About St. Augustine · Leopold, Indiana
St. Augustine Parish is a Roman Catholic parish in the tiny unincorporated community of Leopold, in Perry County in southern Indiana, and is one of the oldest Catholic congregations in the state. Founded in 1837 by French-born missionary priest Msgr. Jean-François Augustin de Bessonies (for whom the church is named), it has served Belgian, Luxembourgish, German and other immigrant families for nearly two centuries. The parish is best known as the home of the Shrine of Our Lady of Consolation, an elaborate statue of Mary and the Christ Child brought from Belgium in 1867 by a Civil War survivor, and the outdoor Marian grotto rededicated by Archbishop Joseph W. Tobin in 2012 during the parish's 175th anniversary. Today the parish is part of a multi-parish collaboration in the Archdiocese of Indianapolis and welcomes roughly 175 families to its 400-seat church on Lafayette Street.
- Established
- 1837
- Patron
- St. Augustine of Hippo (the parish is named for the founder Msgr. Jean-François Augustin de Bessonies, whose middle name was Augustin)
- Rector
- Rev. Luke Waugh and Rev. Brian G. Esarey (Pastors in solidum)
- Diocese
- Archdiocese of Indianapolis (Metropolitan Archdiocese of Indianapolis)
Why belong here
St. Augustine is a small but deeply rooted rural parish in the rolling hills of southern Indiana with just under 175 registered families, where nearly every face is known and visitors are welcomed like family. Worshippers come not only for the regular weekend and weekday Masses but also to venerate the historic Shrine of Our Lady of Consolation — the small, jewel-crowned statue brought from Belgium in 1867 by a Civil War survivor and the outdoor Marian grotto built by parishioners in 2012 — making it a meaningful destination for Marian devotion, family heritage, and quiet pilgrimage. As one of the oldest Catholic parishes in Indiana, founded in 1837 by Belgian and Luxembourgish immigrants and tied to the legacy of Msgr. Bessonies, it offers a living link to the pioneer Catholic history of the Hoosier state.
Mass times at St. Augustine
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Saturday 5:00 PM (or by appointment)
History of St. Augustine Parish
St. Augustine Parish in Leopold, Perry County, Indiana, was founded in 1837 by the French missionary priest Msgr. Jean-François Augustin de Bessonies, who was assigned to what turned out to be tiny Rome, Indiana, after his ordination in 1840. Bessonies recruited Belgian and Luxembourgish immigrants through newspaper advertisements — following the model used by priests at Jasper and Ferdinand — and founded the town of Leopold, named after King Leopold of Belgium. The parish itself took its name from the founder's middle name, Augustin. Bessonies went on to become one of the most consequential churchmen in Indiana, founding parishes across the state, building St. John the Evangelist in Indianapolis, and serving as vicar general of the diocese until his death in 1901.
- Founded 1837; one of the oldest Catholic parishes in Indiana
- Founded by Msgr. Jean-François Augustin de Bessonies (ordained 1840)
- Tied to the founding of the town of Leopold, named after King Leopold of Belgium
- Bessonies named a monsignor by Pope Leo XIII in 1884
Shrine of Our Lady of Consolation
The parish's most famous treasure is the Shrine of Our Lady of Consolation, and GCatholic formally lists the church as a Marian shrine. The devotion has its roots in the U.S. Civil War: three St. Augustine parishioners, Henry Devillez, Isidore Naviaux, and Lambert Rogier, served in the Union Army and were captured and imprisoned for eleven months at the notorious Confederate Andersonville prison in Georgia. They vowed to Our Lady of Consolation that if they survived, one of them would travel to Belgium and have a statue of Mary commissioned in thanksgiving. All three survived, and in 1867 Rogier sailed across the Atlantic and returned with the components for the small, jeweled statue of Our Lady of Consolation that stands today to the left of the main altar. The statue depicts Mary holding the child Jesus; both wear jeweled crowns, a white fabric garment, and a blue cape, with Mary holding a scepter, a silver heart, and a key, and Jesus holding an orb and cross.
- Indoor statue brought from Belgium by Lambert Rogier in 1867
- Outdoor statue of Our Lady of Consolation erected in 1960
- Stone grotto built by parishioners for the parish's 175th anniversary in 2012
- Rededicated by Archbishop Joseph W. Tobin on September 7, 2012
- Long-running annual pilgrimage and novena to Our Lady of Consolation on the last Sunday in May
Mass and Sacramental Schedule
St. Augustine celebrates Mass on Saturday evening as its anticipated Sunday Mass and once during the week, with a regular Saturday afternoon time for the Sacrament of Reconciliation. The Archdiocese of Indianapolis notes that for the most current Mass and sacramental schedule, parishioners should call the parish office, and the church has a seating capacity of about 400. Earlier listings have also shown Sunday and weekday variations, suggesting that visitors should always confirm by phone before traveling.
- Saturday Vigil Mass: 4:00 PM
- Wednesday Mass: 6:00 PM
- Confessions: Saturday 5:00 PM (or by appointment)
- Parish office: (812) 843-5143
- Church capacity: ~400
Parish Staff and Leadership
According to the Archdiocese of Indianapolis parish directory, St. Augustine is currently served by two Pastors in solidum, Rev. Luke Waugh and Rev. Brian G. Esarey. Day-to-day parish operations are supported by a parish secretary, a parish council chair, and a religious education catechist, reflecting the small-team model common to rural Indiana parishes.
- Pastors in solidum: Rev. Luke Waugh and Rev. Brian G. Esarey
- Religious Education Catechist: Myra Stumler
- Parish Council Chair: Sean Stumler
- Parish Secretary: Janet Peter
Faith Formation and Parish Life
Religious education at St. Augustine is coordinated by parish catechist Myra Stumler, and the parish council is chaired by Sean Stumler, indicating a close-knit parish life in which many of the same families fill multiple roles. With around 175 registered families, the parish retains the intimate, family-style character typical of southern Indiana's historic Catholic farming communities, and the parish secretary Janet Peter handles the office in the church's Lafayette Street location.
- Religious Education program under catechist Myra Stumler
- Active Parish Council led by Sean Stumler
- Approximately 175 registered families
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Msgr. Jean-François Augustin de Bessonies1840s (founder, briefly assigned to Rome/Perry County before going on to other parishes)
French-born missionary priest who founded the town of Leopold and the parish; became vicar general of the diocese, built St. John the Evangelist in Indianapolis, and was named a monsignor by Pope Leo XIII in 1884.
- Rev. Barnabas Gillespie, OSB
Benedictine priest and former pastor; concelebrated the 2012 rededication Mass of the Marian grotto with Archbishop Tobin.
- Rev. Brian G. Esareyat least through 2013
Listed as pastor of St. Augustine when Archbishop Tobin rededicated the Marian shrine on Sept. 7, 2012; still listed as pastor in solidum on the Archdiocese of Indianapolis parish listing.