About St. Catherine of Siena Parish -St. John the Evangelist Church · Enochsburg, Indiana
St. Catherine of Siena Parish is a Roman Catholic parish of the Archdiocese of Indianapolis serving rural Decatur County in southeastern Indiana. Formed in December 2013 from the merger of St. John the Evangelist Parish (Enochsburg) and St. Maurice Parish (near St. Maurice, Decatur County), the parish now worships at two historic worship sites: St. John the Evangelist Church in Enochsburg (9995 East Base Road) and St. Maurice Church (1963 N. St. John Street, Greensburg). The parish serves about 309 families under pastor Father William (Bill) Ehalt, with daily and Sunday Masses offered at both country church locations.
- Established
- 2014
- Patron
- St. Catherine of Siena
- Rector
- Rev. William (Bill) Ehalt
- Diocese
- Archdiocese of Indianapolis
Why belong here
St. Catherine of Siena offers the warmth of two small country parishes that worship in historic stone and country churches set among the farms of Decatur County, only five miles apart. With about 309 families, the community is large enough to sustain a strong Religious Education program (K–12 on Wednesday evenings at the St. Maurice site), Vacation Bible School, a Youth Ministry, a children's preschool program, and lively parish festivals at each site, yet small enough that members know one another. Father Bill Ehalt and a dedicated lay staff and catechist team provide daily Mass, Eucharistic Adoration on Fridays at Enochsburg, Reconciliation, sacramental preparation, and outreach to the homebound through the Anointing of the Sick and Communion visits.
Mass times at St. Catherine of Siena Parish -St. John the Evangelist Church
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Saturday following the 5:00 PM Mass at St. Maurice
- Sunday following the 10:00 AM Mass at St. Maurice
- First Friday after the 5:00 PM Mass at St. Maurice
- By appointment
Adoration times
- Fridays after the 8:00 AM Mass at Enochsburg until Noon (8:30 AM – 12:00 PM)
Parish History — Two Country Parishes Become One
St. Catherine of Siena Parish was created on December 1, 2013, when St. John the Evangelist Parish in Enochsburg and St. Maurice Parish merged under the Archdiocese of Indianapolis' Connected in the Spirit planning process for the Batesville Deanery. Father William Ehalt, who had been shared pastor of both communities for roughly 27 years, became administrator, and parishioner Gary Nobbe joined the implementation team. Although the merged faith community took the new name St. Catherine of Siena (Archdiocese records show it as founded in 2014), the two historic church buildings kept their original names, and parishioners continue to worship at both locations — only about five miles apart — just as they had for decades.
- Merger date: December 1, 2013
- Result of Connected in the Spirit pastoral planning for the Batesville Deanery
- Parish name: St. Catherine of Siena
- Worship sites retain historical names: St. John the Evangelist and St. Maurice
St. John the Evangelist Church, Enochsburg
The Enochsburg worship site — St. John the Evangelist Church — is the parish's older country church. It was established in 1842 when Gerhard Bohmann and Harry Kinker petitioned the bishop to build a church on land donated by Bohmann; a log cabin church was the first structure, followed by a school and a rectory. In 1857–1858, work on the present stone church was halted after three people were killed in tragic construction accidents; the project resumed in 1859, and the first Mass in the completed stone church was celebrated in 1860. That stone church is still in active use. The rectory burned in 1867 and was rebuilt. The parish records the original founding as 1844. St. John the Evangelist Parish was officially closed on December 1, 2013, when it was merged into St. Catherine of Siena Parish, but the church continues as a regular Sunday Mass site.
- Established 1842; parish founded 1844
- Original log cabin church replaced by stone church, 1857–1860
- Three workers died in accidents during stone-church construction
- Rectory destroyed by fire 1867, then rebuilt
- Parish closed Dec. 1, 2013; church still in active use
St. Maurice Church
St. Maurice, the parish's other worship site, has roots reaching back to about 1850, when two religious Brothers from France came to the area with visions of starting a college. They founded the 'St. Maurice Institute' for young men and a school for younger students; the institute closed after the sudden death of one of the Brothers, but the church and school continued. A new church was built along with a rectory. The parish school closed in 1963, but St. Maurice Parish remained open for many decades until it merged with St. John to form St. Catherine of Siena in December 2013. The St. Maurice church is still used as a regular worship site, and its buildings continue to serve as meeting space and classrooms for the combined parish's religious education program.
- Origins c. 1850 with two French Brothers founding St. Maurice Institute
- Institute closed after sudden death of one of the Brothers
- School closed 1963; parish continued until 2013 merger
- Buildings now used for parish Religious Education and meetings
Meet Our Pastor — Father William (Bill) Ehalt
Father William (Bill) Ehalt is the pastor of St. Catherine of Siena Parish. He had served as shared pastor of St. John the Evangelist and St. Maurice parishes for about 27 years before they merged in December 2013, and he was named administrator of the newly formed parish at that time. He is listed by the Archdiocese of Indianapolis as the current pastor of Parish #071.
- Pastor of St. Catherine of Siena Parish since its 2013 founding
- Shared pastor of predecessor parishes for ~27 years
- Direct line: 812-585-1229
Parish Staff and Contacts
The parish is served by a small lay staff alongside the pastor, handling music, religious education, and business operations. Kelly Bedel is the Director of Religious Education (PARE) and Cindy Lamping is the Business Manager; Cheryl Parmer and Nathan Nobbe serve as Music Directors.
