About St. Mary [Jennings County Catholic] · North Vernon, Indiana
St. Mary (Nativity of the Virgin Mary) is a Roman Catholic parish in North Vernon, Jennings County, Indiana, founded in 1861 at the start of the Civil War and now part of the Archdiocese of Indianapolis. The parish shares its ministry with two sister churches, St. Ann and St. Joseph, under the umbrella of the Catholic Community of Jennings County (CCJC), and serves about 426 registered families. Across the street from the church, St. Mary's School provides a fully accredited pre-K through 8th grade Catholic education. The parish is the home of Jennings County's first perpetual Eucharistic adoration chapel, the Chapel of the Good Shepherd.
- Established
- 1861
- Patron
- Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary
- Rector
- Rev. Christopher (Chris) Craig
- Diocese
- Archdiocese of Indianapolis
Why belong here
St. Mary offers the full sacramental life of a historic Catholic parish — including one of the Archdiocese of Indianapolis' sixteen perpetual adoration chapels — alongside a nationally Blue-Ribbon-recognized parish school (pre-K through 8) right across the street. The parish combines deep local roots in Jennings County with active liturgical, pastoral, and charitable ministries (St. Vincent de Paul, Knights of Columbus, prayer ministries, ministry to the sick), giving parishioners plenty of ways to live their faith in service to neighbors in need.
Mass times at St. Mary [Jennings County Catholic]
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Tuesday after 8:30 am Mass at St. Mary
- Thursday 11:30 am (before Noon Mass) at St. Mary
- Saturday 4:00 pm (before Vigil Mass) at St. Mary
- Fr. Craig (Byrd) is also available to hear confessions by appointment and 30 minutes prior to each daily evening Mass
Adoration times
- Perpetual Eucharistic Adoration 24 hours a day in the Chapel of the Good Shepherd, located next to St. Mary's Parish Center (call 812-346-4919 for chapel closing information)
History of St. Mary Parish
St. Mary Parish was founded in 1861 by Father John M. Missi, a German-born priest, at the outset of the Civil War. Construction was interrupted when his bricklayers volunteered for the army during Morgan's Raid (1863) and was finally completed in 1868. The church was dedicated under the title Nativity of the Blessed Virgin and remains in continuous use today. The steeple was extended an extra 20 feet to hold a town clock — the tallest in North Vernon at the time. Father Missi also opened St. Mary's Cemetery (1854) and started the parish school (1865), bringing the Sisters of St. Francis from Oldenburg to teach in 1872. He died on December 3, 1889 after nearly 30 years of service.
- 1861 — construction begins under Father John M. Missi
- 1864 — first First Holy Communion class
- 1865 — parish school opens behind the church
- 1868 — church completed; main altar installed
- 1872 — Sisters of St. Francis from Oldenburg arrive to teach
- 1886 — cemetery mortuary chapel built
- 1889 — Father Missi dies; Father August Sennefeld assists for five months
- 1907 — new three-story school built
- 1954 — additional classrooms added
- 1991 — Parish Center built
- 1999 — major school renovation
- 2011 — 150th anniversary celebrated; interior church restoration completed
St. Mary's Catholic School (Pre-K – 8)
Founded in 1865, St. Mary's School is a fully accredited Catholic elementary school located directly across the street from the church at 209 Washington Street, North Vernon. It is the only Catholic school in Jennings County and the only K-8 school in the county, with about 225 students enrolled (PK through 8th grade) and a principal, Meredith Inman. The school is a nationally recognized Blue Ribbon School and was the first in the county to inaugurate a full-day kindergarten. It serves both Catholic and non-Catholic families. Students are taught to strengthen their relationship with Jesus Christ while receiving a rigorous academic education; former students consistently rank in the top ten percent of their high school classes.
