About St Raphael · Dubois, Indiana
St. Raphael Church in Dubois, Indiana is a Roman Catholic worship site of St. Isidore the Farmer Parish in the Diocese of Evansville. Originally established as an independent parish in 1899, it merged in 2016 with neighboring St. Peter Celestine Parish (Celestine) to form St. Isidore Parish, with the rural Dubois church retaining its historic name by decree of Bishop Charles Thompson. The parish family draws about 500 households from the rolling hills of northeast Dubois County, near Patoka Lake and the Hoosier National Forest, and gathers for Sunday Mass, weekday Masses, Eucharistic Adoration, Reconciliation, religious education, music ministry, and outreach through programs like the Grace Co-Op and Stephen Ministry.
- Established
- 1899
- Patron
- St. Raphael the Archangel
- Rector
- Rev. Simon Natha
- Diocese
- Diocese of Evansville (East Deanery)
Why belong here
St. Raphael offers the beauty of a small, historic country parish — a 1937 stone church built from pieces of West Baden's Our Lady of Lourdes — set in the rolling farmland and forests of northeast Dubois County. The community centers on daily and Sunday Eucharist, Eucharistic Adoration on Mondays, weekly Reconciliation, an active music program (adult choir, youth choir, the contemporary band "Cadence," cantors, and instrumentalists), and a strong tradition of rural Catholic outreach through the Grace Co-Op and Stephen Ministry. With about 500 parish families sharing two worship sites under one pastor, newcomers find a close-knit congregation that takes seriously its call to evangelization, faith formation for all ages, and care for neighbors in need.
Mass times at St Raphael
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Wednesday 7:30–7:55 AM
- Sunday 9:30–9:55 AM
- Saturday 3:45–4:25 PM (October–March, before the 4:30 PM Mass)
Adoration times
- Monday 6:00 AM – 9:00 PM (Eucharistic Adoration)
About St. Raphael Church, Dubois
St. Raphael Church is one of two historic worship sites of St. Isidore the Farmer Parish in the Diocese of Evansville, the other being St. Peter Celestine Church in nearby Celestine. Founded in 1899 and now serving about 500 parish families in the rolling farmland of northeast Dubois County, St. Raphael offers daily and Sunday Mass, Reconciliation, Eucharistic Adoration, religious education, and a full program of liturgical and outreach ministries. Although the parishes merged administratively in 2016, Bishop Charles Thompson decreed that the two churches would keep their historic names, and St. Raphael continues to serve as the home church for many Dubois-area families.
- Founded 1899 as the eighth Catholic parish in Dubois County
- Part of St. Isidore the Farmer Parish (merged 2016)
- Diocese of Evansville, East Deanery
- About 500 parish families across both campuses
Parish History
Fr. Charles Bilger of St. Peter Celestine called a meeting on September 21, 1899 to organize a Catholic church in the small Dubois County community then known as Knoxville. Three and a half acres were donated by John Seng on October 13, 1899, and a wood-frame church was dedicated on Christmas Eve 1899 at a cost of $1,200. Disaster struck on Christmas Day 1917 when fire destroyed the church; for the next seventeen years, Mass was celebrated in the basement of the structure that would eventually become today's sanctuary. The present stone church was built atop that basement beginning July 8, 1936, and was dedicated on May 16, 1937. The church is constructed of stone, stained glass, and furnishings rescued from the demolished Our Lady of Lourdes Church, which had stood behind the famous West Baden Springs Dome.
- 1899 — Wood-frame church dedicated December 24
- 1902 — Fr. E.J. Zierkelbach becomes first resident priest
- 1915 — Fr. Lawrence Fichter builds rectory (Sears kit, assembled by parishioners)
- 1917 — Christmas Day fire destroys the wood church
- 1936 — Construction begins on the present stone church
- 1937 — Current church dedicated May 16; cost $150,000
- 2016 — Merged with St. Peter Celestine to form St. Isidore the Farmer Parish
- 2022 — St. Raphael Center dedicated July 31 by Bishop Joseph Siegel
Architecture and the St. Raphael Center
The 1937 St. Raphael Church is a stone edifice whose most striking features — six stained glass windows of the Mysteries of the Rosary, six onyx candlesticks, and a matching crucifix — were salvaged from the now-demolished Our Lady of Lourdes Church in West Baden Springs, Indiana, the community built around the legendary West Baden Dome. In 2022, the parish added the modern St. Raphael Center, a 5,526-square-foot building with a hall seating 100, four classrooms, a kitchen, and offices. The project, totaling about $1.16 million, was funded through the Steward of God's Grace Campaign, diocesan support, community donations, the sale of parish timberland and Woodland Hills property, and a parish letter campaign.
- Stone from Our Lady of Lourdes Church, West Baden Springs
- Six Mysteries of the Rosary stained-glass windows
- Six onyx candlesticks and matching crucifix from West Baden
- St. Raphael Center dedicated July 31, 2022 — 5,526 sq. ft., 100-seat hall, 4 classrooms, kitchen, offices
Liturgical Ministries
St. Isidore Parish has an unusually rich music and liturgical life. Two adult choirs (one at each campus), a youth choir open to grades 1–12, the contemporary ensemble "Cadence" (guitars, keyboard, percussion, and vocalists), cantors, and instrumentalists (organists, pianists, and other musicians) all play active roles. Servers (4th grade and up), lectors, extraordinary ministers of Holy Communion (who also bring the Eucharist to the homebound), greeters, and ushers round out the liturgical team. Scheduling is handled through Ministry Scheduler Pro.
