origin' gutted the original chapel's interior on February 24, 1950, and a second blaze struck the church on December 6, 1970 — after which the school was redesigned into a combined church/school building, rededicated by Bishop Leo A. Pursley on October 17, 1971. The original chapel was finally raised in the summer of 1979, with a new Parish Hall completed that same year and dedicated by Bishop William E. McManus on August 19, 1979. After diocesan priest Father Michael J. Rosswurm became the first non-Franciscan pastor in 1995, a Five-Year Plan led to the construction of a new $3.6-million worship facility, dedicated on April 10, 2003 — the first church actually built new by the parish in its then-56-year history.
- Fire of 1950 destroyed original chapel interior
- Fire of December 6, 1970
- Combined church/school rededicated October 17, 1971
- Parish Hall dedicated August 19, 1979
- New $3.6 million church dedicated April 10, 2003
Clergy, Staff, and Parish Leadership
The parish is led by Father Glenn Kohrman, appointed by Bishop Kevin C. Rhoades effective June 20, 2023. Father Kohrman was ordained in 1992 and previously served as pastor of St. John the Baptist and Holy Family Parishes in South Bend; before entering the seminary he earned a Master's Degree in Mechanical Engineering from Purdue University, focusing on acoustics, and is the author of 'Reflections of a Priest' (available on Amazon). Lay staff listed on the parish website include Beverly Rieger (Business Administrator) and Manot Andre (Music Director).
- Rev. Glenn Kohrman — Pastor (since June 20, 2023)
- Beverly Rieger — Business Administrator
- Manot Andre — Music Director
St. Therese Catholic School
The parish has operated a Catholic school since 1958, when 201 students began classes in the reconstructed church basement under the Sisters of St. Francis of Perpetual Adoration from Mishawaka. Today, St. Therese Catholic School serves PreK through 8th grade at 2222 Lower Huntington Road (right next to the church) under Principal Michelle Dellinger, with roughly 100+ students and a student-teacher ratio of about 10:1. As of 2024 the school has been enriched by three religious sisters from the Congregation of Catechist Sisters of St. Ann (founded 1914 by Fr. Silvio Pasquali), on loan from the Diocese of Joliet: Sister Sangeetha Udumala (M.A. in Physics), Sister Roja Rani Kondala (M.A. in Language Arts/English), and Sister Ramya Teja Bandanadam (B.Ed.). The school's phone is (260) 747-2343.
- Opened 1958 with 201 students taught by Sisters of St. Francis of Perpetual Adoration
- PreK–8th grade, ~105 students, principal Michelle Dellinger
- Address: 2222 Lower Huntington Rd, Fort Wayne, IN 46819
- Phone: (260) 747-2343
- Three Catechist Sisters of St. Ann joined the faculty in 2024
Becoming Catholic — OCIA
The parish runs the Order of Christian Initiation of Adults (OCIA, formerly RCIA) for those discerning baptism, Eucharist, or full communion with the Catholic Church. Sessions are held Monday evenings at 7:00 pm in the Church Office, with additional formation time on Wednesdays at 7:15 pm. Inquirers are invited to contact the parish office to begin the journey.
- OCIA — Monday 7:00 pm (Church Office)
- Additional OCIA gathering — Wednesday 7:15 pm
Ministries & Groups
Parishioners at St. Therese are encouraged to put their gifts to work through a wide range of liturgical, service, and fellowship ministries. Liturgical roles include choir members, lectors, altar servers, and Extraordinary Ministers of the Eucharist. Social-justice ministries include homebound visitation, food-pantry volunteering, and the St. Vincent de Paul Society. Fellowship and formation groups include the Knights of Columbus (open to all men; first Thursday of the month, 7:00 pm, parish office), men's and women's groups, youth ministry, and the annual parish bazaar.
- Liturgical: choir, lectors, altar servers, Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion
- Social justice: homebound visits, food pantry, St. Vincent de Paul
- Fellowship: Knights of Columbus, men's & women's groups, youth ministry
- Annual parish bazaar
St. Dymphna Mental Peer Support
Among the parish's distinctive ministries is the St. Dymphna Mental Peer Support group — a peer-led ministry offering spiritual and emotional support to parishioners and families dealing with mental-health challenges, named for the patron saint of those suffering from nervous and mental disorders.
- Peer-led mental-health support ministry
- Named for St. Dymphna, patron of those with mental illness
Bible Study & Ongoing Formation
Adult faith formation at St. Therese centers on a weekly Bible Study held Wednesday mornings at 9:00 am. The Wednesday evening 7:15 pm OCIA gathering also includes catechetical formation for adults. The parish encourages parishioners to consider new ministry ideas and to contact the office with suggestions.
- Adult Bible Study — Wednesday 9:00 am
- Wednesday 7:15 pm — formation/OCIA
The Four Pillars of Our Mission
Father Glenn Kohrman has articulated four pillars that guide parish life: (1) profound respect for human dignity — every person as 'an infinitely valuable one-of-a-kind masterpiece created by God for a mission'; (2) profound respect for religious liberty — 'real faith can only be realized in the context of freedom'; (3) solidarity — recognizing that we are all part of the one human family; and (4) subsidiarity — empowering people to solve the problems closest to themselves before looking to higher authority. These pillars frame both parish and school life at St. Therese.
- Pillar 1: Respect for human dignity
- Pillar 2: Respect for religious liberty
- Pillar 3: Solidarity (the human family)
- Pillar 4: Subsidiarity (solve problems closest to home)
Visit, Contact, and Get Involved
St. Therese warmly welcomes visitors and new parishioners. The parish office is open via phone (260) 747-9139 and email [email protected], and the church is located at 2304 Lower Huntington Road, Fort Wayne, IN 46819, on the southwest side of the city in the Waynedale neighborhood. The parish motto — 'Pursue the Way to Do Even the Little Things with Great Love' — invites everyone to participate in the life of the parish through Mass, adoration, formation, and ministry.
- Office phone: (260) 747-9139
- Email: [email protected]
- Address: 2304 Lower Huntington Road, Fort Wayne, IN 46819
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Rev. Herman A. Schoudel1946–1956
Founding pastor; discharged Army chaplain; organized the parish, acquired and moved the surplus Army chapel from Baer Field, celebrated first Mass 1947, dedicated church 1948.
- Rev. Albert Q. Senn, O.F.M.1956
First Franciscan pastor; the Franciscan Friars of the Province of St. John the Baptist (Cincinnati) staffed the parish for nearly 38 years.
- Rev. Michael J. Rosswurm1995
First diocesan pastor after the Franciscans withdrew in 1994; appointed by Bishop John M. D'Arcy.
- Rev. Joseph A. Rulli
Pastor at the time of the new $3.6 million church dedication on April 10, 2003.
- Rev. Glenn Kohrman2023–present
Appointed by Bishop Kevin C. Rhoades effective June 20, 2023; previously pastor of St. John the Baptist and Holy Family Parishes, South Bend; ordained 1992; former mechanical engineer (Purdue University).