About St. Patrick · Fort Wayne, Indiana
St. Patrick Church of Arcola is a Roman Catholic parish serving the rural farming community of Arcola on the outskirts of Fort Wayne, Indiana. Officially established in 1862 and housed in a stone Gothic-style church dedicated in 1899, the parish belongs to the Diocese of Fort Wayne–South Bend and has grown into a welcoming family community of roughly 427 households. Under its current pastor, Rev. Bobby Krisch (installed summer 2026), St. Patrick's offers daily and weekend Masses, Eucharistic Adoration, the sacraments, a robust religious education program, a Council of the Knights of Columbus, and beloved traditions including a famous fish fry and an annual community bike blessing that draws hundreds of motorcyclists each April.
- Established
- 1862
- Patron
- St. Patrick
- Rector
- Rev. Bobby Krisch
- Diocese
- Diocese of Fort Wayne–South Bend
Why belong here
St. Patrick's is a close-knit farming-community parish where many parishioners are lifetime members, but Father Eze (past 2023–2026) emphasized that the church has also 'joyfully welcomed many international priests and parishioners from every corner of the United States and the globe.' With daily Mass, Eucharistic Adoration multiple days a week, a strong K of C Council (#13971), Religious Education for preschoolers through high school, RCIA, a food pantry, a Pro-Life Committee, a youth group, a Seven Sisters Apostolate, and signature events like the famous fish fry and the annual bike blessing, the parish offers plenty of ways to live out the Know, Love, and Serve mission.
Mass times at St. Patrick
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Tuesday evening at 6:30 PM
- Thursday at 9:00 AM
- Saturday from 3:30 to 4:30 PM
- By appointment (contact the parish office)
Adoration times
- Wednesday — 1 hour after the 8:00 AM Mass
- Thursday — 1 hour after the 8:00 AM Mass
- Saturday — 3:30 to 4:30 PM (alongside Confession)
- Tuesday — 1 hour before the evening Mass
- First Friday — after the 8:00 AM Mass, with First Friday Devotions to the Sacred Heart, until 9:30 AM
- First Saturday — after the 8:00 AM Mass, with Devotions to the Immaculate Heart of Mary, until 9:30 AM
History of St. Patrick Parish
Catholic life in Arcola began in 1845 when Mass was celebrated at the home of Victor Munier by Rev. Julian Benoit, Vicar General of the Diocese of Fort Wayne. The parish was officially established in 1862 under Fr. P.J. Madden, and the first small church went up in 1868. The Sisters of the Poor Handmaids of Jesus Christ took charge of the school in 1895, and in 1898 Fr. Robert J. Pratt laid the cornerstone for the present stone Gothic church, which Auxiliary Bishop John Guendling dedicated on October 29, 1899, at a total cost of $10,934.
Mission, Vision, and Parish Membership
The parish mission is rooted in 'Know, Love, & Serve': to know the Lord through ministries of Evangelization, Education, and Formation and through study of Sacred Scripture; to love the Lord in worship and prayer centered on Jesus' presence in the Holy Eucharist; and to serve the Lord through stewardship, charity, and compassion. St. Patrick's invites new members to register by calling the parish office, picking up a form at the church entrances, or downloading one from the website.
Sacramental Preparation
First Communion (typically 2nd grade) is always celebrated the first Sunday of May, and Confirmation for 7th and 8th graders takes place every other year on a variable date. Families are invited to register children for these programs, and forms are available on the parish website. Reconciliation, Baptism, Marriage, and Anointing of the Sick are coordinated through the parish office at (260) 625-4151.
Religious Education & Adult Faith Formation
Religious Education classes meet Sunday mornings from 8:30 to 9:45 AM, running from the first Sunday after Labor Day in September through April, with registration open to preschoolers (age 4) through high school. A separate Adult Education class runs concurrently on Sunday mornings, inviting parishioners to continue their faith journey. RCIA (Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults) is available for those preparing to enter the Church, and the parish also publishes Vacation Bible School programming for children ages 4 through Grade 5.
Parish Ministries & Groups
St. Patrick's is home to a wide array of lay ministries. Besides Religious Education, Adult Education, RCIA, Youth Group, and the parish Food Pantry (open weekly), the parish counts the Knights of Columbus Council #13971, a Pro-Life Committee, St. Zelie Mosaic groups, the Seven Sisters Apostolate, St. Paula's Ladies Widow group, the St. Patrick's Shamrocks Decorating Committee, a Homebound visitation ministry, an Environmental Committee (church decoration), a funeral-dinner team, and building/grounds volunteers among its active groups.
