About St. Ann [Jennings County Catholic] · North Vernon, Indiana
St. Ann Parish is one of three historic mission churches that together form the Catholic Community of Jennings County (CCJC3) in North Vernon, Indiana, under the pastoral leadership of Fr. Chris Craig. Founded in 1841 as the 'New Settlement on the Greensburg Road,' it is the oldest Catholic congregation in Jennings County and sits in the countryside northeast of North Vernon at 4570 N. County Road 150 East. Though small — about 82 families with a worship capacity near 220 — it remains a living link to the German and Irish Catholic settlers who built a log church on Long Branch more than 180 years ago. Today the parish shares clergy, religious education, and outreach with neighboring St. Mary and St. Joseph parishes, and supports St. Mary's School, the pre-K–8th-grade academy across from St. Mary's in town.
- Established
- 1841
- Patron
- St. Ann (mother of the Blessed Virgin Mary)
- Rector
- Rev. Christopher Craig (Fr. Chris Craig)
- Diocese
- Archdiocese of Indianapolis (Parish #124)
Why belong here
St. Ann is a small, multigenerational country parish where — as it has since 1841 — Catholic life in Jennings County is lived out close to the land and to one another. Members join weekly Sunday Mass at 8:00 a.m., share faith formation, RCIA, youth ministry, Vacation Bible School, and adult retreats with neighboring St. Mary and St. Joseph parishes, and support St. Mary's pre-K–8 school. It's the kind of place where the same families have been Catholic together for generations, and visitors are folded quickly into a parish family run by a small but committed staff under Fr. Chris Craig and Deacon Larry French.
Mass times at St. Ann [Jennings County Catholic]
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Confession at St. Ann is offered by appointment with the pastor; consult the parish office (812) 346-3604
Catholic Community of Jennings County (CCJC3)
St. Ann does not stand alone: since the early 21st century it has been partnered with neighboring St. Mary's (North Vernon) and St. Joseph's parishes into one pastoral unit called the Catholic Community of Jennings County, online at ccjc3.org. The three share one pastor — currently Fr. Chris Craig — one pastoral council, joint faith-formation classes, and a combined RCIA. St. Ann's parishioners are represented on the joint Pastoral Council by David Gasper, Tricia Maples and Katelyn Meadows, and on the St. Ann Finance Committee by Mike Coons, Dan Gasper, Rita Elmore, Robert Gaylen and Dale Wernke.
History of St. Ann Parish
The Catholic settlement that became St. Ann was founded about 1840–1841 by roughly fifty-nine German and Irish families on the Greensburg Road, drawn by the Madison railroad and the fertile Muscatatuck-bottom land. Early priests including Fathers Chartier, Mus, Missi, Brand, Stoltz, Oesterling and Widerin built the log church, the 1866 brick church, and the parish register that survives at the Jennings County Public Library. The original community was variously called the 'New Settlement on the Greensburg Road' and 'the church at Gray's Branch, or Long Branch' before adopting the name St. Ann's.
- c. 1840 — German and Irish Catholic families settle along Long Branch, attracted by the Madison railroad
- Early 1840s — A log church is built: 'forty feet long, twenty-four feet wide, twelve rounds of logs high'
- February 1, 1841 — Father Étienne (Stephen) Chartier opens the parish baptismal/marriage/burial register at the new mission
- 1846–1856 — Father Alphonse Mus serves the mission
- May 1866 — Cornerstone of a new brick church laid at Long Branch; Fathers Brand of Madison and Stoltz of Six Mile assist
- Late 19th century — Father Oesterling is buried in front of St. Mary's altar (Feb. 9, 1877) per his first-sermon wish
- Today — Tri-parish Catholic Community of Jennings County; Archdiocese of Indianapolis Parish #124
Parish Staff & Leadership
Day-to-day parish life at the Catholic Community of Jennings County is run by a small but dedicated staff under Pastor Fr. Chris Craig and Deacon Larry French. Parish operations are coordinated by Secretary Tricia Maples, Music Director Walt Stanley, Parish Associate Lisa Vogel, Business Manager Robert Galyen, and Communications Director Jennifer Lindberg. School operations are led by Principal Meredith Inman and School Secretary Courtney Maschino.
