About St. Philip Neri [Historic Church] · Indianapolis, Indiana
St. Philip Neri Parish is a historic Roman Catholic church located on the east side of Indianapolis, Indiana, in the Archdiocese of Indianapolis. Founded in 1909 by Irish and German immigrant families who petitioned Bishop Francis Silas Chatard for a church on the eastern edge of the city, the parish is housed in a Romanesque Revival red-brick church listed on the National Register of Historic Places as part of the St. Philip Neri Parish Historic District. Once called 'the Miracle Parish' by Bishop Joseph Chartrand for its rapid growth, St. Philip Neri today is a bilingual (English/Spanish) community serving roughly 400 families, with a strong Hispanic majority and an active parish school (a Mother Theodore Catholic Academy). It continues the legacy of nearly 100 religious vocations that have emerged from the parish over its 115+ years.
- Established
- 1909
- Patron
- St. Philip Neri
- Rector
- Rev. Jeffrey L. Dufresne
- Diocese
- Archdiocese of Indianapolis
Why belong here
St. Philip Neri is a bilingual (English/Spanish) historic parish where nearly a century of religious vocations, an active grade school, and a deep devotional life meet the energy of a vibrant Hispanic Catholic community. Worshippers can attend daily Mass in English or Spanish, celebrate feast days from Our Lady of Guadalupe and Las Posadas to the patron St. Philip Neri (May 26), and benefit from perpetual adoration and a sacramental-preparation program staffed by both English- and Spanish-speaking ministers. For anyone seeking a welcoming, culturally rich, liturgically active parish with strong Catholic identity on Indianapolis's east side—and a parish school rooted in the Mother Theodore Catholic Academies—St. Philip Neri offers a genuine home.
Mass times at St. Philip Neri [Historic Church]
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Sunday: 9:00 AM – 9:25 AM (before English Mass)
- Sunday: 11:00 AM – 11:25 AM (before Spanish Mass)
- Tuesday: 8:30 AM – 9:00 AM (after Daily Mass)
- Wednesday: 5:00 PM – 5:55 PM
- Friday: 8:30 AM – 9:30 AM (after Daily Mass)
- Saturday: 5:00 PM – 5:55 PM
Adoration times
- Perpetual Adoration (Adoration after the 8:00 AM Mass continues until 3:00 PM per parish listings; 'Perpetual Adoration' noted on the archdiocesan parish page)
History of St. Philip Neri Parish
The parish was founded in 1909 by Irish and German immigrant families who petitioned Bishop Francis Silas Chatard for a church on the rural eastern edge of Indianapolis. The charter members drew their own plans, broke ground on February 1, 1909, and laid the bricks of the new church themselves. The first Mass was celebrated just five months later. Bishop Joseph Chartrand dubbed the fast-growing community 'the Miracle Parish.' The parish produced 98 priests, sisters, and brothers in its first century and added a rectory, convent, school, and boiler house/garage to the campus. The 1960s brought urban flight; arson struck the church in 1970; and beginning around the 1990s Hispanic families began moving into the neighborhood, transforming the parish into today's bilingual (English/Spanish) community of roughly 400 families. The complex was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1996.
- Founded 1909 (parish petition in 1908)
- Ground broken Feb. 1, 1909; first Mass five months later
- Bishop Chartrand called it 'the Miracle Parish'
- 98 religious vocations in the first 100 years
- Arson damaged the church in 1970
- Centennial celebrated in 2009 with bilingual Mass
- Holy Cross Parish merged into St. Philip Neri in 2024
Architecture & Historic District
The church is a Romanesque Revival red-brick building with limestone trim, designed by Bohlen & Son of Indianapolis (with associated architect George V. Bedell) and built in 1909. Notable exterior features include two- and three-story crenellated corner towers, a rose window with flanking round-arched windows, and Doric-order columns flanking the main entrance. The parish campus forms the St. Philip Neri Parish Historic District, encompassing the 1909 church, rectory, former convent and school, current school, and a combined boiler house/garage on 1.9 acres at 530 and 550 N. Rural St. and 545 N. Eastern Ave. The district was added to the National Register of Historic Places on September 25, 1996 (NRHP #96001007). The original hand-laid brickwork of the founders is still visible in the basement.
- Architect: Bohlen & Son (with George V. Bedell)
- Built 1909; Romanesque Revival style
- Red brick with limestone trim
- Crenellated corner towers, rose window, Doric columns
- Church capacity: 475
- NRHP #96001007, listed September 25, 1996
Parish Staff & Leadership
St. Philip Neri is pastored by Rev. Jeffrey L. Dufresne, who was first assigned as administrator of the parish in 2019 and was appointed pastor effective July 1, 2020. The parish staff includes Laura Gascon (Sacramental Preparation Coordinator), Amy Eggleston (Music Director), and Maria Castellanos (Parish Secretary). The school is led by Principal Kelly England (as of 2025–26).
