About Saint Thomas the Apostle · Vincennes, Indiana
St. Thomas the Apostle is a historic Catholic church located at 6268 S. St. Thomas Road in Vincennes, Indiana. Founded in 1843, it was originally established as a separate parish serving the rural St. Thomas farming community south of Vincennes in Knox County. On July 1, 2016, St. Thomas the Apostle was merged with the Basilica of St. Francis Xavier, Sacred Heart, St. John the Baptist, and St. Vincent de Paul parishes to form today's unified St. Francis Xavier Parish of the Diocese of Evansville. The church remains an active worship site within that merged parish, with its own weekly Mass schedule.
- Established
- 1843
- Patron
- St. Thomas the Apostle
- Rector
- Rev. Tony Ernst
- Diocese
- Diocese of Evansville
Why belong here
St. Thomas the Apostle offers a small, rural Catholic community rooted in 19th-century Knox County farm country, now joined to one of Indiana's oldest and most historically significant Catholic parishes. Worshippers experience an intimate country church while benefiting from the full pastoral staff, Catholic schools (Flaget Elementary and Rivet), and sacramental life of the larger St. Francis Xavier Parish. With a single weekly Mass on Thursday evenings, it remains a focused, family-friendly spiritual home for the St. Thomas Road community.
Mass times at Saint Thomas the Apostle
Weekly Mass schedule
About St. Thomas the Apostle
St. Thomas the Apostle is a historic Catholic church at 6268 S. St. Thomas Road, south of Vincennes, Indiana, founded in 1843 to serve the rural farming community of St. Thomas in Knox County. Since July 1, 2016 it has functioned as one of five worship sites of the merged St. Francis Xavier Parish in the Diocese of Evansville.
- Founded 1843
- Mailing/physical address: 6268 S. St. Thomas Road, Vincennes, IN 47591-7202
- Part of St. Francis Xavier Parish (merged July 1, 2016)
- Diocese of Evansville, North Deanery
History & the 2016 Parish Merger
Originally established in 1843, St. Thomas the Apostle served the rural St. Thomas community for more than 170 years. In September 2014, Bishop Charles C. Thompson announced a sweeping diocesan reorganization; effective July 1, 2016, St. Thomas the Apostle was united with the Basilica of St. Francis Xavier, Sacred Heart of Jesus, St. John the Baptist, and St. Vincent de Paul parishes to form the new St. Francis Xavier Parish. No church buildings closed as a result—each of the five continues to host Masses as part of the unified parish.
- Founded 1843 as a stand-alone parish
- Announced September 2014 by Bishop Charles C. Thompson
- Effective merger date: July 1, 2016
- Merged with: Basilica of St. Francis Xavier, Sacred Heart, St. John the Baptist, St. Vincent de Paul
Pastoral & Parish Staff
St. Thomas the Apostle is served by the pastoral team of the merged St. Francis Xavier Parish. The pastor is assisted by two parochial vicars and five deacons, plus parish staff for faith formation, youth ministry, liturgy, and administration.
- Pastor: Rev. Tony Ernst
- Parochial Vicar: Rev. Caleb Scherzinger
- Parochial Vicar: Rev. Clint Johnson
- Deacons: Reynaldo Carandang, Ronald Cardinal, Pat Herman, Kevin Kilmer, Cletus Yochum
- CRE: Patricia Earley
- Youth Coordinator: Megan Hoffman
- Secretary: Karen Sampson
- Bookkeeper: Kathy Lane
Vincennes Catholic Schools
St. Francis Xavier Parish—parent of St. Thomas the Apostle—operates the Vincennes Catholic Schools system, the primary Catholic school option for families of the parish. Two campuses serve students from preschool through 12th grade.
- Flaget Elementary School: 3-year-old preschool through 5th grade, 800 Vigo Street, Vincennes, IN 47591; phone (812) 882-5460; web https://www.flagetces.org/; Principal: Samantha McClure
- Rivet Middle & High School: 6th through 12th grade, 210 Barnett, Vincennes, IN 47591; phone (812) 882-6215; web https://www.rivethighschool.org/; Principal: Joe Maione
Sacraments & Faith Formation
Baptisms, marriages, and sacramental preparation for St. Thomas the Apostle parishioners are coordinated centrally through the St. Francis Xavier Parish office. Religious education, RCIA, and youth ministry are likewise shared ministries of the merged parish.
- Baptism — through the parish office
- Marriage preparation — through the parish office
- Reconciliation — at the parish's other worship sites (see confession schedule)
- RCIA / Christian Initiation of Adults
- Religious Education / Faith Formation
- Anointing of the Sick — on request
Contact & Practical Information
All administrative and sacramental matters for St. Thomas the Apostle are handled through the unified St. Francis Xavier Parish office. The parish maintains a website, a shared bulletin, and a Facebook presence for ongoing parish news and announcements.
- Parish Office / Religious Education phone: (812) 882-5638
- St. Thomas listing phone: (812) 882-2478
- Parish email: [email protected]
- Website: https://www.stfrancisxaviervincennes.com
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/stfrancisxaviervincennes/
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Rev. David Fleck
Listed as pastor of St. Thomas the Apostle on third-party parish directories prior to the 2016 merger.