About St. Christopher · Indianapolis, Indiana
St. Christopher Parish is a Catholic community of about 1,800 households on the westside of Indianapolis, in the Speedway neighborhood, belonging to the Archdiocese of Indianapolis. Founded in 1937 by Father Leo Lindeman at the intersection of 16th Street and Lynhurst, it began with 201 parishioners and has grown to roughly 4,800 individuals centered on the weekly celebration of the Eucharist. The parish operates an associated Catholic elementary school, St. Christopher School (PreK–6), and runs an active food pantry, St. Vincent de Paul conference, faith-formation program, and a wide range of liturgical and outreach ministries on its campus at 5301 W. 16th Street.
- Established
- 1937
- Patron
- St. Christopher
- Rector
- Rev. Joseph M. (Joe) Feltz
- Diocese
- Archdiocese of Indianapolis
Why belong here
St. Christopher offers a Eucharistic-centered parish life with multiple Sunday Mass options, daily weekday Masses, a robust K-6 Catholic school, and an unusually wide range of lay ministries for a parish of its size. Parishioners feed the hungry through an on-site Food Pantry (open Tuesday and Friday mornings), serve the poor through an active St. Vincent de Paul conference and Mission 27 Resale store, and grow in faith through CCD, sacramental preparation, a Sudanese Bible Study, Men's Scripture Group, Children's Word at the 10:30 Mass, and the Millions of Monicas prayer ministry. It is a place where families, school families, and a diverse range of ethnic and cultural groups come together to worship, form disciples, and serve the westside of Indianapolis.
Mass times at St. Christopher
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Saturday 4:30–5:00 pm
- Also by appointment — contact Fr. Joe Feltz / Fr. Paul
Our Mission & History
St. Christopher Parish was founded in 1937 by Father Leo Lindeman at the intersection of 16th and Lynhurst with 201 parishioners, when Speedway, Indiana was still a quiet town near the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. The parish has grown into a community of more than 1,800 households — about 4,800 people — and centers its life on the weekly celebration of the Eucharist. Its mission is to participate in Christ's mission of evangelization by witnessing and sharing in the mission of Jesus who calls us to love God with our whole hearts and to love neighbors, even as God loves us, expressed through worship, service, faith formation, community life, and stewardship.
- Founded 1937 by Father Leo Lindeman
- Started with 201 parishioners at 16th and Lynhurst
- Today: ~1,800 households / ~4,800 individuals
- Archdiocesan Parish #021, Archdiocese of Indianapolis
Parish Leadership & Staff
Fr. Joe Feltz is the current pastor, having been assigned to St. Christopher in 2025. He is supported by a pastoral associate, a sister of Providence who directs faith formation and youth ministry, and a music director, along with a parish council, finance council, and maintenance and office staff. The Archdiocesan 2025 parish directory still names Rev. Paul M. Shikany as pastor, reflecting the recent transition; the parish leadership page and school site now list Fr. Joe Feltz and Fr. Paul Shikany respectively.
- Pastor: Rev. Joseph M. (Joe) Feltz (assigned 2025)
- Pastoral Associate: Bill Szolek-Van Valkenburgh
- Pastoral Associate for Faith Formation & Youth Ministry: Sr. Mary Ann DeFazio, SP
- Music Director: Miguel Campinho
- Parish Council Chair: David Heffner
- Finance Administrator: Mary Blake
- Director of Maintenance: Steve Quinnette
- Parish Receptionist: Judy Lombardo
- Assistant Bookkeeper: Jan Johnson
Parish Council & Finance Council
The Parish Pastoral Council is the central consultative body of the parish and assists the pastor in discerning needs, setting goals, and establishing parish priorities. It consists of the pastor, the pastoral associate, a Finance Council representative, and 10 parishioners serving three-year terms. The Finance Council oversees the temporal resources of the parish.
- Chairperson: Lisa Doerner
- Vice Chairperson: Mike Clouse
- Secretary: Julie Norman
- Council Members: Barbara Brinkman, Eric Ebenroth, Jim Fesenmeier, Lilian Obinna-Igwe, Chika Onyia
- Finance Council Chair: Sharon Howell; Secretary: Cindy Hahn
- Council email: [email protected]
Faith Formation & Religious Education
Faith formation at St. Christopher includes a parish religious-education program called CCD (Continuing Christian Development) for children in PreK through 5th grade, sacramental preparation for First Communion and Confirmation, and weekly Children's Word during the 10:30 Sunday Mass, when children are blessed by the priest and led by Sr. Mary Ann to their own liturgical space. Each year in mid-June, Vacation Bible School welcomes children ages 4–10, with 5th graders and older serving as volunteers.
