About St. Joseph Catholic Church · Delphi, Indiana
St. Joseph Catholic Church is a historic parish in Delphi, Indiana, the seat of Carroll County. The parish traces its beginnings to 1854 when Catholic missionary priests visited families along the Wabash & Erie Canal, and it was formally established as a parish in 1859 under Bishop John H. Luers of the newly created Diocese of Fort Wayne. Today St. Joseph is one of three worship sites of the Pastorate of the Holy Trinity in the Diocese of Lafayette-in-Indiana, sharing its pastoral team with Our Lady of the Lakes in Monticello and St. Joseph in Reynolds. The parish celebrates Mass in both English and Spanish and serves a multi-generational faith community in north-central Indiana.
- Established
- 1859
- Patron
- St. Joseph
- Rector
- Fr. Daniel Duf (Missionary Pastor); Fr. Christopher Miller (Senior Parochial Vicar)
- Diocese
- Diocese of Lafayette-in-Indiana
Why belong here
St. Joseph is a bilingual, multi-generational parish that welcomes both longtime locals and newcomers to the Delphi area. As part of the Pastorate of the Holy Trinity, it offers daily and Sunday Mass in English, a weekly Sunday Mass in Spanish, regular confession times, First Friday Eucharistic Adoration, a parish cemetery, and ongoing religious education for children and adults. Parishioners can be involved in Hispanic ministry, evangelization, religious education, parish operations, and outreach through the diocese — all in a small-town setting where the faith community still knows one another.
Mass times at St. Joseph Catholic Church
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Saturday 4:00 PM – 4:30 PM at St. Joseph, Delphi
- Or by appointment
Adoration times
- First Friday, 7:00 AM – 5:00 PM at St. Joseph, Delphi
About the Pastorate of the Holy Trinity
St. Joseph Catholic Church in Delphi is one of three worship sites of the Pastorate of the Holy Trinity, a multi-site parish family of the Diocese of Lafayette-in-Indiana. The pastorate brings together St. Joseph (Delphi), Our Lady of the Lakes (Monticello), and St. Joseph (Reynolds) under a single pastoral team, with shared clergy, staff, and a common bulletin. This structure allows the small-town parishes of Carroll and White counties to share resources and ministry while keeping each worship site rooted in its own community.
- St. Joseph, Delphi — 207 N Washington Street
- Our Lady of the Lakes, Monticello — 543 S Main Street
- St. Joseph, Reynolds — 601 S Kenton Street
- Shared clergy: Fr. Daniel Duf (Missionary Pastor) and Fr. Christopher Miller (Senior Parochial Vicar)
- Common bulletin published weekly under the Pastorate of the Holy Trinity
History of St. Joseph Parish
The Catholic story in Delphi begins with the Wabash & Erie Canal, which carried missionary priests to scattered Catholic families in north-central Indiana. By 1854 Rev. Michael Clark of Lafayette was making regular visits to Delphi, which was then just a station on the larger Lafayette mission. In 1857 the Bishop of Vincennes formally established Delphi as a mission under Rev. Nieber, who cared for about 150 Catholics of Irish, German, and French descent. Two years later, when Pope Pius IX erected the Diocese of Fort Wayne, Bishop John H. Luers created St. Joseph as a full parish and named Rev. John Vahey as its first resident pastor. Twenty-six permanent resident priests have since served the parish.
- 1854 — Rev. Michael Clark of Lafayette begins regular visits to Delphi
- 1857 — Bishop of Vincennes establishes Delphi as a mission; Rev. Nieber appointed
- 1859 — Diocese of Fort Wayne created; Bishop John H. Luers establishes Delphi as a parish; Rev. John Vahey first resident pastor
- 1876 — Parish school opens, staffed by the Sisters of Providence
- 1887 — Parish purchases ground for St. Joseph Cemetery
- 1901 — Sisters of St. Joseph take over the parish school
- 1970 — Parish school closes; Sunday religious education classes continue
- 2009 — Parish celebrates 150th anniversary with Church Blessing by Bishop William Higi
School and Cemetery
For nearly a century St. Joseph maintained its own parish school, first under the Sisters of Providence (1876–1901) and then under the Sisters of St. Joseph (1901–1970). After the school closed in 1970, the parish transitioned to a Sunday religious education program that continues today. The parish has also maintained its own cemetery since 1887, when ground was purchased just a few miles from the town.
