About St. Pius X · Indianapolis, Indiana
St. Pius X Catholic Church is a parish of the Archdiocese of Indianapolis located on the city's north side at 7200 Sarto Drive, serving approximately 1,607 registered families across Marion County. Founded in 1955 out of Christ the King Parish, the community grew up around its parish school — the first building on campus — and today worships in a church built in the early 1970s. St. Pius X is also home to a K-8 Catholic school (a 2024 National Blue Ribbon School) and a vibrant Burmese ministry welcoming roughly 250 refugee parishioners from Myanmar.
- Established
- 1955
- Patron
- St. Pius X (Pope Pius X, Giuseppe Melchiorre Sarto, pope 1903–1914)
- Rector
- Rev. Francis Joseph Kalapurackal
- Diocese
- Archdiocese of Indianapolis (Indianapolis North Deanery)
Why belong here
St. Pius X combines the strengths of a large, established north-side parish with the warmth of a school-centered community. Weekday and Sunday Masses are offered in English (with Tuesday and Thursday school Masses), confession is available four days a week, and a strong Catholic school (K-8, a 2024 National Blue Ribbon School) sits on the same campus. Active parishioners can plug into more than two dozen ministries — from music (adult, children's, hand bell, funeral and women's choirs) to EDGE middle-school formation, high school youth ministry, Confirmation preparation, Eucharistic ministry to the sick in local nursing homes, and a distinctive Burmese Mentoring Ministry that pairs longtime parishioners with roughly 250 Catholic refugee families from Myanmar.
Mass times at St. Pius X
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Monday, Wednesday, Friday: 8:40 AM – 8:55 AM (Church Reconciliation Room)
- Saturday: 4:00 PM – 4:45 PM (Church Reconciliation Room)
- First Friday: 10:00 AM – 10:55 AM (during First Friday Mass and Eucharistic Adoration)
Adoration times
- First Friday Eucharistic Adoration: 10:00 AM – 10:55 AM (following the 9:00 AM First Friday Mass with Incense)
- First Friday school-day Adoration: school children in grades 5–8 spend time in adoration during the school day; parents are invited to join
About St. Pius X Catholic Parish
St. Pius X Catholic Church is a parish of the Archdiocese of Indianapolis in Marion County, Indiana, located on the city's north side at 7200 Sarto Drive. The parish serves approximately 1,607 registered families and is a sacramental home to a notably diverse community that includes a large number of Catholic refugees from Burma (Myanmar). The parish describes itself as a 'vibrant community of believers' and a 'spiritual family journeying together in faith,' called as disciples of Jesus Christ to be 'the hands, feet, and voice of Christ' in the world.
- Approximately 1,607 registered families (per Archdiocese of Indianapolis directory)
- Church capacity: 775
- One of the parishes of the Indianapolis North Deanery of the Archdiocese of Indianapolis
History of the Parish
St. Pius X Parish was formed in 1955 out of Christ the King Parish. The parish school was the first building on the new campus, completed in September 1955, and a school auditorium served as the original worship space. The street the parish sits on — Sarto Drive — takes its name from the family name of Pope St. Pius X, who had been canonized the previous year (1954). In the early 1970s, after the debt from the original school and auditorium was retired, the parish built its own dedicated church. The 50th anniversary of the parish was celebrated in 2005, anchored by a Mass with Archbishop Daniel M. Buechlein and a reunion of former pastors, teachers, and charter members.
- Founded 1955; school completed September 1955
- Parish grew out of Christ the King Parish
- Sarto Drive named for Pope St. Pius X's family name
- Dedicated church built in the early 1970s, replacing the school auditorium as worship space
- 50th anniversary celebrated in 2005
Pastorate and Clergy
The parish is currently served by Rev. Francis Joseph Kalapurackal as pastor, with Rev. Hla (Liugi) Shwe serving as Parochial Vicar and Deacon Richard Wagner assisting. A wider pastoral and administrative team supports the parish's liturgical, formation, music, school, business, and outreach work.
- Pastor: Rev. Francis Joseph Kalapurackal
- Parochial Vicar: Rev. Hla (Liugi) Shwe
- Deacon: Richard Wagner
- Pastoral Associate / Parish Council Chair: Charlie Dispenzieri
- Director of Music: Clara Duray
- Director of Faith Formation: Mary Mehringer
- Director of Youth / Young Adult Formation: (vacant per archdiocesan directory; parish materials reference Matt LaFountain and Audra Kriauciunas in youth ministry roles)
- Coordinator of Children's Faith Formation: Julie Hughes
- Director of Evangelization: Rusty Albertson
- Coordinator of Burmese Ministry: Rita Lwin
- Maintenance Coordinator: Chris Wagner
- Director of Facilities: Mike Haigerty
- Parish and School Business Manager: Kevin Sweeney
- Accounting Manager: Sheila Schildbach
- Financial Assistant / Accounts Payable: Calli Eickhoff
- Administrative Assistants: Ashley Brown and Chris Johnson
Parish School (K-8)
St. Pius X Catholic School shares the Sarto Drive campus and serves students in kindergarten through 8th grade. The school was named a 2024 National Blue Ribbon School, and the parish's school families form a large part of the worshiping community (Tuesday and Thursday school Masses are a regular part of the weekly schedule).
