About Saint Wendel · Evansville, Indiana
Saint Wendel Catholic Church is a small Roman Catholic parish located on the Vanderburgh–Posey county line just west of Evansville, Indiana, in the Diocese of Evansville. The parish traces its origin to 1841, when German-settler families gathered in the home of Martin Kohl and quickly raised a log church named for Wendelin of Trier, the patron saint of co-founder Wendel Wassmer. Today Saint Wendel is the Evansville-area campus of a combined Catholic community that also includes Saint Francis Xavier in Poseyville and Holy Angels in New Harmony, sharing one pastor (Father Ed Schnur), one deacon (Deacon Mark McDonald), and one faith-formation program. The parish also operates Saint Wendel Catholic School (PreK–8), a myParish smartphone app, and online giving through OSV Hub, while continuing the rural, family-farm heritage of its founders.
- Established
- 1841
- Patron
- Saint Wendelin of Trier (patron of country folk and herdsmen)
- Rector
- Rev. Edward C. (Ed) Schnur
- Diocese
- Diocese of Evansville
Why belong here
Saint Wendel is a small, family-friendly rural Catholic parish where parishioners know one another and where faith formation reaches from kindergarten through eighth grade at Saint Wendel Catholic School. Worship is celebrated in the historic, intimate setting of a country church west of Evansville, with weekend Masses on Saturday evening and Sunday morning and weekday Masses on Tuesday and Thursday. The combined Saint Wendel / Saint Francis Xavier / Holy Angels community offers a full sacramental life — Reconciliation by appointment with Father Ed, Baptisms during weekend Masses, Marriage preparation, and a shared faith-formation program that includes RCIA, youth ministry (SWAFFY), and the school religion curriculum built on the Augustine Institute.
Mass times at Saint Wendel
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- See the bulletin for scheduled individual opportunities, or schedule an appointment by phoning Father Ed at the parish office (812) 963-3733.
History & Heritage of Saint Wendel Parish
The parish was created by German-settler families in the late 1830s and formally organized in 1841. Before December of that year, Mass was already being celebrated in the home of Martin Kohl; in Christmas week 1841, twenty families erected a log church in just five days, naming it for Wendelin of Trier because co-founder Wendel Wassmer's patron saint was St. Wendelin. The Wassmer brothers — German-Canadian coopers from Baden who had come south from Toronto in 1837 — owned the grounds on which the church was built, and their descendants still live in the area. The cluster of farms, rail stop, post office, and small school that grew up around the original log church became the unincorporated community of Saint Wendel, straddling the Vanderburgh–Posey county line.
- Founded: 1841 (log church raised in five days during Christmas week)
- Co-founders: Marcus and Wendel Wassmer, German-Canadian coopers from Baden
- First Mass location: home of Martin Kohl
- Named for: Wendelin of Trier, patron of country folk and herdsmen
- Wendel Station built 1881 on the Evansville & Peoria Railroad, ~2 miles north
- Local post office ran 1852–1907
- Community population ~175 by 1882
Parish Staff & Clergy
Saint Wendel is served by clergy and staff shared with the wider Saint Francis Xavier / Holy Angels family of parishes. Father Ed Schnur has been pastor of the combined parishes and oversees the Saint Wendel campus. Deacon Mark McDonald assists at Saint Wendel and Saint Francis Xavier. Parish and school staff handle religious education, youth ministry, the parish office, finances, and the school.
- Rev. Edward C. Schnur — Pastor (ordained June 1, 1991; b. July 10, 1953)
- Deacon Mark McDonald (ordained August 15, 2009; wife Ann)
- Mrs. Sherie Cooley — Director of Religious Education & Youth Ministry
- Mrs. Rhonda Fehrenbacher — Parish Secretary / Office Manager
- Mrs. Sandy Bender — Finance Manager
- Mrs. Hallie Scheu — School Principal
- Mrs. Brooke Travers — School Secretary
- Mrs. Terri Kiesel — Parish Bookkeeper (combined parishes)
- Pastor's cell/home: (812) 499-9700
Sacraments
Saint Wendel celebrates the sacraments of Reconciliation, Baptism, Marriage, First Eucharist, and Confirmation, working in close connection with the faith-formation program and Saint Wendel Catholic School.
- Reconciliation — by appointment or as listed in the bulletin
- Baptism — celebrated during weekend Masses; contact the Parish Office
- Marriage — contact the Parish Office at least six months in advance
- First Reconciliation & First Eucharist — prepared in Grade 2 through Saint Wendel Catholic School
- Confirmation — through the Diocese of Evansville
Saint Wendel Catholic School
Saint Wendel Catholic School is a parish-affiliated Catholic elementary school serving preschool through eighth grade, located at 4725 St. Wendel-Cynthiana Road in nearby Wadesville, Indiana. Religion is central to the curriculum: the school uses the Augustine Institute religion series for every grade K–8, prepares Grade 2 students for Reconciliation and First Eucharist, and offers a full-day retreat for each grade centered on a faith theme appropriate to that age.
