St John The Baptist & St Joseph Catholic Churches

09/07/2026

6 days to go!
You're gonna love this year's overall theme: the Sacraments, a beautiful journey through the signs of God's love in our lives. Whether you're joining us for the first time or you've been with us before, there's a place for your whole family. Need info? Contact Lucy or Shelly

09/06/2026

The Countdown begins!
7 days until Family Catechesis kicks off for the new school year! 🎉
We cannot wait to welcome our St. John the Baptist and St. Joseph families back together as one faith family. Mark your calendars: Sunday, September 13!
Watch here for more information!
Need info? Contact Lucy or Shelly

09/06/2026

Pastoral Letter & Presentations

Integral Ecology, A Sacramental Vision is a pastoral letter from the Catholic Bishops of Indiana, released on Holy Thursday, 2 April 2026, addressed to “brothers and sisters in Christ and all people of good will in the state of Indiana."

Please join us in welcoming Fr. John Kiefer, who will be offering two presentations on this pastoral letter. All are welcome to join us.

Wednesday, September 9 at 6:30PM, St. John the Baptist’s South Hall
Thursday, September 17 at 6:30PM, St. Joseph’s Center Library

Bishop Doherty will also be offering a presentation on Integral Ecology, A Sacramental Vision, on October 27 at the Cathedral of St. Mary of the Immaculate Conception (Lafayette, IN).

“The concept of integral ecology helps us see more clearly how human life and the natural world are deeply interconnected. Here in Indiana, we delight in the beauty of creation—from our Great Lake and winding rivers to forests, prairies, wetlands, and farmland. As people at home in this land and pilgrims journeying toward our true home in heaven, we are called to receive creation as a gift and to care for it with gratitude and hope.” ~ Archbishop Thompson, Archdiocese of Indianapolis

Read the Letter, a summary of the letter, or order copies by visiting: https://www.indianacc.org/ecology

09/01/2026

A retreat is for people who want to dig deeper into the psalms--they're more than a song or a response; they are scripture. Psalms are the heart of the Liturgy of the Hours and knowing more about them helps to form people both liturgically and biblically.
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Father David Huemmer has built the retreat around these four questions: What are the psalms?, How are they organized?, How to pray the psalms? And How they are arranged in the Liturgy of the Hours? He will reference two books “Praying the Psalms in the voice of Christ” by Frank J. Matera and “Psalm Basics for Catholics” by John Bergsma. This retreat begins with Morning Prayer and ends with Daytime Prayer. In between, guests will enjoy conferences, Mass, a Keltie & Co. Catering lunch and time for personal reflection. The Carpenter’s Shop will be open throughout the retreat.
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Follow this link to register before September 25th Psalms Day of Reflection, $35 - St. Joseph Retreat & Conference Center - Tipton, IN

08/30/2026

Ongoing Faith Formation

I’m excited to share about some of the changes we're making to formation this year. And I would like to invite everyone to consider joining us for these and other opportunities to learn more about our faith as we strive to grow in our faith.
First, as many of you are aware, Family Catechesis was introduced to the community at St. John the Baptist in Tipton last year. This year we will be introducing Family Catechesis to the community at St. Joseph in Elwood, building upon the lessons learned last year, with the goal of affording the parents and guardians of our youth at both parishes with opportunities to grow in their understanding of the faith –to support them as the first educators of their children in the way of faith – as the Church envisions.

Lucy Neal, our Director of Evangelization, recently met with our volunteer catechists in Elwood to introduce the overarching reasons why along with a general outline of the schedule for this coming year. More details will follow,but I am excited about this opportunity to build upon the success we’ve seen in Tipton while also increasing our collaboration between our two parishes!

Another change you may have heard about is the change to OCIA (Order of Christian Initiation for Adults). Whereas these sessions have typically been held on Thursday evenings in Elwood, this year we’ll be hosting OCIA on Wednesday evenings in Tipton. The long-term plan is to switch back to sessions on Thursdays in Elwood next year, as we follow the alternating pattern of liturgical celebrations between our two parishes (I.e., when theEasterVigil is celebrated in Elwood, the sessions for the individuals preparing for the Easter Sacraments will be in Elwood, and vice versa).

We’ll also begin utilizing a series of catechetical materials called SYMBOLON as the backbone of our OCIA program. The SYMBOLON series will also afford our parishioners another opportunity for Adult Formation each week, as the topics will be publicized, and anyone is welcome to join us for these sessions. My hope is that this will enrich the broader community while also helping us to build community –between those preparing to become Catholic and those already initiated in the faith!

Verso l’alto,
Fr. Adam Mauman
Pastor

08/28/2026

Free. No strings attached. Just come and see.
📓 Bring a journal. 🗓️ Register by Sept 2.
👉 https://www.dol-in.org/poorclares

Ever wondered what it's actually like behind monastery walls?

The Poor Clare Sisters are opening their doors to young women (17–30) for a full day of prayer, conversation, and quiet including, Mass, meals, the Divine Office, talks on vocation and religious life, Q&A, and Vespers to end the day.

Free. No strings attached. Just come and see.

📓 Bring a journal. 🗓️ Register by Sept 2.
👉 https://www.dol-in.org/poorclares

08/28/2026

A twist on our monthly Get Away for a Day, the Silent Day Away is a great introduction to a Silent Retreat. Come to our campus for a self-guided day of silence. This unstructured retreat will allow you to fill your day with spiritual exercises that draw you closer to God. Enjoy the beautiful and peaceful grounds, visit the shrines, read in one of our cozy gathering spaces, make the Way of the Cross and spend time in prayer in the St. Joseph Chapel. This unstructured retreat features Mass, Adoration, and a Keltie & Co. Catering Lunch.
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Follow this link to register before September 11th September Silent Day Away, $25 - St. Joseph Retreat & Conference Center - Tipton, IN

08/24/2026

Tired of all the demands tugging at you? Do you feel like you could use some space to just get away? Come to our campus for a peaceful day of prayer. Enjoy the beautiful grounds, visit the shrines, read in one of our cozy gathering spaces, make the Way of the Cross, spend time in prayer in the St. Joseph Chapel. This unstructured retreat features Mass, Adoration, and a Keltie & Co. Catering Lunch.
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Follow this link to register before September 4th September 8th Get Away for a Day, $25 - St. Joseph Retreat & Conference Center - Tipton, IN

08/23/2026

PRAY FOR YOUR PARISH PRIEST
Seven Women One Priest One Holy Hour

Seven Sisters Apostolate is a call to strengthen the Church by ensuring
that a Holy Hour is prayed each day of the week for the sole intention
of a specific priest – a “holy wasting” (cf. Mt. 26:10)
or lavishing of prayer for his deeper conformity to Christ.

“So you could not watch with me for one hour? (Mt 26:40)
Will you offer Fr. Mauman
one holy hour, one day per week
solely for his intentions?

Please contact:
Michele Matson,
Seven Sisters Coordinator
Diocese of Lafayette-in-Indiana for more information.
317-435-2537 or [email protected]

08/22/2026