- St. Pius X Catholic School, 7200 Sarto Drive, Indianapolis, IN 46240
- Phone: 317-466-3361
- Principal: Keely Beaudette ([email protected])
- Enrollment: approximately 458 students
- Grades served: K-8
- 2024 National Blue Ribbon School
- Long-running pop-tab drive supporting Ronald McDonald House of Indianapolis (8+ million tabs collected over 13 years)
Faith Formation & Youth Ministry
The parish's faith-formation office coordinates children's faith formation, sacramental preparation (First Reconciliation, First Eucharist, Confirmation), middle- and high-school youth ministry, and young-adult ministry. Children's Faith Formation (CFF) meets on most Sunday mornings during the school year for children age 3 through 5th grade; middle-schoolers participate in EDGE on Sunday mornings; high-schoolers join a youth ministry program and prepare for Confirmation starting in 10th grade. The parish also has a ministry to deaf children highlighted in the archdiocesan newspaper The Criterion.
- Children's Faith Formation (CFF) — preschool through 5th grade, Sundays 9:30–10:55 AM in Ross Hall (Julie Hughes, 317-257-1085)
- EDGE — middle school youth ministry, Sundays 9:30–10:45 AM in Shalom, Sept–April
- High School Youth Ministry / Life Teen
- Confirmation preparation — begins in 10th grade, celebrated in spring (Kaitlyn Blandford / Matt LaFountain, 317-466-3370)
- Parish Youth Council / Youth Commission
- Children's Liturgy of the Word (CLOW) at the 11:00 AM Sunday Mass, ages 4–7, September–May
- Deaf children's faith formation ministry
Liturgical Ministries
St. Pius X depends on a large team of liturgical volunteers for its weekend and daily Masses. Scheduling is handled through a web-based Ministry Scheduler Pro system, and the parish invites new volunteers to enroll online. The Music Ministry alone includes multiple choirs and instrumental ensembles providing music for all weekend and Holy Day Masses.
- Lectors
- Altar Servers (4th grade and older)
- Ushers / Ministers of Hospitality
- Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion
- Sacristans
- Liturgical Environment (Arts and Environment team)
- Music Ministry — cantors, children's choir, adult choir, accompanists, instrumentalists, funeral choir, hand bell choir, women's choir (Director: Clara Duray, 317-466-3358)
- Web-based scheduling through Ministry Scheduler Pro
Burmese (Myanmar) Ministry
Roughly 250 St. Pius X parishioners are refugees from Burma (Myanmar). The parish supports them with a dedicated Burmese Mentoring Ministry that pairs longtime SPX parishioners with Burmese families to build friendships and aid integration, plus a Citizenship test preparation program for elders. The Associate Pastor, Rev. Hla (Liugi) Shwe, helps serve this community, and Rita Lwin serves as Coordinator of Burmese Ministry.
- Approximately 250 Burmese refugee parishioners
- Burmese Mentoring Ministry — pairs SPX parishioners with Burmese parishioners
- Citizenship test prep for elders
- Coordinator of Burmese Ministry: Rita Lwin
- Works in coordination with Rusty Albertson, Director of Evangelization
Outreach, Care for the Sick, and Adult Faith
Beyond the school and youth programs, the parish maintains ministries of presence to those who are homebound, hospitalized, or in nursing care, and offers formation opportunities for adults, seniors, young families, and young adults (through the archdiocesan IndyCatholic network). The parish also encourages stewardship of time, talent, and treasure through online giving and the new parishioner registration process.
- Eucharistic Ministry to the Sick — five nursing/assisted living communities served weekly, plus hospital visits
- Senior Adult Ministry
- Young Families Ministry
- IndyCatholic (Young Adult) — Theology on Tap, intramural sports, First Friday Adoration, Operation Leftover
- Adult Education Team (AET)
- Online giving available through the parish website
- New parishioner registration via the parish website, followed by a visit with the pastor
Sacraments
St. Pius X prepares and celebrates the full range of Catholic sacraments. First Reconciliation is celebrated in the late Fall, generally in 2nd grade, after preparation in either the parish school or Sunday Children's Faith Formation. Confirmation preparation begins in 10th grade and concludes with the celebration of the sacrament in the spring. Confession is heard four times a week, with a special First Friday reconciliation time during the morning Eucharistic Adoration hour. The parish also ministers to the sick, homebound, and bereaved, and the faithful are encouraged to contact the parish office to arrange baptisms, weddings, anointing of the sick, or funeral rites.
- Baptism — contact the parish office
- First Reconciliation (2nd grade) and First Eucharist — late Fall
- Confirmation — begins in 10th grade, celebrated in spring
- Reconciliation — M/W/F 8:40–8:55 AM; Sat 4:00–4:45 PM; First Friday 10:00–10:55 AM
- Marriage — contact the parish office
- Anointing of the Sick and visits to the homebound
- Funerals and Bereavement support
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Msgr. Charles Ross1955–c. 1983 (founding pastor, ~30 years)
Built the parish school (completed Sept. 1955) and led the community through its first three decades; the parish's worship originally met in the school auditorium.
- Rev. James Joseph (Jim) Sweeney1983–1990
Took over after Msgr. Ross; remembered as the era of major parish growth. Died in office in February 1990; his brother Archabbot Timothy Sweeney OSB of St. Meinrad was his only immediate survivor.
- Rev. Gerald J. Kirkhoff2002–2010
Earlier pastor of St. Philip Neri and St. Jude; while at St. Pius X also served as dean of the Indianapolis North Deanery and vicar for advocacy for priests. Died December 30, 2019.
- Rev. Francis Joseph Kalapurackalcurrent
Current pastor as listed on the Archdiocese of Indianapolis parish directory.