About St. Nicholas · Santa Claus, Indiana
St. Nicholas Catholic Church is a small country church in Santa Claus, Indiana (Spencer County), located at 180 N Holiday Blvd. Since July 1, 2015, it has been one of three worship sites of St. Francis of Assisi Parish in the Diocese of Evansville, joined with Mary, Help of Christians in Mariah Hill and St. Joseph in Dale. Originally a mission begun in 1967 to serve Catholics visiting and living around Lincoln State Park and the Lincoln Boyhood National Memorial, it was canonically erected as its own parish on December 6, 1991, and the present church was blessed and dedicated by Bishop Gerald Gettelfinger on December 8, 1996. It is the first parish in the Diocese of Evansville to be established without a resident priest as pastor, and today is served by the pastor and deacon of St. Francis of Assisi Parish alongside its sister churches.
- Established
- 1967 (as a mission); 1991 (parish erected); 1996 (current church dedicated)
- Patron
- St. Nicholas of Myra (the parish's namesake and patron; the larger parish family is St. Francis of Assisi)
- Rector
- Rev. Crispine Adongo (Pastor of St. Francis of Assisi Parish, which includes St. Nicholas Church)
- Diocese
- Diocese of Evansville (Catholic Diocese of Evansville, Indiana)
Why belong here
St. Nicholas offers a warm, small-church Catholic community in the heart of Spencer County — the only Catholic parish physically located in the village of Santa Claus itself. Worshippers can attend a quiet Tuesday morning or Saturday vigil Mass in a setting with real history (founded as a 1967 mission, dedicated in 1996), then stay for fellowship at the St. Nicholas Pavilion during Octoberfest or other parish gatherings. As part of the unified St. Francis of Assisi Parish, members also have access to weekday Mass at the sister churches in Dale and Mariah Hill, a 9 a.m. Sunday Mass in Spanish at St. Joseph, livestreamed Sunday Mass, faith formation for grades 1–12, Hispanic ministry, the Community Table outreach meal, and regular blood drives — all under one pastor and deacon who serve the three historic worship sites together.
Mass times at St. Nicholas
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- 30 minutes before each Mass at all worship sites
- By appointment with the pastor (call 812-937-2200)
Adoration times
- 24-Hour Eucharistic Adoration — first Thursday of each month (parish-wide)
History of St. Nicholas Catholic Church
St. Nicholas began as a mission in the late 1960s, with summer liturgies celebrated at Lincoln State Park and later in the chapel of the Lincoln Boyhood National Monument, serving both local Catholics and visitors to the Abraham Lincoln sites. In the 1970s the small community worshipped in the St. Paul Evangelical Church in Santa Claus, then in a former toyshop that remained their Mass site until 1996. Bishop Gerald A. Gettelfinger canonically established St. Nicholas as an independent parish in the Jasper Deanery on December 6, 1991 — making it the first new parish in the Diocese of Evansville without a resident priest-pastor. Benedictine Sister Mary Terence Knapp, OSB was appointed as pastoral life coordinator, a ministry model she had helped pioneer at Holy Name in Bloomfield. In September 1992, William and Patricia Koch donated 6.4 acres fronting Highway 245 North to the diocese for the purpose of building St. Nicholas Church and, later, a cemetery. The three-year "St. Nicholas BUILDS!" capital campaign launched in May 1993 raised $750,000 toward a $1.132 million construction budget. Ground was broken in May 1995 and Bishop Gettelfinger blessed and dedicated the new church on December 8, 1996 — the Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception.