- Pastor — Rev. Christopher Craig (Fr. Chris Craig)
- Deacon — Larry French
- Parish Secretary / Admin Assistant — Tricia Maples
- Music Director — Walt Stanley
- Parish Associate — Lisa Vogel
- Business Manager — Robert Galyen
- Communications Director — Jennifer Lindberg
- School Principal — Meredith Inman
- School Secretary — Courtney Maschino
Faith Formation & Religious Education
Religious education for the tri-parish community is a joint effort between St. Ann's, St. Mary's, and St. Joseph's. The K-8 program meets every Wednesday night at 6:30 p.m. at St. Joseph Parish Hall and aims to catechize children in Scripture, Catholic morality, prayer, the sacraments, and the traditions and history of the Church. All youth K-12 are expected to participate, in fulfillment of the baptismal promises made by their parents.
- K-8 Religious Education — Wednesdays 6:30 p.m., St. Joseph Parish Hall
- RCIA — Sundays 10:50 a.m.–noon, St. Mary's Parish Center (joint with St. Ann's and St. Joseph's)
- Frassati Youth Ministry (grades 8–12, especially post-Confirmation)
- Young Adult Ministry (ages 18–35)
- National Catholic Youth Conference (NCYC)
- Vacation Bible School — 'To the Heights!'
- Women's Welcome Retreat
- Parish Mission
- Lenten Day of Reflection
RCIA — Becoming Catholic
The Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults (RCIA) at CCJC3 is a joint sacramental process, not a class, in which adults who are unbaptized, already Christian but uncatechized, or fallen-away Catholics explore the Catholic faith in community. Sessions meet Sundays from 10:50 a.m. to noon at the St. Mary's Parish Center and welcome non-Catholics, fallen-away Catholics, and practicing Catholics who want to deepen their knowledge of the faith.
St. Mary's School
St. Ann's children and the children of neighboring parishes attend St. Mary's School, a fully accredited Catholic pre-K through 8th-grade school located across the street from St. Mary's Catholic Church in North Vernon. The school is led by Principal Meredith Inman and Secretary Courtney Maschino and welcomes all students. School contact: (812) 346-3445.
- Pre-K through 8th grade, fully accredited
- Located across the street from St. Mary's Catholic Church, North Vernon
- Principal: Meredith Inman — (812) 346-3445
- School Secretary: Courtney Maschino — (812) 346-3445
Contact, Office Hours & Pastoral Council
The shared parish office of the Catholic Community of Jennings County is at 629 Clay St., North Vernon, IN 47265. Phone (812) 346-3604. Email [email protected]. Office hours are Monday 9 a.m.–noon, Tuesday 9 a.m.–5 p.m., Wednesday 9 a.m.–5 p.m., Thursday 9 a.m.–3 p.m., closed Friday. The Pastoral Council is chaired by Michelle Sharp with Vice-Chair David Gasper and Parish Secretary Tricia Maples.
- Parish Office — 629 Clay St., North Vernon, IN 47265
- Phone — (812) 346-3604
- Email — [email protected]
- Hours — Mon 9–noon, Tue 9–5, Wed 9–5, Thu 9–3, Fri closed
- Pastoral Council Chair — Michelle Sharp; Vice-Chair — David Gasper
- St. Ann parish representatives — David Gasper, Tricia Maples, Katelyn Meadows
Archdiocese of Indianapolis
St. Ann Parish is Parish #124 of the Archdiocese of Indianapolis. The Archdiocese's parish directory lists the parish under North Vernon, Jennings County, with a founding year of 1841, 82 registered families and a church capacity of 220. Sacramental schedules are maintained through the parish website (www.ccjc3.org) or by calling the parish office.
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Rev. Étienne (Stephen) Chartier1841 (opened the register)
Madison-based missionary who began recording baptisms, marriages and burials at the 'New Settlement on Greensburg Road' mission in 1841.
- Rev. Alphonse Mus1846–1856
Served the mission for a decade after Father Chartier.
- Rev. J. M. Missi1856–c. late 1860s
Energetic pastor who pushed the construction of the brick church at Long Branch; cornerstone laid May 1866 with Fathers Brand and Stoltz assisting.
- Rev. Father Oesterling19th century
Long-serving priest who, in his first sermon, expressed his wish to be buried in front of St. Mary's altar; died Feb. 9, 1877 and was interred there.
- Rev. Father Widerinlate 19th century
Dean of St. Mary's, North Vernon, who continued to serve St. Ann's from town, paying regular visits and being 'first on the books' of the modern register.