About St. Louis · Batesville, Indiana
St. Louis Catholic Church is a historic Roman Catholic parish in Batesville, Indiana, founded in 1868 and part of the Archdiocese of Indianapolis. The parish has long been served (in its earliest decades entirely) by Franciscan priests from nearby Oldenburg, and today counts roughly 1,109 registered families and a church that seats 750. Beyond Sunday worship, it operates St. Louis Catholic School (PreK–8), an active religious education program, perpetual adoration, and a robust calendar of devotions including a monthly Holy Hour, a Saturday morning prayer service, and the Divine Mercy Novena. The Hillenbrand family of the parish also gave the community Margaret Mary Hospital in 1932, a lasting mark of St. Louis's impact on the wider Ripley County area.
- Established
- 1868
- Patron
- St. Louis (King Louis IX of France)
- Rector
- Rev. Stanley Pondo
- Diocese
- Archdiocese of Indianapolis
Why belong here
St. Louis is a rooted, family-friendly parish whose story reaches back to the 1860s, with both traditional daily Mass (six days a week) and perpetual adoration for those who want a deeper prayer life. A PreK–8 parish school, a Director of Religious Education and Youth Coordinator, plus ministries for baptism prep, marriage preparation, Vacation Bible School, a parish prayer line, and online giving make it easy for households at every stage to plug in. Its location in small-town Batesville, the Hillenbrand family's founding of Margaret Mary Hospital, and nearly a century and a half of continuous Franciscan and then diocesan pastoral care give it a stable, generational feel.
Mass times at St. Louis
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Monday: 9:00 AM (after daily Mass)
- Tuesday: 5:00 PM
- Wednesday: 9:00 AM (after daily Mass)
- Thursday: 9:00 AM (after daily Mass)
- Friday: 9:00 AM (after daily Mass)
- Saturday: 4:30 PM
Adoration times
- Perpetual Adoration (sign-up via 'Adoration Scheduling' link on the parish website)
About St. Louis Parish
St. Louis Catholic Church is a Roman Catholic parish in Batesville, Indiana, founded in 1868 and part of the Archdiocese of Indianapolis (Parish #045). It counts about 1,109 registered families and its church seats 750. The parish is pastored by Rev. Stanley Pondo with a parochial vicar, a permanent deacon, and a staff that includes a Director of Religious Education, a Youth Coordinator, a Music Director, and two parish secretaries.
- Parish #045, Archdiocese of Indianapolis
- Founded 1868
- 13 St. Louis Place, Batesville, IN 47006-1393
- Phone 812-934-3204 • Rectory 812-933-0708
- About 1,109 registered families; church capacity 750
History
St. Louis was born from the missionary outreach of Franciscan priests from Oldenburg, who began saying Mass twice a month in the basement of Boehringer's Hall in Batesville in August 1866. The first pastor, Fr. John Paul Gillig, was appointed in 1868 — the date from which the parish reckons its founding. For the next century the parish was cared for almost entirely by Franciscan friars, who built the rectory, added bells, frescoed the interior, and shaped Catholic life across Ripley County. In 1932 the Hillenbrand family of St. Louis parishioners founded Margaret Mary Hospital, anchoring the parish's influence well beyond the church walls.
- 1837: Catholics in Batesville area travel to Oldenburg (and later Morris) for Mass.
- 1866: Franciscan Fathers from Oldenburg begin twice-monthly Masses in the basement of Boehringer's Hall.
- 1868: Fr. John Paul Gillig appointed first pastor — founding date of the parish.
- 1873: Fr. Bernard Hoithaus, O.S.F., first full-time resident priest; builds rectory (completed 1876).
- 1875: Church interior frescoed by A. Mahler of Cincinnati for $60.
- 1932: Margaret Mary Hospital dedicated (Hillenbrand family gift).
- 1967: Sisters of the Poor of St. Francis depart Margaret Mary; parish chaplaincy continues.
- 2014: Fr. Stanley Pondo becomes pastor (current).
Parish Staff
Day-to-day parish life is supported by a full staff listed by the Archdiocese of Indianapolis. The pastoral team includes the pastor and a parochial vicar; a permanent deacon assists with liturgical and pastoral ministry. Faith formation is led by the Director of Religious Education, youth ministry by the Youth Coordinator, and liturgy by the Music Director, with two parish secretaries handling the office.
- Pastor: Rev. Stanley Pondo
- Parochial Vicar: Rev. Jack Wright
- Deacon: Ronald Freyer
- Music Director: Susan Kohrman
- Director of Religious Education: Amy Tonges
- Youth Coordinator: Carrie Wesseler
- Parish Secretaries: Brenda Moll, Michelle Wachsmann
Devotions and Prayer Life
Outside the Mass schedule St. Louis keeps an active devotional calendar. A monthly Rosary & Holy Hour now meets on the First Friday at 6:00 PM (it had previously been held on the First Sunday). Saturday mornings at 8:05 AM bring together a Prayer Service, Rosary, Divine Mercy Chaplet, and Readings. The Divine Mercy Novena begins on Good Friday each year, and the parish participates in the U.S. bishops' Eucharistic Revival 2022–2025, including English and Spanish versions of the Corpus Christi Novena.
- Rosary & Holy Hour — First Friday of the month at 6:00 PM
- Saturday Morning Prayer Service, Rosary, Divine Mercy Chaplet & Readings — 8:05 AM
- Divine Mercy Novena — begins Good Friday
- Eucharistic Revival resources
- Corpus Christi Novena in English and Spanish
- Parish Prayer Line (contact via parish office)
Faith Formation, School, and Youth
St. Louis runs a parish school (PreK–8) on 17 St. Louis Place in Batesville, with about 275 students and Trisha Goldsmith as principal. Religious education for parish children and youth ministry are coordinated through Amy Tonges (DRE) and Carrie Wesseler (Youth Coordinator). Vacation Bible Camp and preparation programs for Baptism and Marriage round out the formation offerings.