- 1967 — Mission church founded under Bishop Francis Shea's leadership
- 1991 (Dec 6) — Canonically erected as a parish
- 1992 (Sept) — Koch family donates 6.4-acre Highway 245 site
- 1993 (May) — 'St. Nicholas BUILDS!' capital campaign launched
- 1995 (May) — Ground broken for the new church
- 1996 (Dec 8) — Church blessed and dedicated by Bishop Gettelfinger
- 2015 (July 1) — Merged with Mary, Help of Christians and St. Joseph into St. Francis of Assisi Parish
Worship at the Santa Claus Site
St. Nicholas is one of three active worship sites of St. Francis of Assisi Parish and the only Catholic church physically located within the village of Santa Claus. Its regular Mass schedule is spare but steady: a quiet 7:30 a.m. Tuesday Mass and a 5:00 p.m. Saturday Vigil Mass, both in English. Because the parish is unified, members and visitors can also attend Sunday Masses at the sister churches — 7:00 a.m. (livestreamed) at Mary, Help of Christians in Mariah Hill, 9:00 a.m. at St. Joseph in Dale, and an 11:00 a.m. Spanish Mass at St. Joseph.
- Tuesday — 7:30 AM (St. Nicholas)
- Saturday Vigil — 5:00 PM (St. Nicholas)
- Wednesday — 7:30 AM at St. Joseph, Dale
- Thursday — 7:30 AM at Mary, Help of Christians, Mariah Hill
- Sunday — 7:00 AM (livestreamed), 9:00 AM, 11:00 AM Spanish
Pastor, Deacon and Parish Staff
Since the 2015 merger, St. Nicholas and the two sister churches have shared a single pastoral team based at the Central Office in Dale. Fr. Crispine Adongo serves as pastor of St. Francis of Assisi Parish; Deacon Jim Woebkenberg assists at the same parish. They are supported by a Business/Office Manager (Devin Carpenter), administrative staff, two CRE/faith-formation coordinators (Stephanie Wollenmann for grades 1–8, Marilyn Satkamp for grades 9–12), and a Hispanic Ministry Coordinator (Miriam Martínez).
- Pastor: Rev. Crispine Adongo ([email protected]) — ordained May 26, 2012
- Deacon: Jim Woebkenberg ([email protected]) — ordained July 9, 2005
- Business/Office Manager: Devin Carpenter
- CRE Grades 1–8: Stephanie Wollenmann
- CRE Grades 9–12: Marilyn Satkamp
- Hispanic Ministry Coordinator: Miriam Martínez
- Faith Formation & Parish Outreach Coordinator: Theresa Brandes
Three Churches, One Parish
St. Francis of Assisi Parish was canonically established on July 1, 2015, uniting three historic Spencer County Catholic congregations under the patronage of the saint of Assisi — a model of parish life inspired by the example of St. Francis, who 'rebuilt the Church' by gathering communities around the Gospel. Each church retains its own building, Mass schedule, and identity, while sharing one pastor, one deacon, one parish office, and one faith-formation program.
- Mary, Help of Christians — Mariah Hill, founded 1852
- St. Joseph — Dale, founded 1909
- St. Nicholas — Santa Claus, mission 1967 / parish 1991
- Unified parish blessed and dedicated July 1, 2015 under Fr. John's pastorate
- Shared office: 8 E Maple St, Dale, IN 47523 — P.O. Box 684
Faith Formation and Sacraments
The unified parish runs a single faith-formation (CRE) program serving children in grades 1 through 12, with a dedicated coordinator for the elementary years (Stephanie Wollenmann) and another for the high-school Encounter program (Marilyn Satkamp). The parish hosts RCIA/OCIA classes for adults inquiring into the Catholic faith, and prepares older students for Confirmation through a Commitment Sunday and a retreat each year.
- CRE Grades 1–8
- Encounter (Grades 9–12)
- Confirmation preparation and annual retreat
- RCIA / OCIA — becoming Catholic
- Baptism, First Communion, Confirmation, Matrimony, Anointing of the Sick (contact parish office)
Hispanic Ministry and Spanish Mass
Recognizing the growing Hispanic Catholic presence in southwestern Indiana, St. Francis of Assisi Parish maintains a formal Hispanic Ministry coordinated by Miriam Martínez. The ministry supports the 11:00 a.m. Sunday Spanish Mass celebrated at the sister St. Joseph Church in Dale, along with faith formation, outreach, and community-building events for Spanish-speaking parishioners across all three worship sites.
