About St. Pius V [Quad-Parishes Community] · Troy, Indiana
St. Pius V is a small Catholic parish in the river town of Troy, Perry County, Indiana, founded in 1849 and one of the four sister parishes that make up the Quad-Parishes Community (alongside St. Paul in Tell City, St. Michael in Cannelton, and St. Mark in Tell City). The parish sits on Franklin Street just a block from the Ohio River and shares a pastor and pastoral staff with its neighboring communities through the Catholic Ministry Center in Tell City. With about 134 households and Sunday Mass at 10:30 a.m., St. Pius V is a tight-knit country parish with deep Benedictine roots, served today by Rev. Stephen Donahue.
- Established
- 1849
- Patron
- St. Pius V
- Rector
- Rev. Stephen Donahue
- Diocese
- Metropolitan Archdiocese of Indianapolis
Why belong here
St. Pius V offers the chance to belong to a small, historic river-town parish where Sunday Mass at 10:30 a.m. and Tuesday morning Mass sustain a tight Catholic community within the Quad-Parishes family. Parishioners share an active Catholic life with three neighboring Perry County parishes, are guided by a pastor and religious-education administrator who serve all four campuses, and benefit from shared ministries, formation, and sacraments coordinated through the Catholic Ministry Center in Tell City. It is a welcoming place for families who want the rhythm of a country parish connected to the wider Archdiocese of Indianapolis.
Mass times at St. Pius V [Quad-Parishes Community]
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Immediately before or after Masses
- Or anytime by appointment — contact the Parish Office at (812) 547-7994
St. Pius V Parish at a Glance
St. Pius V is a 134-family Catholic parish in Troy, Indiana, founded in 1849 and historically served by Benedictine priests of Saint Meinrad. Worship is simple and Sunday-focused, with Mass on Sunday at 10:30 a.m. and Tuesday at 8:00 a.m. The Archdiocese of Indianapolis lists the parish (#160) at 330 Franklin Street with a 200-seat church capacity.
History
German Catholics were present in Troy by 1835 but received only occasional pastoral visits. The first resident pastor arrived only in 1870, when Benedictine Father Conrad Ackerman began running the parish and even its brickyard to build the present church (cornerstone 1881, completed 1884). The parish operated a grade school from at least 1892 until 1969.
- 1835 — first German Catholic settlers in Troy
- 1837 — Father Julian Benoit, first priest assigned, visits monthly
- 1838 — Father Joseph Kundek takes responsibility, founds later parishes
- 1847 — first church built on the present site
- 1849 — official parish founded
- 1870 — Father Conrad Ackerman, OSB, first resident pastor
- 1881 — cornerstone of the present church laid by Abbot Fintan Mundwiler
- 1884 — present church completed
- 1892 — parish school operating
- 1899 — original frame schoolhouse replaced by two-story brick
- 1969 — parish school closes
- 1973 — St. Pius V comes under the Tell City St. Paul team ministry
- 2007 — 160th anniversary celebrated Oct. 7 (Feast of Our Lady of the Rosary)
Benedictine Heritage and Saint Meinrad Connection
For much of its history, St. Pius V was served by monks of Saint Meinrad Archabbey, and the relationship endures in parish memory. Father Martin Marty (later first abbot of Saint Meinrad) ministered in Troy in 1863–1865; Abbot Fintan Mundwiler laid the cornerstone of the present church; and the parish's 160th anniversary Mass in 2007 was celebrated by Archabbot Justin Duvall with Father Barnabas Gillespie, OSB, then-pastor.
- Father Martin Marty, OSB — served Troy 1863–1865
- Abbot Fintan Mundwiler — laid the 1881 cornerstone
- Father Barnabas Gillespie, OSB — pastor in 2007
- Archabbot Justin Duvall — principal celebrant of the 160th anniversary Mass
The Quad-Parishes Community
St. Pius V is one of four Perry County parishes that form the Quad-Parishes Community, sharing pastors, a website, weekly bulletins, and the Catholic Ministry Center at 824 Jefferson Street in Tell City. Each parish retains its own church building and liturgical schedule, but staffing and faith-formation resources are unified. The partner parishes are St. Paul (Tell City), St. Mark (Tell City), and St. Michael (Cannelton).
- St. Paul — 814 Jefferson St, Tell City
- St. Mark — 5377 Acorn Rd, Tell City
- St. Michael — N 8th & Washington St, Cannelton
- St. Pius V — 330 Franklin St, Troy
- Catholic Ministry Center — 824 Jefferson St, Tell City
Parish Staff
Staffing for the Quad-Parishes Community, including St. Pius V, is coordinated through the Catholic Ministry Center in Tell City. The pastor and religious-education administrator serve all four parishes together.
- Pastor — Rev. Stephen Donahue
- Administrator of Religious Education — Katie Strange
- Parish Council Chair — Kristin Johnson
- Business Manager — Amanda Bauer
- Data Coordinator/Secretary — Tammy Bruner
- Receptionist/Secretary — Katie Rothgerber
Contact
St. Pius V is reached through the shared Quad-Parishes office.
- Address — 330 Franklin St., Troy, IN 47588
- Mailing address — c/o Catholic Ministry Center, 824 Jefferson St, Tell City, IN 47586
- Phone — (812) 547-7994
- Fax — (812) 547-6985
- Website — www.thequadparishes.org
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Father Julian Benoit1837 (first priest assigned to Troy)
Sent by Bishop Simon Bruté of Vincennes; visited only monthly.
- Father Joseph Kundek1838–
Drew up plans for the first church in Troy; founded multiple German-Catholic settlements in southern Indiana.
- Father Martin Marty, OSB1863–1865
Swiss Benedictine who later became the first abbot of Saint Meinrad (1871).
- Father Conrad Ackerman, OSB1870–
First resident pastor; Swiss monk of Saint Meinrad who ran the brickyard that supplied the church bricks.
- Father Vincent Dwyer1929–1934
Irish immigrant ordained at Saint Meinrad; first pastor not to speak German.
- Father Barnabas Gillespie, OSBthrough 2007
Benedictine monk of Saint Meinrad; concelebrated the 160th anniversary Mass in 2007.