Mass Excursions
Parish motto beckons: ‘Come to Nativity, where it’s always Christmas’
By Natalie Hoefer
When the archdiocese purchased a farm in the southeast corner of Indianapolis in 1947 to develop a parish, it was decided the livestock barn would be converted for use as the church.
Christ would become present at Mass where animals used to shelter. What better name for the parish than Nativity of Our Lord Jesus Christ, an homage to the Savior’s birth in a Bethlehem stable.
A fire destroyed the structure in November 1965. Masses were celebrated in the cafeteria of the parish school—built in 1955—until a new, round church was completed in May 1969.
Since the structure’s 2019 renovation and expansion, parish pastor Father Eric Augenstein says he likes to point out the three 14-pointed stars in the church. “They are there to call to mind the three sets of
14 generations in the genealogy of Jesus from Matthew’s Gospel,” he says.
“Also, if you visit the [cave] in Bethlehem where Jesus was born, at the place of his birth there’s a 14-pointed star on the ground. And there are 14 steps to go down into the cave and 14 to come out.
“It’s a little bit of symbolism that connects us to the Nativity story.”
The church also includes stained-glass windows with angels recalling the angelic choir proclaiming Christ’s birth.
“And we have a painting of the Madonna and Child in our gathering space done by Father Donald Walpole, a monk from Saint Meinrad [Archabbey in St. Meinrad],” Father Augenstein notes. The late Benedictine priest’s obituary calls him a “master artist” with works found “from South Bend to the Bahamas.”
More young families ‘and lots of baptisms’
About 60 families comprised the parish’s original congregation.
But Franklin Township, which makes up the majority of the Indianapolis South Deanery faith community, has grown exponentially in the last 78 years. U.S. census records show the township exploded by 70% between 2000 and 2010 alone.
Nativity has likewise grown. Father Augenstein calls the faith community—now numbering more than 1,000 families—“young and diverse.”
“We have a good number of older parishioners, including a handful who’ve been here more or less since the beginning,” he says.
“But as Franklin Township has grown in population and housing communities, we’ve got a lot of young families and a growing diversity also,” Father Augenstein adds, including Latinos, Nigerians and more.
The increasing number of young families has led to “lots and lots of baptisms,” he says with a smile. It has also led to more family outreach.
For instance, several times a year the parish offers eucharistic adoration designed for families with small children.
“We expect the kids to be a little squirrelly, and that’s OK,” Father Augenstein remarks with a grin. “There is time for families to adore together, and then we have time for activities that bring the kids out of the church so parents have time on their own to pray with the Eucharist.”
Nativity also has “family days” during Advent and Lent, offering family-based catechetical formation and prayer experiences.
“The school, of course, is our biggest ministry,” Father Augenstein says. The pre-K through eighth-grade
school has grown through the years in number of students, grades and physical size.
And thanks to Indiana’s school voucher program, the more than 380 students enrolled include “a rising number of non-Catholic kids, increasing our impact on the community,” he adds.
From charitable ministries to concert series
As the population of Franklin Township has grown, so has its needs.
Nativity’s Society of St. Vincent de Paul (SVdP) conference offers assistance to those in need in the parish’s boundaries, as well as financial assistance to another SVdP parish conference with high needs but fewer resources.
Nativity also supports God’s Bounty Food Pantry in nearby Wanamaker.
“It’s an ecumenical collaboration of seven local churches, and it’s the only food pantry in Franklin Township,” Father Augenstein explains. “We’re the largest of the participating churches in terms of funds that we give, volunteers and support.”
The parish also offers a unique community outreach—three free, public concerts a year during the spring, fall and Advent.
The concerts, held in the church, started about five years ago when a member of the Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra (ISO) approached the parish’s music director “and said, ‘We’re looking for a place where a small group of us could come and play. Would you be open to that?’ And that’s how it started,” Father Augenstein recalls.
The music is “sometimes religious-based, sometimes it’s classical-based, sometimes something a little bit different or in between,” he says.
“And the quality we’re able to get—we have some really good connections in the local arts scene.”
Talent has included ISO members, a string quartet, the archdiocese’s schola cantorum Vox Sacra, local high school choirs and more. Members of the Indianapolis Symphonic Choir will perform in the church on April 19.
Those not so interested in concerts might prefer Augustravaganza, Nativity’s largest annual fundraiser. The two-day event usually takes place on the second weekend of August.
“It’s your typical parish festival—rides, games, music, food,” says Father Augenstein. “It’s really a community festival.”
As a nod to the area’s young families, the last few festivals have included a “baby crawl” race, with the winner receiving a onesie.
Tours of the church are also offered during the festival. They provide an opportunity for Father Augenstein and other tour guides to point out the 14-pointed stars.
The parish welcomes visitors anytime, he adds.
“At Nativity, we like to say, ‘Come to Nativity, where it’s always Christmas,’ ” he proclaims. “We always welcome those who, like the shepherds and the magi, want to come visit Christ.”
(For more information about Nativity of Our Lord Jesus Christ Parish in Indianapolis, go to nativityindy.org or call 317-357-1200. Mass Excursions is a periodic feature highlighting archdiocesan parishes. View past features at www.archindy.org/excursions.) †
