About St. Michael [Quad-Parishes Community] · Cannelton, Indiana
St. Michael Catholic Church is a historic parish in Cannelton, Indiana, situated at the corner of N. 8th and Washington Streets at the base of the Ohio River bluffs. Founded in 1859 and built from locally quarried sandstone, it is the oldest Catholic Church in Perry County and one of the oldest in southern Indiana. The parish is part of the Quad-Parishes Community, sharing pastoral staff and a Catholic Ministry Center with neighboring St. Paul (Tell City), St. Mark (Tell City), and St. Pius V (Troy). Today St. Michael's serves 139 households with weekly Sunday Mass and a rich tradition of German-Catholic heritage dating to its 19th-century roots.
- Established
- 1859
- Patron
- St. Michael the Archangel
- Rector
- Rev. Stephen D. Donahue
- Diocese
- Archdiocese of Indianapolis
Why belong here
St. Michael's is a small, historic parish (about 139 families) where generations of Cannelton Catholics have worshipped since 1859 — it is the oldest Catholic Church in Perry County, built from locally quarried sandstone with a landmark steeple. As part of the Quad-Parishes Community, members benefit from shared resources, two pastors, weekly bulletins, and a central Catholic Ministry Center, while keeping the intimacy of a neighborhood parish rooted in German-Catholic immigrant heritage. Active ministries such as the St. Ann Society, Hospital Communion Ministry, the parish Choir, and the Cannelton Parade offer ways for parishioners to live out their faith in service, music, and community life.
Mass times at St. Michael [Quad-Parishes Community]
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- St. Michael: Immediately before or after Masses, or anytime by appointment (call the Parish Office at 812-547-7994)
St. Michael Catholic Church, Cannelton
St. Michael is a 19th-century sandstone Catholic parish at the foot of the Ohio River bluffs in Cannelton, Indiana, founded in 1859 and now part of the Quad-Parishes Community. The parish serves 139 households and shares pastoral and administrative resources with St. Paul, St. Mark, and St. Pius V through the Catholic Ministry Center in Tell City.
- Founded: 1859
- Patron: St. Michael the Archangel
- Location: N. 8th St. & Washington St., Cannelton, IN 47520
- Diocese: Archdiocese of Indianapolis
- Pastor: Rev. Stephen D. Donahue
- Parish ID (#056) in the Archdiocese of Indianapolis directory
History of St. Michael Church
St. Michael's was founded by the German-speaking members of Cannelton's original St. Patrick's parish in 1858 and dedicated in 1859. Its walls came from the sandstone cliffs east of the site, and its landmark steeple has marked the Cannelton skyline since 1860. The parish absorbed the remaining St. Patrick's congregation in December 1902, becoming the sole Catholic parish in Cannelton, and was substantially renovated in 1926–27 with a new roof, windows, Stations of the Cross, interior decoration, and a basement chapel with a Lourdes Grotto.
- 28 Feb 1858: German-speaking St. Patrick's parishioners (~315) receive Bishop Maurice de St. Palais's permission to build.
- 13 Jun 1858: Cornerstone laid.
- 19 Jun 1859: First Mass celebrated in the unfinished structure.
- Sep 1860: Steeple completed; cross mounted 30 September.
- Dec 1902: St. Patrick's closed; congregations unite as St. Michael's (~700 members).
- 1920: Major lighting improvements.
- 1921: First electric pipe organ installed.
- 1926–27: Greatest renovation — slate roof, windows, Stations of the Cross, interior redecorating, basement chapel with Lourdes Grotto.
- 17 Mar 2002: Spanish-crafted statue of St. Patrick blessed and placed in Father Marendt Hall.
- Jun 2005: Cannelton City Schools ends its use of St. Michael School.
Architecture and Building Features
Built from locally quarried sandstone in 1858–59, St. Michael's is recognized in the National Register nomination for the Cannelton Historic District as one of two large sandstone structures that visually define the town, alongside the Indiana Cotton Mill. The most prominent exterior feature is the tall steeple, completed in September 1860 and topped with a cross.
- Sandstone walls quarried from the Ohio River bluffs east of the site.
- Steeple completed September 1860; cross mounted 30 September 1860.
- Three successive tower clocks: 1860 (designed by parishioners John and James Nicolay), 1877, 1981 — all owned and serviced by the Town of Cannelton.
- 1926–27 renovation added new slate roof, new windows, new Stations of the Cross, and complete interior redecoration.
- Basement converted to a chapel with an adjoining Lourdes Grotto during the 1926–27 work.
- First electric pipe organ installed in 1921.
Parish School and Convent
Catholic education has been central to St. Michael's identity since 1869. Classes met in the church basement for nearly two decades before moving to St. John's School in 1888, then back to the basement after a coal mine undermined St. John's in 1914. A new St. Michael School was built in 1915 and has served continuously since, also hosting Cannelton City Schools kindergarten and early elementary classes until June 2005.
- 1869–1888: Classes held in the church basement.
- 1888–1914: Classes held in St. John's School on the uphill site.
- Mar 1914: Coal mine shift forces relocation of classes; St. John's razed May 1914.
- Autumn 1914: Convent built and occupied.
- 1914–1915: Classes return to church basement while new St. Michael School is constructed.
- Sep 1915: New St. Michael School opens on Richardson Street and remains in continuous use.
- Jun 2005: Cannelton City Schools ends its long-running use of the school building.
Parish Staff and Leadership
St. Michael's pastoral and administrative staff are shared with neighboring parishes through the Catholic Ministry Center in Tell City. The parish council and lay staff handle day-to-day operations, and St. Michael's is served by one of the Quad-Parishes' two pastors.
- Pastor: Rev. Stephen D. Donahue (St. Michael & St. Pius V)
- Pastor: Rev. Anthony P. "Tony" Hollowell, VF (St. Paul & St. Mark; Dean of the Tell City Deanery)
- Deacon Ken Smith
- Parish Council Chair: Laura Noble
- Business Manager: Mandy Bauer
- Data Coordinator/Secretary: Tammy Bruner
- Receptionist/Secretary: Katie Rothgerber
Ministries and Parish Life
St. Michael's supports a handful of long-standing ministries that connect parishioners to the wider Cannelton community. Four are highlighted on the Quad-Parishes website.
- St. Ann Society
- Hospital Communion Ministry
- Parish Choir
- Cannelton Parade
The Quad-Parishes Community
St. Michael is one of four Catholic parishes in Perry County, Indiana, that together form the Quad-Parishes Community: St. Paul and St. Mark in Tell City, St. Pius V in Troy, and St. Michael in Cannelton. The parishes share two pastors, a Catholic Ministry Center headquarters, weekly bulletins, and a website (thequadparishes.org). Masses and services are held in all four church buildings.
- St. Michael – Cannelton (parish since 1859)
- St. Paul – Tell City
- St. Mark – Tell City
- St. Pius V – Troy
- Shared Catholic Ministry Center: 824 Jefferson Street, Tell City, IN 47586
- Main parish phone: 812-547-7994
Visiting and Contact Information
St. Michael's is located at the corner of North 8th Street and Washington Street in Cannelton, at the base of the town's famous bluffs. Parish mail should be directed to the Catholic Ministry Center in Tell City, which handles administrative matters for all four Quad-Parishes.
- Church address: N. 8th St. & Washington St., Cannelton, IN 47520
- Mailing address: Catholic Ministry Center, 824 Jefferson Street, Tell City, IN 47586-2114
- Phone: 812-547-7994
- Fax: 812-547-6985
- Website: www.thequadparishes.org