History of St. Barnabas
The following was shared by Father Showreddy Thirumalareddy at St. Barnabas' 60th Anniversary Celebratory Mass
“Someone said we have the nicest people at St. Barnabas” I am very happy to hear these words. I appreciate all of you; the good work you do for St. Barnabas. I stand before you to read a short history of St. Barnabas Parish and it is good to remember our former priests and faithful who left this legacy for us.
In the year 1965, St. Mark, St. Jude and Our Lady of the Greenwood parishes’ churches were overcrowded. There was a need for a new parish to accommodate this expanding population of southside Catholics. In response to this need, the Archdiocese established St. Barnabas Parish. The parish would sit on an 11-acre site in Hill Valley, four blocks west of South Meridian.
On March 7, 1965, a groundbreaking was held to mark the beginning of construction of the new church, including an 8-classroom school and priests’ residence. Father John Sciarra was the founding pastor, assisted by Father John Rocap.
In August of 1965, Father Sciarra offered the first Mass in the new church.
St. Barnabas was the 44th Catholic Parish in Marion County. There were 347 charter member families. 327 children in grades 1st through 8th were enrolled in the school. The school was staffed by 4 Benedictine Sisters and 6 lay teachers. By the following year, school enrollment increased and two temporary classrooms were constructed in the school basement.
In 1967, an eight room addition was added to the school to accommodate this increased enrollment.
By 1972, the charter enrollment doubled and by 1979, it had tripled. St. Barnabas had grown strong and diverse in its interests and programs. A systematic structure was needed for channeling and coordinating all of the activities of the parish. Thus, a parish council was established.
As Father Sciarra continued to lead the faith journey of St. Barnabas, Fr. Jim Farrell who is preaching to us in the mass this evening, made his first appearance as an Associate Pastor in 1977. From the earliest conception of our parish, Father Sciarra developed the vision of this being a stewardship parish, sharing the abundant blessings of this community.
Thoughts and plans turned to a newer and larger church facility as the parish continued to grow. For Sunday Masses, all of the parishioners would not fit. People had to sit on steps and up and down aisles. Because of the overcrowding, a new church was planned to be built.
In October of 1984, our generous Parish community responded to the campaign to raise funding for the new worship facility. Eighty percent of the total cost ($1,270,000) was realized. As St. Barnabas celebrated its 20th anniversary, new church ground-breaking ceremonies were held on April 14, 1985, and the church was dedicated on March 15, 1986. The new church could seat 750 people.
In July of 1989, Fr. Sciarra retired and Fr. Joseph McNally, fondly known as Father Mac, was appointed as pastor.
Our parish campus continued to expand. By the spring of 1997, 8 additional classrooms on 2 floors were added, a hallway was added to connect the church and the school, the old church was renovated into school and parish offices, above- an upper room was created. Additionally, the Sciarra Center was built which included McNally Hall, the concession/kitchen area, the gym and the atrium.
The year 2010 marked the completion of a renovation of the church sanctuary and the addition of the narthex. Now there was ample room for welcoming and transitioning into the church sanctuary. The statue of the Risen Christ was moved to the Narthex and a new Crucifix, hand-made in Italy, was placed above the altar.
The bulkhead above the altar was removed to provide additional natural light. Additional lighting and a new sound system were also added. A new baptismal font was constructed at the entrance to the church.
Beyond the changes to our worship area, school, campus and leadership over the years, our parish family has also transformed. In 2016, Paul Hnin and other Hakha Chin leaders, came seeking a parish home for the community to grow in their Catholic faith. They found St. Barnabas to be a welcoming community! In December 2018, Fr. Eustace was assigned here to shepherd the growing Catholic community.
St. Barnabas has now expanded to over 1300 parish families, approximately 3400 parishioners, and over 400 students are enrolled in our school.
We have been blessed that numerous religious vocations have come from St. Barnabas. Those 15 individuals are: Monsignor William Stumpf, who is the son of this parish, the main celebrant of this Mass, Brother Jeffrey Haller, Reverend Adrian Burke, Reverend Stephen Kempinger, Reverend Eric Johnson, Reverend Joseph Feltz, Reverend Jonathan Meyer, Reverend Timothy Wyciskalla, Sister Becky Mathauer, Deacon Russ Woodard, Reverend Thomas Stumph, Reverend Albert Stumph, Deacon Pat Bower, Deacon Jerry Matthews, Deacon Tom Hosty, and Reverend Liam Hosty the new priest. We have Lucas LaRosa in the seminary and we have two seminarians Duo Za Thang and Bosco joined in the seminary this year from the Chin Community. I am happy that St. Barnabas is blessed with vocations.
We continue our stewardship tradition, built on the four pillars of Hospitality, Prayer, Formation and Service.
Our parish is vibrant with 55 ministries, outreach to God’s people outside of our parish walls, church community events, an adoration chapel, adorers all the time, and continued opportunities to grow in faith formation, to receive the sacraments and all of it centered on the Eucharist.
With heartfelt gratitude, we thank our priests, deacons, religious, laymen, and laywomen who, through their faith, dedication, and service, have helped our parish grow and thrive over the past 60 years. Your commitment has built not only a church but a vibrant parish community of faith, hope, and love.
As we celebrate this milestone, our mission continues- that we “Go, therefore, and make disciples” carrying forward the mission of Christ so that our church may flourish for many years to come.
May God continue to Bless our parish, St. Barnabas.
