Parish History

In 1945, Catholic families in the Zionsville area began celebrating Sunday liturgy in the home of Urban and Mary Weitzel. The Redemptorist priests from St. Joseph Parish in Lebanon, Indiana, had chosen this community, populated with farms and horse ranches, to expand their mission. Thus was the humble beginning of St. Alphonsus Liguori Parish.

In order to accommodate the growing church, Mr. Weitzel, a carpenter by trade, created an external entrance into the family basement. The new entrance gave access to a larger worship space, allowing time to plan for future growth.

In 1962, the present property on West Oak Street was purchased, and a year later, parishioners dedicated the first church building. A vibrant religious education program had already begun, and soon a parish council was formed and ministries such as choir and men’s and ladies’ clubs were established. As the congregation grew, it became evident that a gathering space was needed for fellowship and parish functions, which led to the construction of Weitzel Hall.

Ten years after the property was purchased, Father David Douglas was assigned as the first permanent pastor, and subsequently, a rectory and administrative offices were added to accommodate the needs of a thriving parish. This once small Zionsville church was now 400 families strong!

When Father Douglas was reassigned in 1984, Father Melvin Bennett was appointed pastor. Throughout the next four years, Father Bennet oversaw renovations to the original church and expanded liturgical ministries to include cantors and sacristans.

In 1988, Father Douglas McCormack replaced Father Bennett as pastor, shepherding the parish for nearly 20 years until his retirement. There were several revisions to the parish campus during that time due to continued growth, beginning with the addition of a new rectory in 1996 which allowed the administrative offices to move into the old rectory space.
 
The parish sought to purchase the land behind the church for years, but the landowner refused. However, they owned the land a little farther north, on the other side of the field. So, when a builder bought the land behind the church to put in a housing development, the parish convinced him to switch properties. There were hopes of building a community center with a gym and classrooms, and eventually having a school, but the parish outgrew the old church so quickly, even after the renovations, that they turned the funding towards the new church.  

By 2001, the parish had grown to more than 800 families and plans were drawn up for a brand new church building. Jack Munson was the designer of the expansion of the old church and the design of the new church.  Before it's renovation, the old church building held only 300 people. Parishioner Matt Brown designed the exterior flow of the church with the drives and buildings, and parishioner Al Donato presented the idea of having the main driveway entrance of the church off of Oak Street - earlier renditions had it coming off the Count Road 950 E. Parishioners responded generously, and in 2004 the current church was dedicated with all of the traditional ceremonies and celebration.

Upon Father McCormack’s retirement in 2006, Father Dennis O’Keeffe transferred from Kokomo to become the fourth permanent pastor of St. Alphonsus Liguori Parish. During his tenure, the most recent and all-encompassing renovations have taken place. Weitzel Hall was converted into a meeting/education facility; the old parish office, now known as the All Souls Center, provides additional meeting space; the former education building was transformed into the new parish office, and the original church building is now Our Lady of Perpetual Help Parish Hall, complete with a dance floor and fully-equipped kitchen to accommodate larger gatherings.

In August, 2020, Fr. O'Keeffe was assigned to the Cathedral of St. Mary of the Immaculate Conception and St. Ann Catholic Church in Lafayette. Father Travis Stephens became the fifth pastor to serve St. Alphonsus parishioners. In his time as Pastor, the Day Chapel was transformed to establish a permanent Adoration Chapel in hopes of offering perpetual Adoration.

Fr. Travis started a push for perpetual adoration shortly after he arrived at St. Alphonsus. The Day Chapel, situated to the west of the narthex, stated being used for adoration, and daily Masses moved to the main church. Then, from July 11 to November 1, 2022, the space was renovated and officially became the Adoration Chapel. These renovations relocated the entrance to the side and closed off the Narthex, allowing the Adoration Chapel to remain unlocked while the rest of the church building is secure. New carpeting, paint, and seating were installed, and the previous doors in the back of the chapel, were replaced with a frosted glass wall. 

Along with the physical expansion of the campus, ministries and affiliated service organizations have grown to meet the needs of the church and surrounding community. In addition, a wide variety of opportunities have been made available, ranging from educational development to volunteer activities.

Today, St. Alphonsus Liguori Parish is thriving, with more than 2,000 active families who contribute time, talent, and treasure in ways that strengthen and support the Church’s mission. This parish continues to seek the goals of its patron and Redemptorist founder, St. Alphonsus Liguori - to provide a positive experience of God and lead others to personal and ongoing conversion in a community setting.
 
“Through him the whole structure is held together and grows into a temple sacred in the Lord; in him you also are being built together into a dwelling place of God in the Spirit.”    ~ St. Alphonsus Liguori