About St. Anne [Catholic Community of St. Anne & St. Elizabeth] · New Castle, Indiana
St. Anne is a Roman Catholic parish of the Archdiocese of Indianapolis located at 102 N. 19th Street in New Castle, Indiana — the only Catholic parish in Henry County. Founded in 1873 and serving about 196 families, it is paired with St. Elizabeth of Hungary in Cambridge City as the Catholic Community of St. Anne & St. Elizabeth of Hungary, sharing one pastor, one bulletin and one parish office. The current church was dedicated on Feb. 28, 2010, replacing the 1924 brick building destroyed by arson on Holy Saturday 2007, and the adjoining former school was renovated into a handicap-accessible parish center in 2011. The community is known locally for its resilience, its Catholic presence in a largely non-Catholic area, and its warm welcome of newcomers.
- Established
- 1873
- Patron
- St. Anne (mother of the Blessed Virgin Mary)
- Rector
- Rev. Michaelprakasam Puthumaisavari (Administrator, per Archdiocese of Indianapolis parish listings)
- Diocese
- Archdiocese of Indianapolis (parish #110 in the Connersville Deanery)
Why belong here
St. Anne is the only Catholic parish in Henry County and draws members from a wide area — Knightstown, Hagerstown, Shirley, Spiceland and beyond — making it a small but notably close-knit community. Worship is offered across the linked parishes of St. Anne (New Castle) and St. Elizabeth of Hungary (Cambridge City), with Sunday Mass also livestreamed from St. Anne's site. Newcomers are explicitly welcomed: the parish publishes an online registration form and notes that registering ensures you receive the archdiocesan *Criterion*, envelopes, and parish news. Active groups include the Knights of Columbus Council 1755, the Parish Council, and an active Christian Initiation (RCIA) process — in spring 2018 the parish welcomed sixteen new Catholics at Easter.
Mass times at St. Anne [Catholic Community of St. Anne & St. Elizabeth]
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Wednesday 4:30 p.m. (during Adoration, before 5:30 p.m. Mass)
- Tuesday 4:30 p.m. (during Adoration, before St. Elizabeth's Tuesday Mass)
- By appointment
Adoration times
- Wednesday 4:30 p.m. (Adoration with Confessions, before evening Mass)
Parish History & 150th Anniversary
St. Anne traces its roots to 1839, when German and Irish railroad workers and their families gathered for Mass in a wooded site east of New Castle. Father Herman Alerding purchased land at 21st & Broad in 1872, and the first wood-frame church was dedicated May 25, 1873 — the parish's official founding. The 1924 brick church served the community for 83 years until a Holy Saturday arson fire in 2007 destroyed it; the rebuilt church was consecrated Feb. 28, 2010. The parish marked its sesquicentennial on Sept. 10, 2023, when Archbishop Charles C. Thompson celebrated a special Mass.
- 1839 — first Catholic settler in Henry County
- 1849 — outdoor Masses for railroad workers in a forested site
- 1873 (May 25) — first church dedicated; parish founded
- 1881 — first resident pastor appointed
- 1919 — land acquired at 19th & Broad
- 1924 (July 6) — second church dedicated (5,000+ attendees)
- 2007 (April 7, Holy Saturday) — arson fire destroys the church
- 2010 (Feb. 28) — rebuilt church consecrated
- 2023 (Sept. 10) — 150th anniversary Mass with Archbishop Thompson
Faith Formation & Religious Education
Religious education classes are held in the renovated Parish Center behind the church. The center's 2011 renovation created 11 classrooms suited to faith formation, replacing the dated 1950s school layout. The parish runs the Christian Initiation process (RCIA) for adults and youth preparing for Baptism, Confirmation and Eucharist, and welcomes many new Catholics each Easter — sixteen were received in spring 2018 alone, including catechumens and candidates from across Henry County.
- Religious education classes (Parish Center classrooms)
- Christian Initiation / RCIA for adults and youth
- Sixteen new Catholics welcomed at Easter 2018
Parish Staff & Leadership
St. Anne is currently administered by Rev. Michaelprakasam Puthumaisavari, as listed in the Archdiocese of Indianapolis parish directory. Father John Hall, named pastor in the 2023 Criterion 150th-anniversary article, serves the linked Catholic Community of St. Anne & St. Elizabeth. The Parish Council is chaired by Richard Bouslog, with Patty Hughes as Business Manager, Mallory Houser as Secretary, and Mary Powell as Bookkeeper. Father Joseph Rautenberg served as sacramental minister during the PLC years, and Father Stanley Herber served as Dean of the Connersville Deanery and priest moderator.
- Administrator: Rev. Michaelprakasam Puthumaisavari
- Pastor (community): Father John Hall
- Business Manager: Patty Hughes
- Secretary: Mallory Houser
- Bookkeeper: Mary Powell
- Parish Council Chair: Richard Bouslog
Pastoral Succession
From 1873 to 1881 the parish was served by visiting mission priests. A resident pastor was then appointed, and a continuous succession led the parish until 1995, when Sister Shirley Gerth became the first Parish Life Coordinator as the archdiocese faced a priest shortage. Deacon Russell Woodard succeeded her as PLC, and in 2016 Father John Hall became the first resident pastor in over two decades.
Catholic Community of St. Anne & St. Elizabeth of Hungary
St. Anne (New Castle) and St. Elizabeth of Hungary (Cambridge City) form a single Catholic community sharing one pastor, one bulletin, one website, and one parish office at 102 N. 19th Street in New Castle. Masses are split between the two sites, with St. Anne's 10 a.m. Sunday Mass livestreamed online. St. Elizabeth's Masses are Saturday 5:00 p.m., Sunday 8:00 a.m., and Tuesday 5:30 p.m.
