About St. Joseph [Parke-Vermillion Catholic] · Rockville, Indiana
St. Joseph Catholic Parish is a small, historic Roman Catholic community of about 86 families in Rockville, the county seat of Parke County, Indiana. Founded in 1867 as a mission of the Diocese (later Archdiocese) of Indianapolis, it is today twinned pastorally with Sacred Heart Parish in nearby Clinton (founded 1891) under the joint name 'Catholic Churches of Parke and Vermillion Counties.' The parish gathers for Sunday Mass at 11:15 AM, weekday Masses on Tuesday evening and Wednesday morning, and a seasonal Saturday-evening Mass in the warmer months, and is best known locally for its legendary 'Cruller Shack' fundraiser at the annual Parke County Covered Bridge Festival.
- Established
- 1867
- Patron
- St. Joseph
- Rector
- Rev. Joby Abraham Puthussery
- Diocese
- Archdiocese of Indianapolis
Why belong here
St. Joseph is a close-knit rural parish of about 86 families where everyone knows one another, tucked in the small Parke County seat of Rockville. Visitors and parishioners are welcomed into a community that takes its Catholic faith seriously through the active celebration of the sacraments, lifelong faith formation, and concrete outreach — most famously the parish-run 'Cruller Shack' at the Covered Bridge Festival, which has funded the parish's life since 1957. If you are looking for a small, traditional Catholic home with rosary prayed before every Mass, weekday and weekend Masses, regular confessions on Tuesdays, and a Marian grotto on the church grounds, St. Joseph offers a genuine and welcoming spiritual home.
Mass times at St. Joseph [Parke-Vermillion Catholic]
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Tuesday 4:30–5:00 PM
- Or by appointment
History of St. Joseph Parish
Founded in 1867 as a mission church by Father Meinrad McCarthy, St. Joseph grew slowly but steadily alongside the railroad town of Rockville. An 1886 wood-frame church served the community for nearly a century until a 1970 gas-station fire made replacement urgent; the present brick church along U.S. 36 was built by 1975 and paid off the same year. The parish marked its 150th anniversary on June 25, 2017 with a concelebrated Mass, the blessing of its renovated Marian grotto, and a banquet.
- 1867 — Founded as a mission by Father Meinrad McCarthy
- 1886 — Wood-frame church built
- 1904 — Parish receives its own resident pastor for the first time
- 1917–1947 — Period without a resident pastor
- 1955 — Permission granted to celebrate three Sunday Masses
- 1967–1985 — Msgr. Lawrence Moran serves as pastor
- 1970 — Gas station fire damages the old frame church
- 1971–1975 — Present brick church built and paid off ($290,000)
- 2017 — Sesquicentennial Mass and grotto blessing
Catholic Churches of Parke and Vermillion Counties
St. Joseph is partnered with Sacred Heart Catholic Church in Clinton, Indiana (founded 1891) under the cluster name 'Catholic Churches of Parke and Vermillion Counties.' The two parishes share pastoral leadership and present themselves as a single community of faith spanning the two counties, with a joint website at parkevermillioncatholicchurches.org.
- Sacred Heart, Clinton — founded 1891
- St. Joseph, Rockville — founded 1867
- Joint pastoral team and joint website
The Cruller Shack and Covered Bridge Festival
Each October, thousands of visitors descend on Rockville for the Parke County Covered Bridge Festival — and a stop at the parish's 'Cruller Shack' is part of the tradition. Making and selling the round, twisted cruller pastries is a massive parish-wide effort across the ten days of the festival, and it has been the parish's signature fundraiser since the festival began in 1957. Cruller proceeds helped fund the present church in the early 1970s and continue to underwrite parish life.
- Annual fundraiser: St. Joseph 'Cruller Shack'
- Held during the 10-day Parke County Covered Bridge Festival each October
- Festival tradition began in 1957 — same year Father Flavian Strange compiled the parish history
Parish Buildings, Grotto and Grounds
The current church, a brick structure built in the early 1970s, sits along U.S. 36 one block east of the Parke County Courthouse Square and has a stated seating capacity of 325. The parish grounds also feature a Marian grotto that was renovated and blessed at the 2017 sesquicentennial. The 1886 wood-frame predecessor church was relocated to Billie Creek Village in Rockville (with help from Tony Hulman); it has since fallen into disrepair.
- Present church — dedicated/paid off 1975
- Seating capacity: 325
- Marian grotto — renovated and blessed 2017
- Former 1886 frame church — relocated to Billie Creek Village
Parish Identity and Mission
The parish's stated mission, drawn from its official website, is to gather as a community of faith called to proclaim the Good News of Jesus Christ and, 'by our works of love, justice, and peace,' to further the Kingdom of God. With 86 registered families, St. Joseph emphasizes lifelong faith formation, active sacramental life, and a warm, welcoming hospitality rooted in Catholic tradition.
- Registered families: 86
- Rite: Roman-Latin
- Emphasis on sacraments, faith formation, and outreach
Contact and Visiting
Visitors and parishioners can reach the parish office at (765) 569-5406 or by email at [email protected]. The parish is located at 201 E. Ohio Street, Rockville, IN 47872, one block east of the Courthouse Square on U.S. 36. Up-to-date information is posted on the official parish site (stjosephrockville.com) and the cluster site (parkevermillioncatholicchurches.org).
- Address: 201 E. Ohio Street, Rockville, IN 47872
- Phone: (765) 569-5406
- Email: [email protected]
- Websites: stjosephrockville.com and parkevermillioncatholicchurches.org
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Rev. Meinrad McCarthy1867–
Founder; established the parish as a mission church.
- Rev. Flavian Strange
Compiled the parish history in 1957.
- Msgr. Lawrence Moran1967–1985
Led parish through the building of the present church; returned for the 2017 sesquicentennial at age 90.
- Rev. Joseph Villa, STL2001–2013
Served while also pastoring Sacred Heart, Clinton, and administering St. Joseph, Universal; reassigned 2013.
- Rev. Varghese Maliakkalcirca 2013–c. 2020s
Pastor at the 2017 sesquicentennial celebration; led the parish in the 2010s.
- Rev. Joby Abraham Puthussery
Current pastor per the Archdiocese of Indianapolis parish directory.