- Adult Choir — Dubois Campus
- Adult Choir — Celestine Campus
- Youth Choir (grades 1–12, Wednesday practice)
- Cadence — contemporary music group
- Cantors and Instrumentalists (organists, pianists needed)
- Lectors
- Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion (including homebound visits)
- Altar Servers (4th grade and up)
- Greeters and Ushers
Parish Organizations and Outreach
Beyond the liturgy, the parish is served by a Pastoral Council, Finance Committee, and Religious Education Commission, and by two well-developed pastoral ministries: Stephen Ministry and the Grace Co-Op Ministry. The Grace Co-Op pairs parish volunteers with local families and individuals in need, providing rides to doctor visits, homemade meals, firewood, yard work, light home repairs, emergency temporary housing, and bimonthly food drives; it also supports Back-pack Buddies at Dubois Elementary and Intermediate School and the "Jeep Closet" at Dubois High School, and runs Grace Grub Jr. — summer grocery gift cards for children on the school low-income lunch program. The parish also maintains the historic St. Raphael Cemetery and the St. Celestine Cemetery, and supports the Celestine School Alumni Association.
- Parish Pastoral Council
- Finance Committee
- Religious Education Commission
- Stephen Ministry
- Grace Co-Op Ministry (volunteer outreach, food drives, Back-pack Buddies, Grace Grub Jr.)
- St. Raphael Cemetery
- St. Celestine Cemetery Board
- Celestine School Alumni Association
Faith Formation and Schools
After the 2016 merger and the consolidation of parish schools, religious education and Catholic schooling in the area are coordinated with the Northeast Dubois County School Corporation: N.E. Dubois Elementary School serves K–2, N.E. Dubois Intermediate School serves grades 3–6, and N.E. Dubois Jr. & Sr. High School serves grades 7–12. Parish-based religious education continues under the direction of the parish's Director of Faith Formation, and the 2014-converted religious education building and the new 2022 St. Raphael Center provide classroom space for faith formation programs.
- Director of Faith Formation / Operations Manager: Brooke Atkins
- Religious Education Commission
- N.E. Dubois Elementary (K–2)
- N.E. Dubois Intermediate School (3–6)
- N.E. Dubois Jr. & Sr. High School (7–12)
- St. Raphael Center (2022) — four classrooms for faith formation
Parish Staff and Clergy
St. Isidore the Farmer Parish — including St. Raphael Church — is served by a small full-time staff led by the pastor and supported by faith formation, youth, music, and administrative personnel.
- Pastor: Rev. Simon Natha
- Director of Faith Formation / Operations Manager: Brooke Atkins
- Parish Secretary: Angela Mundy
- Youth Coordinator: Alex Linne
- Bookkeeper: Laura Betz
- Music Director: Lisa Wagner
- Deacon Mike Seibert (Grace Co-Op Ministry)
Contact and Location
St. Raphael Church is located in the small community of Dubois, in northeast Dubois County, near Patoka Lake and the Hoosier National Forest. While the worship site retains its own address, the parish office is at the St. Isidore Parish Center on East State Road 164 in Celestine, and all mail should be directed to the Celestine mailing address.
- St. Raphael Church — 5564 East St. Raphael Street, Dubois, IN 47527
- Parish Office / Religious Education — 812-634-1875
- Parish Fax — 812-634-7255
- Email — [email protected]
- Website — www.saintisidoreparish.com
- Mailing address — St. Isidore Parish, PO Box, Celestine, Indiana 47521 (delivery: 6860 East State Road 164, Celestine)
The 2016 Merger: Becoming St. Isidore the Farmer Parish
In 2014–2015, a Cluster Council studied the possibility of merging St. Peter Celestine Parish (Celestine, est. 1843) and St. Raphael Parish (Dubois, est. 1899). A Merger Committee met monthly for fifteen months, narrowing name submissions from five to two. Of 532 parishioner ballots, 322 chose "St. Isidore" and 210 chose "Divine Mercy"; Bishop Charles Thompson decreed the new parish name to be "St. Isidore the Farmer," informally known as St. Isidore. The names of the two church buildings were preserved by decree. Sharon Burns of Catholic Charities facilitated town-hall meetings during the transition, and in July 2015 the Diocese of Evansville realigned its deaneries from seven to four, placing the new parish in the East Deanery. The merger was completed on July 1, 2016.
- Merger completed July 1, 2016
- Decree by Bishop Charles Thompson
- Names of both churches retained
- Diocese of Evansville East Deanery
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Fr. Charles Bilger1899–1902
Founder and organizer of St. Raphael while pastor of St. Peter Celestine; served both parishes for three years, celebrating Mass at St. Raphael on the fourth Sunday of each month.
- Fr. E.J. Zierkelbach1902–
First resident priest of St. Raphael Church, beginning July 1902.
- Fr. Lawrence Fichterby 1915
Built the present rectory on the St. Celestine campus from a Sears and Roebuck kit assembled by parishioners.
- Rev. Simon Nathacurrent
Pastor of the merged St. Isidore the Farmer Parish since at least the 2016 merger.