- Sisters of Providence staffed the school, 1876–1901
- Sisters of St. Joseph staffed the school, 1901–1970
- School closed in 1970
- Religious education classes offered on Sundays in its place
- St. Joseph Cemetery — ground purchased October 1887
Parish Staff and Clergy
The pastorate is led by Fr. Daniel Duf (Missionary Pastor) and Fr. Christopher Miller (Senior Parochial Vicar). A team of lay staff and deacons supports faith formation, operations, Hispanic ministry, and evangelization across all three worship sites. St. Joseph Delphi's Director of Religious Education is Paula Iunghuhn, reached at (765) 564-3601.
- Fr. Daniel Duf — Missionary Pastor ([email protected], ext. 107)
- Fr. Christopher Miller — Senior Parochial Vicar ([email protected], ext. 104)
- Deacon Michael Booth — Director of Evangelization
- Cassy Mackey — Director of Operations
- Paula Iunghuhn — Director of Religious Education, St. Joseph Delphi
- Valeria Fuentes — Coordinator of Hispanic Ministry
- Reynalda Martinez — Pastorate Administrative Assistant (Delphi office)
- Barbara Mathew — Pastorate Administrative Assistant (Monticello office)
Faith Formation and Religious Education
Since the parish school closed in 1970, St. Joseph has provided religious education for its children and youth through Sunday Christian Doctrine classes. At the pastorate level, faith formation is coordinated by Director of Religious Education Paula Iunghuhn for the Delphi site and Maribel Martinez at Our Lady of the Lakes. Preparation for the sacraments of First Reconciliation, First Communion, and Confirmation is offered for children and teens.
- Sunday Christian Doctrine classes for youth
- Sacramental preparation: Baptism, First Reconciliation, First Communion, Confirmation
- Director of Religious Education (Delphi): Paula Iunghuhn, (765) 564-3601
- Director of Religious Education (Monticello): Maribel Martinez
Hispanic Ministry
The pastorate maintains an active Hispanic Ministry coordinated by Valeria Fuentes. A Spanish-language Mass is celebrated every Sunday at 11:30 AM at St. Joseph in Delphi, and at 12:00 PM at Our Lady of the Lakes in Monticello. Spanish-speaking priests and at least one Spanish-speaking staff member serve each parish in the pastorate.
- Sunday 11:30 AM — Misa en Español at St. Joseph, Delphi
- Sunday 12:00 PM — Misa en Español at Our Lady of the Lakes, Monticello
- Coordinator of Hispanic Ministry: Valeria Fuentes ([email protected])
Contact and Office Information
The Delphi parish office is open Monday through Thursday from 4:00 PM to 8:00 PM. Parishioners and visitors can reach the Delphi office by phone at (765) 564-2407.
- Office: 207 N Washington Street, Delphi, Indiana 46923
- Phone: (765) 564-2407
- Office hours: Monday–Thursday, 4:00 PM to 8:00 PM
- Pastorate website: http://holytrinitypastorate.org/
- Online giving available through the pastorate website
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Rev. Michael Clark of Lafayettecirca 1854
Made regular visits to Delphi as a mission station from St. Mary's, Lafayette.
- Rev. Nieber1857
Appointed by the Bishop of Vincennes to care for the 150-member mission of Irish, German, and French descent.
- Rev. John Vahey1859
First resident pastor when Delphi was formally established as a parish under the new Diocese of Fort Wayne.
- Rev. August B. Oechtering
Noted as the first of 26 permanent resident priests of the parish.
- Rev. Peter Vanderkolkas of 2009
Was the parish priest at the 150th anniversary celebration in September 2009.