Our Church
Our Faith
St. Monica is a Roman Catholic parish located in the Archdiocese of Indianapolis. We are proud of our Catholic heritage that is founded upon the Holy Scriptures and the two thousand year tradition of the church.The Sunday Mass is the center of our parish life. In this worship setting, we communally experience the presence of Christ in the Word of God and in the sacrament of the Holy Eucharist. Our prayer is that you find our masses to be a joyful and welcoming experience.St. Monica Parish has been strongly influenced through the “Christ Renews His Parish” program which has been active in the parish for over 25 years. It is now being offered in English and Spanish. This spiritual renewal program has drawn many parishioners into a deeper relationship with Jesus Christ and a commitment to our community.
Our Mission
A Catholic community advancing Christian faith by living the Word of God through prayer, liturgy, learning and service.
The mission statement describes the common bond and purpose for St. Monica parish. The common bond is our Catholic Christian faith. As a community we provide an inclusive and welcoming environment to come together and share that common bond. Our purpose is to advance Christian faith partnering with other Catholics and Christians. In living the Word of God our faith is seen by all through authentic and genuine actions, not just works. In coming together and sharing prayer, liturgy, learning and service we grow with and support each other in our faith-based journey. Through experiences and service, we commit to share God’s blessings with others in our surrounding area and around the world. Through our parish mission, all ministries and parishioners grow to find their purpose and advantage.
Our People
Saint Monica parish is known as a diverse community. We are blessed with a variety of ethnic backgrounds that enable us to see church with a global view. The parish is proud to have people from East India, the Philippine Islands, Jamaica, Africa, Hungary, Ireland, the Orient, and North and South America, to name just some of the countries we represent. We are a faith community that embraces people on all economic levels, young and old, singles, families and blended families. A special part of our parish family are the elderly and disabled who live in rehabilitation and long-term care facilities, nursing homes and assisted living. The people of the Saint Monica community share their faith life not only on Sunday but during the week as we reach out to people in the neighborhood, workplace and community.
Our History
St. Monica parish was first formed as a congregation under Father Paul Utz in 1956. The Parish consisted of 222 families from St. Michael and St. Thomas Aquinas churches with a commitment to build a school for their children and establish a parish. The cornerstone of the first church was laid on May 6, 1957. The doors of St. Monica School opened in September 1957 staffed by Sisters of St. Francis from Oldenburg, Indiana with Sister Mary Jerome Schroeder as principal.The young parish adopted the new vision of church presented by Vatican Council II, convened under Pope John XXIII. One of the fruits was the formation of the St. Monica Parish Pastoral Council in 1975. Through the elected council, members of the laity share responsibility for the leadership and administration of the Parish, its spiritual growth and its social development.Our present sanctuary, built to accommodate the growing membership, was designed by the architectural firm of Woolen, Molzan and Partners, Kalevi Huotilainen and Kevin Huse, architects. It was dedicated during its first liturgical service on December 20, 1992.
Our church building has undergone another phase of expansion and improvements which were completed in 2002. The St. Monica campus continues to represent the people who built it, God’s living stones. The features of this building represent the decisions of parishioners who worked together to interpret the needs and preferences of the Parish within the framework of liturgical guidelines as well as our mission and vision statements.
St. Monica’s parish borders in northwestern Marion County encompass neighborhoods, commercial centers, medical facilities, industrial and commercial parks. In area, it is one of the largest parishes in the Archdiocese. We now have approximately 2,700 families registered in the parish.
