Mass Excursions
‘Get blessed by Jesus’ at St. Joseph Church in Corydon, state’s first capital
By Natalie Hoefer
There are seven parishes named St. Joseph in the boundaries of the archdioceses. One of them is found in historic Corydon, site of the state’s first capital. Founded in 1896, St. Joseph celebrated its 125th anniversary last year.
About 450-500 households comprise the parish. It’s a mix of demographics, says Father Kyle Rodden, the parish’s pastor.
“One part of the parish are these deep-rooted, related-to-everybody kind of families,” he says. “And then there are these new faces that chose St. Joseph. Some of them commute to Louisville to work, and some of them chose to settle in Corydon from far away, like California and Washington, D.C.
“Our number of vibrant, young families is growing.”
Their children, plus families taking advantage of Indiana’s student voucher system, have led to tremendous growth at the parish’s school.
“We were actually just featured in our local paper about our expansion,” says Father Rodden.
Twenty years ago, the school discontinued offering seventh- and eighth-grade classes. Last year, it established a seventh-grade class again, and this year it added an eighth-grade class. Plus, the school opened a preschool class for 3-year-olds and a second 4-year-old class.
“Our school is our largest ministry,” says Father Rodden.
And the students are constantly evangelized. Each day offers some form of worship, whether Mass, Morning Prayer from the Liturgy of the Hours or the rosary. Plus, students in grades 2-8 who have made their first confession are given the opportunity once a month to receive the sacrament of reconciliation.
“Friday after Mass, we expose the Blessed Sacrament, and at the end of the day the students return to church for song, Benediction and reposition,” Father Rodden adds. “So, they get blessed by Jesus before they head off for the weekend.”
St. Joseph Parish also impacts the local community through its “very active” St. Vincent de Paul Society, he says.
“In Harrison County, a lot of our families are lower income,” says Father Rodden. “Our St. Vincent de Paul group does a lot of work with their ministry to help the poor. They try to meet every need that comes to the door. They don’t limit what they give—they just ask, ‘How can we help?’ ”
Anytime is a good time to come to Corydon, says Father Rodden. With
St. Joseph located just two-tenths of a mile from the Corydon State Historical Site, he says “there are always events going on.
“But there are also lots of local cave systems, canoeing, and of course the internationally known Butt Drug pharmacy.”
His personal favorite food fare is at 1816 Modern Kitchen, located in an Italianate structure built in 1892.
“They have items on the menu you won’t find in any other restaurant in the area,” he says.
Father Rodden invites all who come to Corydon to worship at Mass or just to pray at St. Joseph Church.
“The doors are open from 7 a.m.-9 p.m. every day,” he says. “We encourage people to stop by to spend time with the Lord.”
St. Joseph Parish is located at 312 E. High Street. For Mass times, call 812-738-2742 or go to www.catholic-community.org.
Early state history, outdoors, wineries and more
Worshiping at Mass at St. Joseph can enhance a day or weekend trip taking in the numerous sites to see and things to do in Corydon and Harrison County.
As the state’s first capital, Corydon is a treasure trove of history. The Corydon State Historic Site, one of several sites operated by the Indiana State Museum, includes the first state capitol building, completed in 1816; the remains of “Constitutional Elm,” under which the state’s first constitution was drafted in June 1816; and several other historic homes and buildings. Go to cutt.ly/ISMCorydon for more information.
Corydon and Harrison County feature events year-round. There’s a spring wine walk in April, a “Paddle Fest” on the Blue River in June, a popcorn festival in July, “Glasstoberfest” and a “Real Haunted Happenings” tour in October, a mountain biking event in O’Bannon Woods State Park in November and “A Merry Country Christmas” weekend hayride and lights display in late November through mid-December. Plus, Corydon offers “Extravaganza” craft and vendor fairs three times a year. For more information on these events, go to cutt.ly/HarrisonCounty.
Outdoorsy folks can enjoy trails year-round at O’Bannon Woods State Park. Squire Boone Caverns is also open all year. They offer cave tours, mining for gemstones, mill-grinding and feeding barnyard animals, and ziplining is available March-November. Go to squireboonecaverns.com for more information.
Finally, wine lovers can enjoy a tour of three local wineries: Best Vineyards Winery and Distillery, Indian Creek Winery and Turtle Run Winery. Each offers tastings, tours and free outdoor concerts during the warmer months. See cutt.ly/HarrisonCtyWineries for more information. †
Mass Excursions is a feature highlighting an archdiocesan parish and local attractions, encouraging a trip to the area that includes Mass with the members of that parish.)
