St. Louis Catholic Church

Rev. John Paul Gillig was appointed the first pastor in 1868 while serving as resident pastor at St. Mary's Church, Greensburg, where he had been appointed pastor in 1867.

This intrepid missionary, according to information gleaned from "A CENTURY OF CATHOLICITY IN MILLHOUSEN, INDIANA," was born in Gilzen, parish Eisenach, in the diocese of Trier, Rhineland, Germany, on March 1, 1832. He made his classical studies in Trier and Paderborn. With his mother and two brothers he emigrated to America and arrived at Vincennes, Indiana, August 5, 1854. Here in the episcopal city he made his seminary course of studies and was ordained on the feast of the Immaculate Conception, A.D. 1859. His first assignment was St Mary of the Rocks where he built the church and enlarged the log church of St. Philomena at Wolf Creek.

The founding date of St. Louis parish is reckoned from the date Fr. Gillig was appointed pastor, which was probably some time late in the year 1868. He passed to his eternal reward on April 25, 1908 at St. Edward's Hospital, New Albany, Indiana, and lies buried in Millhousen, Indiana.

Even before Fr. Gillig took over the reins of the fledgling parish, there was agitation for a church right here in town. The three miles to "the Village of the Spires" or to Morris was never convenient, and in bad weather was at times impossible, even though some of, the parishioners could use the "Brookville-Napoleon" post road.

For all too many, it meant walking that distance or even farther on Sundays when there was no Mass in Batesville. Farmers, and some of the townspeople, did have horses and a buckboard wagon or perhaps, if more affluent, a carriage. Still, the town was building up and needed a church. It was also a matter of pride. A drive was started for funds to build a worthy edifice. The oldest document in the parish achives is a promissory note dated July 19, 1867