- CCD (PreK–5th grade)
- Sacramental Preparation
- Children's Word at the 10:30 Mass
- Vacation Bible School (mid-June)
- Men's Scripture Group — 1st & 3rd Saturdays, 7:30–9:00 am
- Sudanese Bible Study Group
- Millions of Monicas prayer ministry
- CYO Sports (Youth Ministry)
St. Christopher School
St. Christopher School is a Catholic elementary school serving preschool through sixth grade on the parish campus at 5335 W. 16th Street. Its mission is to provide an exceptional education permeated with Catholic Christian values, promoting spiritual, moral, intellectual, physical, and social growth — extending the mission of the students' homes and helping them realize their worth as children of God. Students attend weekly liturgies on Tuesdays (grades 1–6, led by parishioners) and Thursdays (grades K–6, led by students), follow the Archdiocesan Religion Curriculum, and take the ACRE religion assessment in 5th grade.
- Preschool through 6th grade
- Principal: Karen King ([email protected])
- School Secretary: Annie Endres
- Number of students: 179
- Web: http://stchristopherschool.net
- Religion curriculum: RCL Benziger 'Stories of God's Love' (PreK) and Sadlier 'We Believe' (Grades 1–6)
Liturgical Ministries
Lay men and women of the parish serve in a wide range of liturgical roles. Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion assist with distributing the Eucharist at Sunday liturgies; lectors proclaim the Word; ushers create a welcoming environment; and a dedicated team cares for the sacred linens used throughout the week. The choir and cantors lead worship song at Mass, with cantors serving at the Saturday 5:30 vigil Mass. Students in 5th grade and above may train as altar servers, and the Environment Committee enhances the worship space with seasonal décor, floral arranging, and design.
- Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion
- Lectors
- Ushers
- Altar Servers (5th grade and up)
- Parish Choir & Cantors (5:30 pm Saturday)
- Sacristy Linens Ministry
- Environment Committee
Outreach & Charity
St. Christopher runs an active social-outreach ministry rooted in Catholic social teaching. The on-campus St. Christopher Food Pantry serves clients in surrounding Speedway and west-side zip codes Tuesday and Friday mornings from 9:00 to 10:15 am as a client-choice pantry. The parish's St. Vincent de Paul conference feeds the hungry through the SVdP Food Pantry, collects Beggars for the Poor on the fourth Saturday of each month, sorts donations at the SVdP Warehouse and Distribution Center, and operates two Mission 27 Resale stores — opened in October 2016 — that fund the food pantries and the Changing Lives Forever program teaching participants skills to lift themselves out of poverty.
- St. Christopher Food Pantry (client-choice, Tues & Fri 9:00–10:15 am, Door #21)
- St. Vincent de Paul Conference (SVdP Help Line 317-687-0169)
- Beggars for the Poor — 4th Saturday of the month, 7:30 am from the parish lot
- SVdP Warehouse / Distribution Center volunteering
- Mission 27 Resale Store (opened October 2016)
- Changing Lives Forever — 16-week program with mentors from Trusted Mentors
- Blue SVdP donation boxes between the school and parish garage
Getting Involved & Visit
Visitors and parishioners are warmly invited to join the community for Sunday and weekday Eucharist, to participate in the many ministries organized around worship, service, faith formation, community life, and stewardship, and to drop off food-pantry and SVdP donations at the marked blue boxes on campus. The parish office is open Monday through Friday from 8:30 am to 4:00 pm, and a Sacramental Emergency line is staffed for urgent pastoral needs. The parish is located in the Archdiocese of Indianapolis (Parish #021) and works in close partnership with St. Christopher School.
- Parish Office: Mon–Fri, 8:30 am–4:00 pm
- Sacramental Emergency: (317) 487-1164
- Parish Phone: (317) 241-6314
- Email: [email protected]
- Web: www.stchrisindy.org
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Father Leo Lindeman1937 (founding)
Founded the parish in 1937 at 16th and Lynhurst with 201 parishioners.
- Rev. Paul M. Shikanythrough 2025
Listed as pastor on the Archdiocese 2025 directory and school website (2024–2025 school year).
- Rev. Joseph M. (Joe) Feltz2025–present
Current pastor; previously served at Holy Family, St. Andrew, St. Mary Richmond, St. Lawrence Lawrenceburg, St. Mary of the Immaculate Conception Aurora, St. Malachy Brownsburg, and Our Lady of Perpetual Help New Albany.