About St. Jude the Apostle · Spencer, Indiana
St. Jude the Apostle is a small Catholic parish located in Spencer, the county seat of Owen County in southern Indiana, serving about 85 registered families. Founded in 1951, the parish is one of two partner communities forming the 'St. John the Apostle and St. Jude the Apostle' linked parish, sharing a pastor and a single bulletin with St. John the Apostle in nearby Bloomington, Indiana. It belongs to the Metropolitan Archdiocese of Indianapolis (Bloomington Deanery), and is led today by Very Rev. Dennis M. Duvelius, MA, VF.
- Established
- 1951
- Patron
- St. Jude the Apostle
- Rector
- Very Rev. Dennis M. Duvelius, MA, VF
- Diocese
- Metropolitan Archdiocese of Indianapolis (Bloomington Deanery)
Why belong here
St. Jude the Apostle offers an intimate Catholic community of about 85 families in rural Owen County, with the personal attention and easy fellowship that come with a small parish. As a partnered parish with St. John the Apostle in Bloomington, members enjoy a full liturgical schedule (Sunday Mass in Spencer plus daily Mass in the linked parish), regular confession times, ongoing religious education, and direct access to a pastor who serves both communities.
Mass times at St. Jude the Apostle
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Wednesday 5:30 PM – 5:50 PM (St. Jude, Spencer)
- Thursday 8:30 AM – 8:50 AM (St. Jude, Spencer)
- Sunday — after Mass (St. Jude, Spencer)
- First Sunday of the month 10:00 AM – 11:00 AM (St. Jude, Spencer)
- By appointment
Adoration times
- Wednesday 5:00 PM – 6:00 PM (St. Jude, Spencer) — Exposition/Adoration precedes evening Mass
Parish Identity & Overview
St. Jude the Apostle is a Roman Catholic parish in Spencer, Indiana, the seat of Owen County in the south-central part of the state. Listed as Parish #151 in the Archdiocese of Indianapolis directory, it was founded in 1951 and today numbers about 85 registered families. The parish is one of two communities united as the 'St. John the Apostle and St. Jude the Apostle' partnership, sharing a pastor and a weekly combined bulletin with the Bloomington parish.
- Location: Spencer, Owen County, Indiana
- Founded: 1951
- Archdiocese listing: Parish #151
- Registered families: ~85
- Church capacity: 200
History
The parish was established in 1951 during a period when the Archdiocese of Indianapolis was extending its reach into southern Indiana's rural counties. The founding pastor was Rev. Joseph J. Pucci, OMI, an Oblate of Mary Immaculate — a common arrangement in that era, when mission parishes were often shepherded by religious-order priests. For decades the parish served as the Catholic home for the small Catholic population of Owen County, and in recent years it was formally linked with St. John the Apostle in Bloomington, forming one pastoral community under a single pastor.
- 1951 — Parish founded; Rev. Joseph J. Pucci, OMI, named founding pastor (Archdiocese 175th Anniversary history).
- 2019 — Rev. Dennis M. Duvelius appointed pastor of both St. John the Apostle (Bloomington) and St. Jude the Apostle (Spencer).
- 2025 — Fr. Duvelius reappointed to a second term as pastor of both parishes.
Pastoral Leadership & Staff
The parish is led by Very Rev. Dennis M. Duvelius, MA, VF, who also serves as pastor of the linked St. John the Apostle parish in Bloomington. Originally ordained in 1996 for the Priestly Fraternity of St. Peter (FSSP), Fr. Duvelius was incardinated into the Archdiocese of Indianapolis in 2006 and has served parishes in Batesville, Tell City, and Perry County before taking up the Bloomington-Spencer assignment in 2019. Parish operations are supported by a parish secretary / administrator of religious education and a finance council chair.
- Pastor: Very Rev. Dennis M. Duvelius, MA, VF
- Administrator of Religious Education / Parish Secretary: Maurica Clouser
- Parish Finance Chair: Chris Craney
- Parish office phone: (812) 829-3082
Linked Parish: St. John the Apostle (Bloomington)
Because St. Jude in Spencer is twinned with St. John the Apostle in Ellettsville / Bloomington, the parish website serves both communities as a single portal. Published on the linked 'This Week at the Parish' page is a fuller schedule that adds daily Mass at St. John the Apostle in Bloomington (Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday, and other days) as well as Saturday Vigil and additional Sunday Masses. Spencer-area parishioners can therefore attend Mass every day of the week across the two church buildings, and a combined weekly bulletin covers both congregations.
- St. John the Apostle, Bloomington — daily Mass schedule posted at sjabloomington.org
- Saturday Vigil at St. John the Apostle
- Combined bulletin distributed to both parishes
Religious Education & Faith Formation
Faith formation for St. Jude the Apostle is administered through the parish office. The Administrator of Religious Education coordinates the religious-education program and sacramental preparation, the same role typically responsible for First Communion, Confirmation prep, and ongoing faith formation for school-age children and adults. Families interested in enrolling children or adults in faith formation are directed to contact the parish office directly.
- Religious Education administered by Maurica Clouser
- Contact via parish office: (812) 829-3082
Parish Office & Contact
Day-to-day parish business, sacramental scheduling, and bulletin submissions all run through the small parish office in Spencer. The office is open during weekday business hours and is staffed by the parish secretary / DRE. The Archdiocese of Indianapolis directory lists the parish as Parish #151 and uses the same Spencer address and phone for all official correspondence.
- Mailing: P.O. Box 317, Spencer, IN 47460-0317
- Street: 300 W. Hillside Ave., Spencer, IN
- Phone: (812) 829-3082
- Email: [email protected]
- Website: https://www.sjabloomington.org
Visiting & Joining St. Jude the Apostle
Visitors and newcomers are warmly welcomed. Mass is celebrated in English every Sunday at 11:00 AM, weekday on Wednesday evening and Thursday morning, and confession is available before each Mass. For a newcomer wanting to register, request sacramental preparation, or simply learn more, the parish office takes calls during normal business hours at (812) 829-3082 or by email at [email protected].
- Sunday worship: 11:00 AM Mass
- Weekday worship: Wednesday 6:00 PM (with Adoration 5:00 PM), Thursday 9:00 AM
- Confession: weekdays before Mass, after Sunday Mass, and 10:00–11:00 AM on first Sundays
- Parish registration / inquiries: (812) 829-3082
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Rev. Joseph J. Pucci, OMI1951 (founding pastor)
Named founding pastor at the parish's 1951 establishment, per the Archdiocese of Indianapolis' 175th Anniversary parish history.
- Very Rev. Dennis M. Duvelius, MA, VF2019–present (first term); reappointed 2025 (second term)
Previously pastor of St. Paul, Tell City and St. Mark, Perry County. Was ordained in 1996 for the Priestly Fraternity of St. Peter (FSSP) before being incardinated into the Archdiocese of Indianapolis in 2006; serves as pastor of both St. John the Apostle (Bloomington) and St. Jude the Apostle (Spencer).