- Sunday 11:00 AM Spanish Mass at St. Joseph, Dale
- Hispanic Ministry Coordinator: Miriam Martínez
- Diocesan Hispanic Ministry support from the Diocese of Evansville
Outreach, Charity and Community Life
St. Francis of Assisi and St. Nicholas parishioners take seriously the call to serve their neighbors. Every Thursday (except Thanksgiving) from 5:30 to 6:30 p.m., parishioners cook and serve a free Community Table meal at the Dale Presbyterian Church, feeding 30 to 80 people experiencing food insecurity. The parish also partners with the American Red Cross to host blood drives year-round and supports the Red Bird Ministries grief program for families who have lost a child at any age or circumstance.
- Community Table — free weekly meal, Thursdays 5:30–6:30 p.m., Dale Presbyterian Church
- American Red Cross Blood Drives (scheduled throughout the year)
- Red Bird Ministries — Catholic bereavement support for child loss
- Surviving Divorce — Thursday-evening support program
- Life Giving Wounds retreat
- Annual Parish Picnic (August)
- Annual Octoberfest at the St. Nicholas Pavilion
St. Nicholas Pavilion and Annual Octoberfest
Adjacent to the church on Holiday Blvd, the St. Nicholas Pavilion is the fellowship heart of the Santa Claus worship site. It hosts the annual St. Francis of Assisi Octoberfest each fall — a family-friendly fundraiser featuring authentic Mexican and German food, domestic and craft beer plus wine, a kids' fun run and adult fitness walk, pet blessings, live music, pumpkin decorating, face painting, and a half-pot drawing. The pavilion is also used for parish picnics, funeral dinners, and other gatherings.
- Annual Octoberfest — first weekend in October
- Authentic Mexican and German food, craft beer and wine
- Kids Fun Run / Adult Fitness Walk
- Pet Blessings, pumpkin decorating, face painting
- Live music (e.g., Casey Williams, Borrowed Time)
- Half-Pot raffle drawing
Legacy Society and Stewardship
The parish operates a Legacy Society that invites parishioners and friends to remember the unified parish in their estate plans. The legacy statement reminds members that 'our ancestors spent a lot of time, money, and effort to ensure these churches — now one parish — continued to provide for the community,' and invites present-day Catholics to extend that stewardship into the future.
- Estate-planned giving through the St. Francis of Assisi Parish Legacy Society
- Three-church stewardship story spanning 1852, 1909, and 1990
- Contact the parish office (812-937-2200) for legacy giving information
Plan Your Visit
St. Nicholas Catholic Church is located at 180 N Holiday Blvd, Santa Claus, Indiana 47579. Visitors are most welcome at the Tuesday 7:30 a.m. Mass or the Saturday 5:00 p.m. Vigil Mass; those seeking Sunday or Spanish Mass may join worshippers at the sister churches in Dale and Mariah Hill. Those interested in joining the parish, scheduling a baptism or wedding, or enrolling in faith formation should call the parish office at 812-937-2200 (Monday–Friday, 8:00 a.m.–4:00 p.m. CST) or email [email protected].
- Worship site address: 180 N Holiday Blvd, Santa Claus, IN 47579
- Parish office: 8 E Maple St, Dale, IN 47523 — P.O. Box 684
- Phone: 812-937-2200
- Email: [email protected]
- Office hours: Monday–Friday, 8:00 AM–4:00 PM CST
- Website: www.sfrancisofassisi.org
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Benedictine Sister Mary Terence Knapp, OSB1996–2015 (approximate)
Appointed as the first pastoral life coordinator when St. Nicholas was the first parish in the Diocese of Evansville established without a resident priest-pastor.
- Fr. Johnpre-2015
Pastor at the time the three churches (Mary, Help of Christians, St. Joseph, St. Nicholas) were merged into St. Francis of Assisi Parish on July 1, 2015; he authored the parish's history document.
- Rev. Crispine Adongo2022–present
Current pastor of the unified St. Francis of Assisi Parish; ordained May 26, 2012.