- Address: 4725 St. Wendel-Cynthiana Rd., Wadesville, IN 47638
- Phone: (812) 963-3958
- Principal: Mrs. Hallie Scheu
- Secretary: Mrs. Brooke Travers
- Religion curriculum: Augustine Institute, K–8
- Sacramental preparation: Grade 2 (Reconciliation & First Eucharist)
- Grade-level retreats each year, K–8
- Website: saintwendelschool.org
Religious Education & Youth Ministry
Faith formation for the parish is run jointly with Saint Francis Xavier Parish through a shared program led by Mrs. Sherie Cooley, Director of Religious Education & Youth Ministry. The combined program covers youth formation (including the SWAFFY youth group), adult formation, and sacramental preparation, and is hosted online at faithformation-sfx-sw.weebly.com.
- Director of Religious Education & Youth Ministry: Mrs. Sherie Cooley ([email protected])
- SWAFFY — Saints Wendel and Francis For Youth (youth group)
- Combined faith-formation program with Saint Francis Xavier / Holy Angels
- Website: faithformation-sfx-sw.weebly.com
School Service Projects by Grade
Each grade at Saint Wendel Catholic School adopts an annual service project, teaching students that service to others is part of the Christian life. Projects span local charities, the military, hospital patients, animal welfare, the homeless, and people with disabilities.
- Kindergarten — Vanderburgh Humane Society (treats, collars, 'Cardio for Canines')
- Grade 1 — Deaconess Women's Hospital NICU & bedrest moms
- Grade 2 — Prayer Partners with Saint Wendel and Saint Francis Xavier parishioners
- Grade 3 — Ozanam Family Shelter (blankets, sheets, towels, baby supplies)
- Grade 4 — Military outreach to active service members and parish veterans
- Grade 5 — Fundraising for K-9 officer protective vests
- Grade 6 — Plarn (plastic-yarn) sleeping mats for the homeless
- Grade 7 — Special Olympics of Southern Indiana / Vanderburgh County
- Grade 8 — Care packages for diocesan priests and seminarians, plus visits to a local nursing home
Diocesan Programs for Teens
Through the Diocese of Evansville, Saint Wendel teens can take part in two vocation-and-discipleship brotherhoods/sisterhoods for young people ages 13–18: Savio (for young men, under the patronage of St. Dominic Savio) and Siena (for young women, inspired by St. Catherine of Siena).
- Savio — young men's brotherhood, ages 13–18, based at the House of Discernment and St. Mary in Dubois County
- Siena — young women's sisterhood, ages 13–18, motto: 'Be who God created you to be, and you will set the world on fire.'
- Information: evansvillevocations.org
Parish Communications & Online Giving
Saint Wendel keeps parishioners connected through a weekly bulletin, a smartphone app, online giving, and social-media pages. The parish and school share online-giving accounts through OSV Hub, and a single myParish app covers both Saint Wendel and Saint Francis Xavier.
- myParish App — text APP to 88202 (iPhone and Android)
- Online Giving: osvhub.com/saint-wendel-parish/funds
- Online Giving (Saint Francis Xavier): osvhub.com/saint-francis-xavier/funds
- Weekly bulletin available online at saintwendelschool.org and saintwendelparish.org
- Parish & School Fax: (812) 963-3061
- Bulletin deadline: 9:00 am Monday
Combined Saint Wendel / Saint Francis Xavier / Holy Angels Community
Saint Wendel is one of three campuses in a single combined Catholic community under Father Ed Schnur. Saint Francis Xavier Church serves Poseyville, Holy Angels serves New Harmony, and Saint Wendel serves the west side of Evansville. The three share a pastor, deacon, faith-formation director, bookkeeper, and school administration, but each campus keeps its own Mass schedule and identity.
- Saint Francis Xavier Church — 10 N. St. Francis Ave., Poseyville, IN 47638 — (812) 874-2220 — Sun 7:00 am & 10:00 am; Mon & Wed 6:00 pm
- Holy Angels Campus — 805 Main Street, New Harmony, IN 47631
- Saint Wendel Church — 10542 W. Boonville-New Harmony Rd., Evansville, IN 47720 — (812) 963-3733
Visiting & Contact Information
Parishioners and visitors can reach the parish by phone, email, or in person. Parish Office hours on the Saint Wendel campus are Monday through Thursday, 8:30 am to 4:00 pm.
- Address: 10542 W. Boonville-New Harmony Rd., Evansville, IN 47720
- Parish phone: (812) 963-3733
- Pastor email: [email protected]
- Parish website: saintwendelparish.org
- School website: saintwendelschool.org
- Parish Office hours: Mon–Thu 8:30 am – 4:00 pm