St. Boniface Parish

Archdiocese of Indianapolis   #76

Fulda, Indiana

In the mid-1800s, a Croatian missionary priest, Father Joseph Kundek, had a dream: he wanted to build a Catholic church every 10 miles in southern Indiana. This was the distance a horse and rider could easily travel in one day. Between Ferdinand and Troy, Indiana, he searched for an area to build a new parish foundation. On September 26, 1846, his dream began to come true when he purchased eight lots of property for one dollar from Milton and Jane Jackson. The land was located in the community of Fulda, Indiana, which was named after a city in Germany.
 
Taking inspiration from the town’s name, Father Kundek placed the new parish under the patronage of St. Boniface, the patron saint of Germany, the first archbishop of Mainz, and popularly known as the “Apostle of the Germans.” St. Boniface was a missionary who brought the Christian faith to the Frankish Empire (modern-day Germany) during the eighth century. He and 52 other missionaries were martyred in 755, and their remains now rest at Fulda Cathedral in Germany, a pilgrimage site that is still popular today.
 
The parish of St. Boniface was established in 1845. Two years later, on June 5, the feast of St. Boniface, Father Kundek celebrated the first Mass at the home of Casper Hurm in the town of Fulda, Indiana. The first church, a log structure, served as the central worship place for the parish until the construction of the historic second church building in 1861 (which was halted due to the Civil War, but construction resumed again in 1865), which is still standing and used for liturgical worship today.
 
The church was finished in 1865 and dedicated one year later. The present altars and paintings were installed in 1877. In 1898, the pipe organ, which has 535 pipes, was added. On May 23, 1916, Bishop Joseph Chartrand of the (then) Diocese of Indianapolis consecrated the church building.
 
In 1980, the parish church was included on the list of the National Register of Historical Places, becoming one of the first three Catholic churches in Indiana to be included. It earned this recognition because of its “architectural/engineering significance.” It is one of seven sites in Spencer County listed, and it is the only church in Spencer County on this list. This beautiful, sacred space illustrates the love, sacrifice, and steady presence of generations of parishioners who have come to know Fulda as home.
 
As with any Catholic community, St. Boniface Parish has undergone changes to accommodate growth and changing conditions. Over the years, much has been done to preserve the integrity of the church. In 1905, the interior walls and ceilings were painted to cover the plastering from 1869. Also in 1905, the ornamental stenciling was added to the church. As early at 1975, painters began to restore the interior of the church with the original ornamental stencil pattern.
 
In 1994, a new copper roof and cupolas were added. The interior saw the addition of an air conditioning system in 1996, a 1997 major restoration that included the intricate stencil detailing, and the installation of new stone tile flooring in 2001. In 2001, the parish pews were repaired and refinished. In 2004, the steeple was reinforced.
 
In 2011, the mural of St. Boniface was lit, and the tabernacle and candlesticks for the altar and Paschal candle were restored. In 2013, a major infrastructure update was completed; this included insulating the church ceilings, installing an upgraded HVAC system, and tuck-pointing certain parts of the church exterior. In 2014, a complete restoration of stained glass windows began and, on April 25, 2016, the last window was installed.
 
On June 5, 2015, the parish celebrated the 150^th anniversary of the historic church building. There was a two-day celebration, including a Vigil Mass for the descendants of the first families of the parish, current parishioners, and friends of the historic church building; tours of the cemetery and church; a reunion of grade school alumni, 5K run; heritage display room; food; live entertainment; games and rides for children; and a beer garden with traditional German cuisine.
 
On October 10, 2015, Indianapolis Archbishop Joseph Tobin, CSsR, celebrated Mass for the parish, followed by the parish-wide breakfast, where the establishment of the Endowment for the Perpetual Care and Long-Term Preservation of the Historic Church Building was announced.
 
These events testify to the vitality of our parish community, which includes over 170 families. May the parish family of St. Boniface continue to aspire to the hopes and dreams Father Kundek had in the 1840s by faithfully proclaiming the Gospel of Christ, celebrating the sacraments, and exercising the ministry of charity.
 
For many decades, the parish also had a grade school administered by the Benedictine Sisters of the Monastery Immaculate Conception in Ferdinand, Indiana, until its closing in December 1975.