- Address: 209 Washington St., North Vernon, IN 47265
- Phone: (812) 346-3445 | Fax: (812) 346-5930
- Principal: Meredith Inman
- Secretary: Courtney Maschino
- Website: http://school.ccjc3.org
- Enrollment: ~225 students, Pre-K through 8
- Nationally recognized Blue Ribbon School
- First full-day kindergarten in Jennings County
- Preschool programs for 3- and 4-year-olds
Parish Staff
St. Mary is served by the following parish staff (as listed on the parish website):
- Pastor — Fr. Chris Craig
- Deacon — Larry French
- Parish Secretary / Admin Assistant — Tricia Maples
- Music Director — Courtney Vogt
- Communications Director — Jennifer Lindberg
- Parish Associate — Lisa Vogel
- Business Manager — Robert Galyen
- School Principal — Meredith Inman
- School Secretary — Courtney Maschino
Liturgical Ministries
Parishioners of all ages are invited to participate in the liturgies of the parish as lectors, altar servers, extraordinary ministers of Holy Communion, ushers, greeters, gift bearers, and members of the music ministry.
- Lectors
- Altar Servers
- Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion
- Ushers
- Greeters
- Gift Bearers
- Music Ministry
Pastoral & Prayer Ministries
Pastoral care and prayer are central to parish life at St. Mary.
- Sick / Shut-in Ministry — taking Holy Communion and visiting parishioners unable to attend Mass (contact Deacon Larry French, 812-525-6568)
- Prayer Ministries — multiple prayer groups across the three Jennings County churches
- Funeral coordination through the parish office
Outreach & Affiliations
The parish reaches beyond its walls through the Knights of Columbus and the local Society of St. Vincent de Paul conference, which is described as the largest charitable organization in Jennings County.
- Society of St. Vincent de Paul — Jennings County Conference; new outreach service center and thrift store blessed by Fr. Jerry Byrd; serves about 150 families a month; about 90 volunteers; ~$77,000 in annual assistance (food, utilities, rent, prescriptions, clothing, furniture, transportation)
- Knights of Columbus Council 1632
Catholic Community of Jennings County (CCJC)
St. Mary is one of three Catholic parishes in Jennings County that share ministries under the umbrella Catholic Community of Jennings County (ccjc3.org): St. Ann (founded 1841, 4570 N. County Road 150 East), St. Joseph (founded 1850, 1875 S. County Road 700 W.), and St. Mary (founded 1861, 212 Washington Street). All three share a common parish office at 629 Clay Street, North Vernon, IN 47265, and the same parish staff and pastor.
- St. Ann — Founded 1841
- St. Joseph — Founded 1850
- St. Mary (Nativity of the Blessed Virgin) — Founded 1861
- Shared parish office: 629 Clay Street, North Vernon, IN 47265
- Shared website: http://www.ccjc3.org
Visit, Contact & Get Involved
Parishioners and visitors are warmly welcomed at St. Mary's. The parish office is open Monday–Friday, 8:00 am – 4:00 pm (some listings show Mon 9-noon, Tue–Wed 9-5, Thu 9-3, Fri closed). To register as a parishioner, contact the office or download the registration form from the website. To volunteer for any of the ministries listed above, call the parish office at 812-346-3604 or email [email protected].
- Parish Office: 629 Clay St., North Vernon, IN 47265
- Phone: (812) 346-3604
- Email: [email protected]
- Website: http://www.ccjc3.org
- School: 209 Washington St. — (812) 346-3445
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Rev. John M. Missi1861–1889
Founding pastor of St. Mary's. Born 1833 in Waldmohr, Germany; ordained Dec. 8, 1859 by Bishop St. Palais in Vincennes. Began construction in Oct. 1861, interrupted by Civil War; church completed in 1868. Built rectory, opened cemetery, started first school (1865), brought Sisters of St. Francis from Oldenburg in 1872. Died Dec. 3, 1889.
- Father August Sennefeld1889 (five months)
Came to assist ailing Father Missi in August 1889 and remained for five months.
- Rev. Jonathan Meyerby 2011
Pastor who led the 150th anniversary celebration and the interior restoration of the church in 2011.
- Rev. Jerry L. Byrdpredecessor to current pastor
Pastor who blessed the new St. Vincent de Paul outreach center and thrift store in North Vernon.
- Rev. Christopher (Chris) Craigcurrent
Current pastor of the Catholic Community of Jennings County.