Liturgy & Music
Lay liturgical roles are essential to the parish's worship life: ushers, lectors, offertory gift bearers, cantors, organist, choir members, instrumentalists, Rosary leaders before Mass, and altar servers. Eucharistic Adoration on Wednesdays, Thursdays, Saturdays, Tuesdays, First Fridays, and First Saturdays deepens the parish's devotion to the Real Presence of Christ in the Eucharist — the heart of the parish's 'Know, Love, & Serve' mission.
Knights of Columbus Council #13971
St. Patrick's Knights of Columbus Council supports the parish in faith, charity, and fellowship. The council meets on the third Thursday of each month at 7:00 PM in the old school hall, with a Rosary prayed in church at 6:30 PM. The council is listed in the Diocese of Fort Wayne–South Bend directory and is known for hosting parish breakfasts and dinners that foster faith, fun, fellowship, and friendship.
Youth, Young Adult, and Family Life
Beyond Religious Education and Vacation Bible School, the parish runs a Youth Group and a Young Adult Bible Study for adults 18–35, held Mondays from 6:00 to 8:00 PM in the conference room. Parish life also includes moms' gatherings (meeting October through March) and parish-wide events like the Father's Day Drive-thru Baby Shower, all aimed at building intentional discipleship across generations.
Signature Traditions: Fish Fry & Bike Blessing
Two annual events have made St. Patrick's famous in the wider region. The parish's fish fry is described locally as 'the best in Indiana,' and the annual Bike Blessing on the last Saturday of April began decades ago with only eight motorcycles and has grown into a full-blown Arcola community event that now attracts more than 500 motorbikes from within and beyond Indiana. Knights of Columbus Sunday breakfasts and dinners round out the parish's signature culture of faith, fun, fellowship, and friendship.
Parish Buildings & Cemetery
The Gothic stone church, dedicated in 1899, remains the parish's worship space. A new school building was begun under Fr. Jacob A. Bick in 1950 (the school itself closed in 1969). A parish hall opened in October 2007 and was dedicated by Bishop John M. D'Arcy on December 16, 2007. A new rectory was built in 2006, destroyed by fire on November 11, 2019, and rebuilt by December 2020. St. Patrick Cemetery, operated by the parish, is also listed in the diocesan directory.
Contact, Visit, and Pastoral Council
Visitors and parishioners can reach the parish office by phone at (260) 625-4151 or by email at [email protected], and find schedule updates and bulletins at stpatrickarcola.org. The Parish Pastoral Council organizes parish life around six mission areas — evangelization, education, liturgy, pastoral ministry, social concerns and outreach, and ecumenism and interfaith relations — actively inviting every parishioner to participate in at least one area as an intentional disciple of Christ.
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Rev. P.J. Madden1862
first pastor of the officially established parish
- Priest from Fort Wayne1864–1865
unnamed priest from Fort Wayne served the mission
- Rev. Henry Schaefer1865–1868
- Rev. Theodore Vanderpoel1869–1872
- Rev. Henry Theodore Wilkins1873–1880
- Rev. Bartholomew Hartmann1881–1886
- Rev. Hickman1887
served only 5 to 6 weeks
- Rev. James A. Werdein1887–1888
- Rev. William Quinlan1889–1891
- Rev. William Conrad Miller1892–1895
- Rev. Robert J. Pratt1896–1900
laid the cornerstone of the present-day Gothic church in October 1898
- Rev. Simon M. Yenn1900–1901
- Rev. Peter Schmitt1901–1905
- Rev. Henry C. Kappel1905–1907
- Rev. Edward J. Mungovan1907–1915
- Rev. P.A. Welsh1915–1934
- Rev. William L. Atwater1934–1936
- Rev. Jacob A. Bick1936–1957
laid the cornerstone of the new school building on November 5, 1950
- Rev. Edward T. Keever1957–1971
served during the closing of the parish school in 1969
- Rev. Louis Zenz1971–1976
- Rev. Robert J. Hoevel1976–1978
- Rev. Charles J. Ueber1978–1989
- Rev. Matthias Crehan, O.F.M.1989–1990
Franciscan friar
- Rev. James Koons1990–1992
- Rev. Eugene Koers1992–2001
- Rev. Matthew Kafka2001
- Rev. Cyril Fernandes2001–2009
- Rev. Alex Dodrai2009–2013
- Rev. Thadeus Balinda2013–2023
- Rev. John Eze2023–2026
spoke with Today's Catholic about parish life and the 125th anniversary celebrations
- Rev. Bobby Krisch2026 – present
installation Mass celebrated on Sunday, July 5 at the 10:00 a.m. Mass