- Pastor: Rev. Jeffrey L. Dufresne
- Sacramental Preparation Coordinator: Laura Gascon
- Music Director: Amy Eggleston
- Parish Secretary: Maria Castellanos
- School Principal: Kelly England
St. Philip Neri Catholic School
St. Philip Neri Catholic School is a Mother Theodore Catholic Academy (MTCA), part of a consortium of three Archdiocesan center-city Indianapolis Catholic schools that also includes Central Catholic and Holy Angels. The school serves grades Pre-K through 8, with a current enrollment of around 286 students and a student-teacher ratio of approximately 18:1. The MTCA academies 'provide a rigorous Catholic education for their students, which serves as the foundation for a life lived in service to Jesus, the Church, and the community.' The school was famously rescued from closure in 1991 when then-pastor Father Glenn O'Conner and the parish rallied with door-to-door fundraising and the new 'Run, Walk, Prayathon.'
- Mother Theodore Catholic Academy (MTCA)
- Grades Pre-K through 8; ~286 students
- Partner high school: Scecina Memorial (East Deanery)
- Saved from closure in 1991 by the 'Run, Walk, Prayathon'
Music, Liturgical & Cultural Ministries
The parish music ministry is led by Director Amy Eggleston and includes three small Hispanic choirs and one large Anglo choir that frequently lead bilingual worship together. Liturgical expression also extends to a Hispanic ballet/folkloric group and liturgical dance groups that accompany major feasts and celebrations, reflecting the integration of Anglo and Hispanic Catholic traditions championed by the parish.
- Music Director: Amy Eggleston
- Three Hispanic choirs, one Anglo choir
- Hispanic folkloric ballet
- Liturgical dance groups
Sacraments & Devotions
St. Philip Neri prepares parishioners for the sacraments of Baptism, First Communion, Confirmation, and Matrimony in both English and Spanish, and offers Reconciliation at scheduled times before each Mass. The parish also celebrates quinceañeras, the feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe (December 12), Las Posadas during Advent, Children's Day (Three Kings), and the bilingual feast of St. Philip Neri on May 26. Perpetual Eucharistic Adoration is offered, and special Mass intentions and devotional candles are available through the parish office.
- Baptism, First Communion, Confirmation, Matrimony
- Reconciliation (see confession schedule)
- Quinceañera celebrations
- Our Lady of Guadalupe, Las Posadas, Children's Day
- Perpetual Adoration
Parish Life & Community
St. Philip Neri is known as a bilingual, multicultural parish that has deliberately integrated Anglo and Hispanic traditions. Long-standing Irish and German customs continue alongside newer Hispanic devotions, including the feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe, Las Posadas, Children's Day, and quinceañeras. The parish council includes Hispanic representation, and the parish has welcomed immigrant families from Mexico, Honduras, Guatemala, Nicaragua, and El Salvador. The annual 'Run, Walk, Prayathon' fundraiser unites school families, parishioners, alumni, and friends around the historic school. Youth ministry is led by Roberto Marquez.
- Youth Ministry: Roberto Marquez
- Parish Council with Hispanic representation
- Annual 'Run, Walk, Prayathon' fundraiser
- Welcome for immigrant families from Mexico, Honduras, Guatemala, Nicaragua, and El Salvador
Diocese & Deanery
St. Philip Neri Parish (#037) is part of the Indianapolis East Deanery of the Archdiocese of Indianapolis. The parish's feeder high school is Scecina Memorial High School in Indianapolis. Holy Cross Parish was merged into St. Philip Neri in 2024; sacred art and architectural elements from Holy Cross are being redistributed to other parishes in central and southern Indiana, a project pastor Father Jeffrey Dufresne has described as 'a definite silver lining.'
- Parish #037 in the Archdiocese of Indianapolis
- Indianapolis East Deanery
- Partner high school: Scecina Memorial
- Holy Cross Parish merged in 2024
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Rev. Albert Busalcirca 1940
Listed as pastor in the 1940 Archdiocesan Yearbook, with curates Carl Sahm, John Casey, and Bernard Gerdon.
- Rev. Michael O'Mara1991–1996
Pastored during the period of demographic transition; later served again as administrator 2004–2006.
- Rev. Glenn O'Conner1990s
Former pastor who saved St. Philip Neri School in 1991 with the founding of the 'Run, Walk, Prayathon' fundraiser when the archdiocese considered closing it.
- Rev. Carlton Beever1999–2013
Long-tenured pastor who became fluent in Spanish through immersion in Mexico; oversaw parish centennial in 2009; also served as administrator of Holy Cross, Indianapolis 2010–2013 before becoming pastor of St. Mary, Indianapolis.
- Rev. Jeffrey L. Dufresne2019–present
First assigned as administrator of St. Philip Neri in 2019; appointed pastor effective July 1, 2020; oversaw the 2024 merger of Holy Cross Parish into St. Philip Neri.
![St. Philip Neri [Historic Church] in Indianapolis, Indiana — photo 1](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/3/3a/St._Philip_Neri_Parish_Historic_District.jpg/640px-St._Philip_Neri_Parish_Historic_District.jpg "St. Philip Neri [Historic Church]")