Dearborn Co. Catholics celebrate 200 years

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(LAWRENCEBURG, Ind.) – St. John the Baptist Church in Dover was built in 1824 and was the first Catholic church in Dearborn County. 

200 years later, there are now seven Catholic parishes within the county with thousands of lives that have been impacted. 

Approximately 1,500 parishioners from each church gathered at the Lawrenceburg Event Center for a celebratory mass on Sunday morning.  

The mass featured over 80 servers while Indianapolis Archbishop Charles Thompson was also in attendance. 

Father Jonathon Meyer of All Saints Parish was among the Dearborn County priests who led the mass. 

“Every Sunday, we have eight masses in Dearborn County. So, we see people in particular situations and associate them with a church building, but to have them all together with each other and with the archbishop, was really profound and just a great sense of the universal nature of the Catholic faith,” Fr. Meyer said. 

Since the inception of the Catholic faith in Dearborn County, it is believed that there have been 19,000 Baptisms conducted. 

Sunday’s mass was the kickoff for Bicentennial celebrations at each parish. The following speakers will present at these respective churches on the dates listed below:

Dr. Henry Fenichel (Holocaust Survivor) 

“Story of a Start Child”  – February 8 at St. Teresa in Bright 

Fr. Vince Lampert (Exorcist for Archdiocese)

“Exorcisms and the Catholic Church – March 7 at St. Joseph Church in St. Leon

Fr. Leo Patalinghug (Chef and TV host) 

“The Importance of Family Dinner — April 1 at St. Lawrenceburg Church in Lawrenceburg

Marge Steinhage Fenelon (Award-winning author) 

Mary: Model of All Women – May 9 at St. Mary’s in Aurora 

Fr. John Kartje (President/ Rector at Univ. of St. Mary of the Lake)

“Science and Faith – June 14 at St. Paul’s Church in New Alsace

Fr. Roger Landry (Diocese of Fall River, Mass.)

All Saints Parish Revival  – July 8 at St. John in Dover/ July 9 at St. Martin’s Church in Yorkville