About St. Patrick Catholic Church · Kokomo, Indiana
St. Patrick Catholic Church is a historic Roman Catholic parish in Kokomo, Indiana, belonging to the Diocese of Lafayette in Indiana. Founded in 1859 by Holy Cross Father Thomas Carroll, it is one of the oldest Catholic congregations in the city and today shares a pastorate with neighboring St. Joan of Arc Parish. The parish is best known for its striking neo-Gothic church built entirely of Bedford stone (dedicated 1911, consecrated 1918), which contains two of the largest stained-glass windows in the United States, made from glass produced by Kokomo Opalescent Glass Works. In addition to its English and Spanish weekend Masses, the parish operates a perpetual Adoration Chapel, an active youth ministry, a Haiti mission partnership, and shares Sts. Joan of Arc & Patrick School with its sister parish.
- Established
- 1859
- Patron
- St. Patrick
- Rector
- Rev. Christopher (Chris) Shocklee
- Diocese
- Diocese of Lafayette in Indiana
Why belong here
St. Patrick offers the rare combination of deep historical roots — it is Kokomo's oldest Catholic parish, worshipping in one of Indiana's most architecturally distinguished churches — and a lively, multi-generational parish life. Weekends feature Mass in both English and Spanish (with confessions in both languages), plus a Perpetual Adoration Chapel open daily. Families are served by an extensive youth ministry (high school group meets Wednesdays during the school year, with Confirmation prep, mission trips, and a summer YouthWorks trip to West Virginia), Scripture studies, Embrace Grace, a pro-life ministry, and a long-standing Haiti mission partnership. Children attend the shared Sts. Joan of Arc & Patrick School.
Mass times at St. Patrick Catholic Church
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Sunday 12:30–12:50 PM (Spanish)
- Monday 5:00–5:20 PM (English and Spanish)
- Tuesday 7:45–8:05 AM (English and Spanish)
- Wednesday 5:00–5:20 PM (English and Spanish)
- Thursday 7:45–8:05 AM (English and Spanish)
- Saturday 9:00–10:00 AM (English and Spanish)
- Saturday 4:30–5:15 PM (English and Spanish)
Adoration times
- Perpetual Adoration in the Adoration Chapel (red brick building just north of the church on the St. Patrick campus). Door is unlocked from 7:00 AM until 7:00 PM.
Parish History
St. Patrick Parish traces its roots to 1859, when Holy Cross Father Thomas Carroll, C.S.C., built Kokomo's first Catholic church — a 60-by-30-foot brick structure seating about 350, partly funded by collections gathered abroad. A larger 650-seat church followed in 1876 under Rev. P. P. Cooney, C.S.C., and the parish at one point served some 1,250 Catholics west of the river, including separate accommodations for German and Polish parishioners. The present Gothic church was begun in 1907, dedicated on May 21, 1911, and consecrated on Thanksgiving Day, November 28, 1918, when the building became debt-free. The parish's historical page also lists later pastors including Rev. D. DeGroote and Rev. John F. Hagerty, C.S.C., during whose tenure the present church was built.
- Founded 1859 by Rev. Thomas Carroll, C.S.C.
- Second church built 1876 under Rev. P. P. Cooney, C.S.C.
- Current Gothic church begun 1907, dedicated May 21, 1911
- Consecrated November 28, 1918 (Thanksgiving Day)
Architecture & Stained Glass
The current church is a neo-Gothic structure built entirely of Bedford stone, measuring roughly 160 feet long by 80 feet wide at the transepts, with a 176-foot main tower and a 130-foot south tower. Its two great stained-glass windows in the north and south transepts were fabricated from glass produced by Kokomo Opalescent Glass Works (in continuous production since 1888, with clients including Louis Tiffany & Co.) and are described by local sources as the third-largest stained-glass windows in the United States. The stained glass has undergone professional conservation by Bovard Studio using patented protective frames.
- Neo-Gothic / Gothic style
- Built entirely of Bedford stone
- Two transept stained-glass windows from Kokomo Opalescent Glass — among the three largest in the U.S.