- Fr. William Ehalt, Pastor — 812-585-1229
- Cindy Lamping, Business Manager — 812-934-2880 (cell 812-212-8384)
- Kelly Bedel, Director of Religious Education — 812-663-4754 (cell 812-560-6017)
- Cheryl Parmer, Music Director
- Nathan Nobbe, Music Director
Religious Education / Faith Formation
St. Catherine of Siena runs a parish Religious Education (CCD) program for children in Kindergarten through 12th grade, meeting on Wednesday evenings during the school year from 6:45 PM to 8:00 PM at the St. Maurice site. The curriculum covers preparation for First Holy Communion, Reconciliation, and Confirmation, along with an All Saints Celebration, a Christmas Celebration, and end-of-year recognition of High School Seniors at the Outdoor Mass. The preschool program meets on the 1st and 3rd Sundays of each month during the school year, during both the 8:00 AM and 10:00 AM Masses, and preschool children may attend at either site. Catechists are parish volunteers encouraged to seek Archdiocesan certification. The parish also offers a one-week Vacation Bible School in the summer for preschoolers through 5th graders, including children from the wider community.
- K–12 Religious Education — Wednesdays 6:45–8:00 PM at St. Maurice
- Preschool program — 1st & 3rd Sundays during 8:00 AM and 10:00 AM Masses
- First Communion, Reconciliation, and Confirmation preparation
- All Saints & Christmas Celebrations
- High School Seniors recognized at end-of-year Outdoor Mass
- Vacation Bible School — one week in summer, PreK–5
- Director of Religious Education: Kelly Bedel — 812-663-4754
Youth Ministry
A Youth Ministry program supports the spiritual and social growth of the parish's middle and high school youth, complementing the Wednesday-night Religious Education classes with additional formation, fellowship, and service activities.
- Dedicated Youth Ministry program for parish teens
- Complements K–12 Religious Education on Wednesday evenings
Liturgical Ministries (Music, Lectors, Servers, Ushers)
The parish draws on a strong team of lay liturgical ministers for each Mass. Cheryl Parmer and Nathan Nobbe serve as Music Directors, leading the choirs at both sites. Weekend Mass assignments rotate through volunteer lectors, Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion, altar servers, greeters and ushers, and offertory gift bearers; a Rosary is also prayed before Mass. A church-cleaning ministry rotates by site on a published weekly schedule.
- Choir / Music Ministry — Cheryl Parmer and Nathan Nobbe
- Lectors / Readers
- Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion
- Altar Servers (including youth)
- Greeters and Ushers
- Offertory Gifts bearers
- Rosary before Mass (scheduled by parish bulletin)
- Church Cleaning teams rotating by site
Sacraments
Information on how to arrange each sacrament is published in the parish bulletin and on the website.
- Baptism — schedule through Kelly Bedel at St. Maurice; celebrated after 5:00 PM Saturday or 10:00 AM Sunday Mass
- First Communion, Reconciliation, Confirmation — through Religious Education program
- Marriage — Catholic party must be a registered parishioner; six months of preparation required by Archdiocesan policy
- Anointing of the Sick — call the parish office; Communion visits to the homebound also arranged
Outreach — Agape Food Collection
The parish supports a local food outreach through its Agape/Needy/Farkel donation program, accepting non-perishable groceries after each Mass and monetary donations placed in the Agape box in the back of each church.
- Suggested donations: soups, dried beans, canned stew, canned meat, powdered milk
- Drop-off bins in the back of each church
- Monetary gifts accepted in the Agape / Needy / Farkel box
Parish Festivals and Community Life
Two annual parish festivals are central to community life: one held at the St. Maurice site on the last Sunday in June, and another at the Enochsburg site on the Sunday of Labor Day weekend. New parishioners registering with the parish are asked to indicate which festival they would like to help with.
- St. Maurice Festival — last Sunday in June
- Enochsburg Festival — Sunday of Labor Day weekend
Becoming a New Parishioner
The parish publishes a New Parishioner Family Registration form that collects basic family and sacramental information, preferred Mass site, festival of choice, and ministry interests. New parishioners are asked to attend Mass and support the parish financially and/or through its ministries, and to notify their former parish of the change.
- Registration form available on the parish website (PDF)
- Ministry options: Altar Server, Offertory Gifts, Greeter/Usher, Church Cleaning, Holy Communion Minister, CCD Teacher, Reader, Choir
- Submit form to [email protected] or mail to 9995 E. Base Rd., Greensburg, IN 47240
Worship Sites, Address, and Contact
St. Catherine of Siena Parish has two worship sites in rural Decatur County, both with Greensburg mailing addresses. The parish office is at the Enochsburg site.
- Parish Office & St. John the Evangelist (Enochsburg): 9995 East Base Road, Greensburg, IN 47240-8406 — 812-934-2880
- St. Maurice Church & Religious Education Office: 1963 N. St. John Street, Greensburg, IN 47240 — 812-663-4754
- Email: [email protected]
- Website: www.stcatherinesparish.org
- Facebook: @stcatherineofsienaIN
Archdiocese of Indianapolis
St. Catherine of Siena Parish is Parish #071 in the Archdiocese of Indianapolis, listed under the Batesville Deanery. It is one of three Catholic parishes in Decatur County (alongside St. Mary in Greensburg and Immaculate Conception in Millhousen).
- Archdiocese: Indianapolis
- Deanery: Batesville
- Parish number: 071
- Founded: 2014 (successor parish to St. John the Evangelist, 1844, and St. Maurice, c.1850)
- Registered families: 309
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Rev. William (Bill) Ehalt2013–present
Appointed administrator of the newly formed St. Catherine of Siena Parish at its December 2013 merger; named pastor in subsequent Archdiocesan listings; served previously as shared pastor of St. John and St. Maurice for about 27 years before the merger.