- St. Elizabeth of Hungary — 333 W. Maple St., Cambridge City, IN 47327
- Mailing address for both parishes: 102 N. 19th St., New Castle, IN 47362
- St. Elizabeth office hours: Monday 9:00 a.m.–Noon
Knights of Columbus & Parish Life
The parish hosts the local Knights of Columbus Council 1755, which supports the community through fundraisers such as Lenten fish fries in the Parish Center. The Parish Council, chaired by Richard Bouslog, guides parish life, and the Parish Center — renovated in 2011 for $1.1 million — hosts funeral meals, faith formation classes, and large parish gatherings.
- Knights of Columbus Council 1755 — fish fries and fundraisers
- Parish Council
- Parish Center used for funeral meals, faith formation, and events
Sacraments & Pastoral Care
Beyond Sunday and weekday Masses, the parish celebrates the sacraments of Baptism, Confirmation, First Communion, and Marriage by arrangement with the Parish Office. The Christian Initiation (RCIA) process prepares adults and youth for full reception into the Church at the Easter Vigil. The community gathers for funeral meals in the Parish Center, and Eucharistic Adoration is offered weekly.
- Baptism, Confirmation, First Communion, Marriage — by arrangement
- Christian Initiation (RCIA) — adults and youth
- Eucharistic Adoration — Wednesdays at 4:30 p.m.
- Funeral meals in the Parish Center
Parish Center & Campus
Behind the 2010 church sits the renovated Parish Center — the 1950s former school transformed in a $1.1 million project completed in December 2010 and dedicated by Bishop Christopher J. Coyne on Aug. 14, 2011. The center houses the parish offices, 11 classrooms, and two large meeting spaces with adjoining kitchens and restrooms. Two ground-floor entrances on the north and south sides let visitors walk directly from the north parking lot through the building to the church, and the whole facility is handicap accessible.
- 11 classrooms for religious education and meetings
- Two large meeting spaces with kitchens and restrooms
- Handicap-accessible layout throughout
- Two entrances from the north parking lot through to the church
Marian Grotto & Cemetery
In May 2023, Father John Hall blessed a Marian grotto relocated from the former St. Rose of Lima Parish in Knightstown, which had merged with St. Anne in 2016. The grotto, encircled by bricks inscribed with the names of St. Rose's pastors, deacons, and religious, plus memorial bricks purchased by parishioners, now stands in the St. Anne parish cemetery as a quiet place of prayer for those who visit.
- Marian grotto relocated from former St. Rose of Lima
- Blessed May 28, 2023, by Father John Hall
- Bricks honor St. Rose pastors, deacons, religious, and parishioners
The 2007 Fire & Rebuilding
On the morning of Holy Saturday, April 7, 2007, fire consumed the 1924 brick church. Stained-glass windows including the rose window shattered and melted; the brick edifice stood but the interior was gutted. The fire was ruled arson; a suspect pleaded guilty and was sentenced in 2009 to 40 years in prison. Sister Shirley Gerth, who had planned to step down as PLC that year, agreed to remain until a new church was built. The rebuilt church was consecrated on the same site on Feb. 28, 2010, with surviving statues and a duplicate rose window restored. Parishioner Doug Magers completed his 356-page parish history, *St. Anne and Her People*, partly in response to the tragedy.
Visiting & Contact
The parish office is located in New Castle and is open Monday through Friday. St. Anne office hours are Monday 9 a.m.–Noon and Tuesday–Friday 9 a.m.–Noon and 1–4 p.m. St. Elizabeth office hours are Monday 9 a.m.–Noon. Visitors can find the church six stoplights east of the intersection of State Road 3 and US 38 in New Castle. New parishioners are encouraged to register online so they receive the archdiocesan *Criterion*, collection envelopes, and parish news.
- St. Anne Office: Mon 9–Noon; Tue–Fri 9–Noon, 1–4
- St. Elizabeth Office: Mon 9–Noon
- Phone: (765) 529-0933
- Email: [email protected]
- Registration form available on the website
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Rev. William Doyle (Richmond)mid-1800s
First of several visiting priests who celebrated Mass in a wooded area east of town for Irish and German railroad workers and their families.
- Father Herman Alerding1870s
Purchased land at 21st & Broad in 1872; the wood-frame church he built was dedicated May 25, 1873 — the parish's founding.
- (Various mission priests)1873–1881
The parish was served by visiting mission priests until a resident pastor was appointed.
- Rev. Amos A. McLoughlinpre-1950
Predecessor of Father Fehlinger; began plans for a parish school.
- Rev. William C. Fehlingerfrom 1950
Carried out the founding of St. Anne School (opened 1951).
- Father Daniel Armstrong1983 (Parish Council decision under his pastorate)
Launched the $187,000 interior renovation plan.
- Rev. Steve Schaftleinthrough 1995
Oversaw the 1987 renovation work that updated the sanctuary for Vatican II reforms.
- Sister Shirley Gerth, OSF (Franciscan Sister of St. Francis, Oldenburg)1995–c.2010
First Parish Life Coordinator; agreed to remain through the rebuilding after the 2007 fire.
- Deacon Russell Woodardc.2010–2016
Second Parish Life Coordinator; oversaw the 2011 Parish Center renovation.
- Father John Hall2016–present (as of 2023)
First resident pastor since 1995; led 2023 150th anniversary celebration and the Marian grotto blessing.