- Conservation by Bovard Studio
Faith Formation & Youth Ministry
The parish runs a robust youth-ministry program coordinated by Jacob Haberstroh ([email protected], 765-865-9964 ext 208). High school students meet every Wednesday during the school year from 6:30 to 8:00 PM, with additional pop-up events (service days, game nights, Christmas parties). Confirmation preparation runs as a two-year program: Year 2 students meet Sunday evenings in December and January from 5:30 to 8:30 PM for dinner, prayer, instruction, and small group time, and registration is free of charge. The parish also publishes SRE Family Resources for ongoing religious education.
- High School Youth Group – Wednesdays 6:30–8:00 PM
- Confirmation I & II for Freshmen and Sophomores
- Middle school youth ministry
- SRE Family Resources
- YouthWorks summer mission trip (Logan County, WV) – June 21–27
Parish Ministries & Outreach
Beyond liturgy and youth ministry, the parish lists Bible Studies, a Haiti Ministry, a Liturgy ministry, Embrace Grace (a ministry for women experiencing unintended pregnancy), and a Pro-life Ministry among its active groups. The Haiti Ministry reflects a long-term mission partnership, while parish-wide events like Oktoberfest and a youth softball game are also part of the parish's social life.
- Bible Studies
- Haiti Ministry
- Liturgy ministry
- Embrace Grace
- Pro-life Ministry
- Parish social events (e.g., Oktoberfest)
Sacraments
The parish website organizes sacramental preparation under dedicated pages: Marriage, Baptism, and SRE Family Resources. Confirmation is offered through the high-school youth ministry program for freshmen and sophomores. Reconciliation (confession) is offered throughout the week in both English and Spanish (see Confession & Adoration).
- Baptism preparation
- Marriage preparation
- Confirmation (two-year program)
- First Reconciliation / SRE Family Resources
Sts. Joan of Arc & Patrick School
St. Patrick shares a Catholic school with neighboring St. Joan of Arc Parish. Originally two separate parish schools (St. Patrick's and St. Joan of Arc's), they merged in 1994 under the leadership of principal Cecilia Smith and the pastors of both parishes. Today the combined Sts. Joan of Arc & Patrick School serves students from both parishes and is a major expression of the shared pastorate.
- Shared Catholic school with St. Joan of Arc Parish
- Merged in 1994 under principal Cecilia Smith
- Current principal Mr. Kanable
Pastoral Leadership & Staff
St. Patrick is currently pastored by Rev. Christopher (Chris) Shocklee, who leads the St. Patrick–St. Joan of Arc pastorate. Other priests mentioned on the parish's communications include Fr. Neterer and Fr. Peter. Jacob Haberstroh serves in youth ministry / faith formation (contact: [email protected], 765-865-9964 ext 208). The parish office can be reached at (765) 452-6021.
- Pastor: Rev. Christopher (Chris) Shocklee
- Fr. Neterer
- Fr. Peter
- Youth Minister / DRE: Jacob Haberstroh
- Office phone: (765) 452-6021
Visit & Contact
St. Patrick's campus is located at 1204 N. Armstrong St., Kokomo, IN 46901. From U.S. 31 / U.S. 931, exit west onto North Street; the church is on the left at the first stoplight. A parking lot is available on site, and the Adoration Chapel sits in the red brick building just north of the church. The parish keeps parishioners connected through Flocknote email, a Facebook page, and a live-streamed Mass feed accessible from the parish website.
- Address: 1204 N. Armstrong St., Kokomo, IN 46901
- Phone: (765) 452-6021
- Website: stpatrick-kokomo.org
- Facebook page and Flocknote email list
- Live-streamed Mass via the parish website
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Rev. Thomas Carroll, C.S.C.1859–
Holy Cross priest who founded St. Patrick's and built Kokomo's first Catholic church, a 60x30-foot brick structure seating 350.
- Rev. P. P. Cooney, C.S.C.
Oversaw construction of a larger second church (seating 650); the parish at one point ministered to about 1,250 Catholics west of the river.
- Rev. D. [DeGroote?]
Added to/expanded the second church; parochial residence built during this period.
- Rev. John F. [Hagerty?], C.S.C.
Referred to on the parish's historical page; era when the present Gothic church was built and dedicated (1911).
- Rev. Christopher (Chris) Shockleecurrent
Current pastor of the St. Patrick – St. Joan of Arc pastorate.