Church History
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St. Agnes Parish was Established in 1940 in Nashville, IN
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History of the Catholic Church in Nashville, (Brown County). Indiana, 47448
Established 1940, first chapel was located at 602 N State Rd 135, Nashville, IN 47448In 1876 Peter and Martha Cullen were married and settled on a farm near Needmore, the only Catholic family in Brown County. Their daughter Mary Catherine Robertson attended St. Agnes Church from its beginning as did her granddaughter Mary Ann Walker.
In the decade of the 1930's before St. Agnes Church was built the Catholics living near Nashville included the artist V. J. Cariani. Some Brown County Catholics attended Sunday Mass by Father Francis Kull from St. Martin of Tours; the Mass was held in a store front in Morgantown.
Joseph and Agnes Marie Nurre of Bloomington had prospered through their plate glass business and in 1937 they proposed to Bishop Ritter that they build a chapel in thanksgiving for their good fortune and for their children. Bishop Ritter asked them to contribute to the establishment of a church in Nashville. The log church in Nashville was dedicated in 1940 and named for St. Agnes, the patron saint of Mrs. Nurre.
A two story annex was constructed behind the church for classroom and office spaces in 1972 under the direction of Fr. Cliff Vogelsang. A third floor was added to the annex in 1980 to provide more worship space under the direction of Fr. Mark Svarczkopf. It joined with the original church so that services in the new chapel could be heard and observed from there. Sister Marsha Speth, SP, became Pastoral Associate in 1979, the first to be assigned to St. Agnes.
An amphitheatre for outdoor Mass was built on the slope behind the church with a Grotto and a Marian Shrine in 1982. In 1985 a Saturday evening Mass was established at the Brown County State Park, held from the last weekend in May to the last weekend in October. Fr. Paul Koetter was appointed pastor that year, the first to be assigned to St. Agnes. Sister Speth was replaced by Sister Mildred Wannemuehler in 1986.
Planning for a new church began in 1992 under the direction of Fr. Paul and Sr. Mildred in response to a need for more worship space and more parking space. Fr. Paul was replaced as Pastor in 1997 by Fr. Bill Stumpf.
A twenty acre property half a mile west of the center of Nashville was purchased in 2001 as the site for a new church. The original church was sold to the Presbyterian Fellowship in 2002 and ground was broken for the new church. St. Agnes members shared the old church with the Presbyterians during the building of the new church. The first Mass in the new church was celebrated on November 15; the church was dedicated a week later. In 2005 Sister Mildred retired and was replaced by Sister Eileen Flavin, CSC. In 2007 Fr. Bill was replaced by Fr. Eric Johnson.
(Submitted by Dr. Keith Bradway) -
St Agnes Feast Day is January 21st
On Jan. 21, the Roman Catholic Church honors the virgin and martyr St. Agnes, who suffered death for her consecration to Christ.
Although the details of Agnes' life are mostly unknown, the story of her martyrdom has been passed on with reverence since the fourth century. On the feast day of the young martyr – whose name means “lamb” in Latin – the Pope traditionally blesses lambs, whose wool will be used to make the white pallium worn by archbishops.
Fr. Eric Johnson 2019 Mass
Born into a wealthy family during the last decade of the third century, Agnes lived in Rome during the last major persecution of the early Church under the Emperor Diocletian. Though he was lenient toward believers for much of his rule, Diocletian changed course in 302, resolving to wipe out the Church in the empire.
Agnes came of age as the Church was beginning to suffer under a set of new laws decreed by Diocletian, and his co-ruler Galerius, in 303. The emperor and his subordinate called for churches to be destroyed and their books burned. Subsequent orders led to the imprisonment and torture of clergy and laypersons, for the sake of compelling them to worship the emperor instead of Christ.
Meanwhile, Agnes had become a young woman of great beauty and charm, drawing the attention of suitors from the first ranks of the Roman aristocracy. But in keeping with the words of Christ and Saint Paul, she had already decided on a life of celibacy for the sake of God's kingdom. To all interested men, she explained that she had already promised herself to a heavenly and unseen spouse.
These suitors both understood Agnes' meaning, and resented her resolution. Some of the men, possibly looking to change her mind, reported her to the state as a believer in Christ. Agnes was brought before a judge who tried first to persuade her, and then to threaten her, into renouncing her choice not to marry for the Lord's sake.
When the judge showed her the various punishments he could inflict – including fire, iron hooks, or the rack that destroyed the limbs by stretching – Agnes smiled and indicated she would suffer them willingly. But she was brought before a pagan altar instead and asked to make an act of worship in accordance with the Roman state religion.
When Agnes refused, the judge ordered that she should be sent to a house of prostitution, where the virginity she had offered to God would be violated. Agnes predicted that God would not allow this to occur, and her statement proved true. Legends say that the first man to approach her in the brothel was struck blind by a sudden flash of light, and others opted not to repeat his mistake.
But one of the men who had at first sought to make Agnes his own, now lobbied the judge for her execution. In this respect, the suitor obtained his desire, when the public official sentenced her to die by beheading. The executioner gave her one last chance to spare her life, by renouncing her consecration to Christ – but Agnes refused, made a short prayer, and courageously submitted to death.
St. Agnes, who died in 304, was venerated as a holy martyr from the fourth century onward. She is mentioned in the Latin Church's most traditional Eucharistic prayer, the Roman Canon.
Source: https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/saint/st-agnes-123
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We Celebrated 80 Years on October 11, 2020!
Litany for a Parish Anniversary Celebration
For the Church universal, of which these buildings are a visible symbol,
We thank you, Lord.
For your presence whenever two or three have gathered in your name,
We thank you, Lord.
For this place where we may be still and know that you are God,
We thank you, Lord.
For the fulfilling of our desires and petitions as you see best for us,
We thank you, Lord.
For our past and a vision of the future that lies ahead,
We thank you, Lord.
For the gift of the Holy Spirit and new life in baptism,
We thank you, Lord.
For the pardon of our sins when we have fallen short of your glory,
We thank you, Lord.
For the holy Eucharist in which we have a foretaste of your eternal kingdom,
We thank you, Lord.
For the blessing of our vows and the crowning of our years with your goodness,
We thank you, Lord.
For the faith of those who have gone before us and for our encouragement by their perseverance,
We thank you, Lord.
For all the benefactors, especially of this place and for those that have died in the peace of Christ and are at rest especially Sister Mildred Wannemuehler,
We thank you, Lord.
For the fellowship of all your saints, and especially for St. Agnes, our patron,
We thank you, Lord.
O God, from living and chosen stones you prepare an everlasting dwelling place for your majesty. Grant that in the power of the Holy Spirit those who serve you here may always be kept within your presence. This we pray through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and ever. Amen.
St. Agnes Parish Dedicated 1940, we celebrate 80 years on October 11, 2020. Picture by Patty Lindley.