- St. Louis Catholic School (PK-8), 17 St. Louis Place, 812-934-3310
- Principal: Trisha Goldsmith — [email protected]
- Pre-school: 812-932-1731
- Director of Religious Education: Amy Tonges
- Youth Coordinator: Carrie Wesseler
- Vacation Bible Camp (summer)
- Baptism preparation
- Marriage preparation
Music and Liturgy
Liturgical music at St. Louis is coordinated by Music Director Susan Kohrman. The parish livestreams its Sunday Mass on its YouTube channel and links to the Archdiocese of Indianapolis livestream so that homebound parishioners and travelers can keep connected to the parish's liturgical life.
- Music Director: Susan Kohrman
- Sunday Mass livestream on YouTube (St. Louis Mass)
- Archdiocese of Indianapolis livestream option
Outreach and Local Influence
Beyond its own members, St. Louis has shaped the wider Batesville community through its charitable and civic works. The most notable example is the Hillenbrand family — long-standing parishioners whose gift dedicated Margaret Mary Hospital on October 29–30, 1932. Originally staffed by the Sisters of the Poor of St. Francis from Hartwell, Ohio, the hospital served under Catholic chaplaincy (Fr. Lambert Brockman, O.F.M.) for decades and remains the community's principal medical institution today.
- Margaret Mary Hospital founded by Hillenbrand family (parishioners) in 1932
- Hospital staffed by Sisters of the Poor of St. Francis from Hartwell, Ohio (1932–1967)
- Catholic chaplaincy through the 1960s (Fr. Lambert Brockman, O.F.M.)
Get Involved
Parishioners and newcomers can connect to St. Louis in a variety of ways: register as a parishioner, sign up for an hour of perpetual adoration, drop a prayer request into the Prayer Line, enroll children in faith formation or school, support the parish through online giving, or read the weekly bulletin online.
- Join Our Parish (online registration)
- Adoration Scheduling (sign up for an hour)
- Prayer Line
- Online Giving
- Weekly Bulletin (posted on website)
- Find a Mass During Travel (travel Mass locator link)
- Parish Office Hours: Mon 8–12 & 1–4; Tue–Fri 8–1
Contact and Location
Parish offices and the church are located on St. Louis Place in downtown Batesville, with the school on an adjoining lot. Phone, fax, and email contacts are listed below; the parish can also be reached through its Facebook page.
- Address: 13 St. Louis Place, Batesville, IN 47006-1393
- Parish Office: 812-934-3204
- Rectory: 812-933-0708
- Fax: 812-933-0667
- Email: [email protected]
- Website: www.stlouis-batesville.org
- Facebook: facebook.com/stlouischurchbatesville
- School: 17 St. Louis Place, 812-934-3310 (Pre-school 812-932-1731)
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Nicholas Wachter, O.S.F.1866–1868
Franciscan from Oldenburg who organized the earliest Masses before the parish was formally founded.
- John Paul Gillig1868–1869
First resident pastor; the parish's 1868 founding date is reckoned from his appointment.
- Louis Haverbeck, O.S.F.1869–1872
Franciscan from Oldenburg.
- Clement Steinkamp, O.S.F.1872–1873
- Bernadine (Bernard) Hoithaus, O.S.F.1873–1876
First priest to reside full-time in Batesville; built the rectory, added a 708-pound bell, and had the church interior frescoed in 1875.
- John B. Schroeder, O.S.F.1876–1877
- Nicholas Holtel, O.S.F.1877–1878
- Martin Bauer, O.S.F.1878–1879
- Leonard Nurre, O.S.F.1879–1884
- Philibert Allstaeter, O.S.F.1884–1886
- John By. Wellinghoff, O.S.F.1886–1890
- Williams Gausepohl, O.S.F.1890 (partial)
- David Kersting, O.S.F.1890–1891
- John Cap Heitman, O.S.F.1891–1895
- Clement Steinkamp, O.S.F.1895–1897
Second tenure.
- Gregory Fangmann, O.S.F.1897 (partial)
- Barth Weiss, O.F.M.1897–1903
- Francis Sol. Schaefer, O.F.M.1903–1906
- Clementine Broermann, O.F.M.1906–1912
- Stephen Hoffmann, O.F.M.1912 (partial)
- Angelus Hafertepe, O.F.M.1912–1915
- Urban Freundt, O.F.M.1915–1916
- Adalbert Rolfes, O.F.M.1916–1924
- Andrew Henze, O.F.M.1924–1926
- Ildephonse Gast, O.F.M.1926–1928
- Fridolin Schuster, O.F.M.1928–1939
- Antonine Brockhuis, O.F.M.1939–1940
- Mathias Heile, O.F.M.1940–1945
- Symphorian Weiner, O.F.M.1945–1948
- Friedbert Adams, O.F.M.1948–1954
- Victorian Ostmeyer, O.F.M.1954–1960
- Stephen Schneider, O.F.M.1960–1971
- John Turnbull, O.F.M.1971–1978
Beginning of the transition away from Franciscan-only leadership.
- Robert Hoffer, O.F.M.1979–1984
- Ric Schneider, O.F.M.1984–1993
- Bill Farris, O.F.M.1993–2001
- Robert Weakley, O.F.M.2001–2002
- Daniel Mahan2002–2006
- Dennis Duvelius2006–2009
- Bernard Varghese, O.F.M. Cap2010
Temporary Administrator.
- Randall Summers2010–2014
- Stanley Pondo2014–present
Current pastor.