St. Michael and All Angels Episcopal Church, South Bend
Much work had to be done to make the former residence into a church. Openings between the living and dining rooms and the center hall were made larger. Parishioners partitioned the sun room and draped it in order to turn it into a sacristy. Varian took up residence on the second floor with a living room, kitchenette, bedroom and bath.The remodeling cost $2,500.
Response to the new mission proved strong from the beginning. When Varian conducted the first service on 28 October 1956, fourteen attended at 7:30 and 176 at 9 A.M. Many parishioners donated items for the church, such as candlesticks, vases, a missal stand, a chalice, paten, and a paschal candle. The church house quickly exceeded its capacity, and the Cathedral made plans in 1957 to build a church while at the same time granting St. Michael parish status. Varian was forced out as priest in 1958 for sexual misconduct and defrocked the following year by Bishop Mallett.
On 29 September 1959, under the leadership of the Rev. Dwight Filkins, church leaders completed and dedicated a modern, rectangular-shaped building at 2117 East Jefferson Boulevard under a design by Charles Palmer of the architectural firm of Andrew Toth. Many parishioners contributed or manufactured items for the new building. A crucifix hung over the altar was carved by the Italian artist Aldo Tambolini, then on the staff of the University of Notre Dame. The parish purchased a rectory for Fr. Filkins at 609 Preston Drive. Several rectors followed Filkins, including Charles Dibble, George V. Johnson, and Hugh C. Edsall. During this time the vestry negotiated plans to build a rectory, and in 1964 it agreed to pay Glenn Nunemaker, a parishioner, $20,800 to construct it. Edsall, who arrived in 1963, was a popular priest but resigned from the parish abruptly in 1969 when he divorced his first wife and married a parishioner.
During the 1960s, the women of the parish organized two guilds. St. Anne's Guild managed the parish gift shop, while St. Martha's provided camp and conference scholarships and raised funds for the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation in South Dakota. In 1966, the parish established the Seminarian Assistance Fund. The vestry deposited $10 into the fund each month for use by a future seminarian. The Episcopal Young Churchmen (EYC) also established a chapter in the parish and undertook social projects.
During the 1980s and 1990s, the parish experienced considerable growth under the leadership of the Rev. Dabney Smith. The parish attracted as members a number of faculty on the staff of the University of Notre Dame. In 1997, a new edifice was built at 53720 Ironwood, south of Cleveland Road. The contemporary-styled church was designed by the South Bend architectural firm of Mathews-Purucker-Anella and featured a high-vaulted ceiling with extensive windows and seating for 325. Perhaps its most striking feature was its baptismal font of grey slate, deep enough for full immersion for infants and a wading pool for adults. The font reflected evolving views about how baptisms should be performed at this time and the sacramental value of full immersion. Bishop Gray consecrated the building on 14 September 1997 and baptized his grandson at the service. The new church also featured a 16th-century stained glass window from a country church in France, which was placed near the font. A second phase of construction brought more classroom and kitchen space to what was arguably the most contemporary-designed church edifice in the diocese.
Beginning in 2009, the parish was ably served by the Rev. Matthew Cowden, who was elected Bishop Cadjutor of the Diocese of West Virginia in 2021. The congregation sponsors a free lunch program and partners with the Food Bank of Northern Indiana to provide food to the needy.
Clergy:
Horace Lytton Varian, 1956-1958
Dwight A. Filkins, 1958-1961
George V. Johnson, 1962-1963
Hugh Crichton Edsall, 1963-1969
Paul Edward Leatherbury, 1969-1986
Dabney Smith, 1989-1998
M. Randall Melton, 1999-2008
Matthew D. Cowden, 2009-2021
Mark Van Wassenhove (interim), 2022-2024
Jennifer Fulton, 2024-
This page references:
- St. Michael and All Angels rectory, South Bend, 1956, front
- St. Michael and All Angels parish, formerly Bishop Mallett house, South Bend, 1958
- St. Michael and All Angels, South Bend, altar from side view, 1980s
- St. Michael and All Angels, South Bend, parishioners and Bishop Little, 1 Apr. 2012
- St. Michael and All Angels rectory, South Bend, 1956, rear
- Bishop Walter Klein at St. Michael and All Angels, South Bend, 1967, with the Rev. Hugh Edsall and unidentified confirmand
- Rev. Hugh Edsall of St. Michael and All Angels, South Bend, and Holy Family, Angola
- St. Michael and All Angels, South Bend, chancel, 21 Jun 2015
- St. Michael and All Angels, South Bend, altar, 1980s
- Rev. Paul Leatherbury, St. Michael and All Angels, South Bend
- St. Michael and All Angels, South Bend, congregation, 4 March 2019
- St. Michael and All Angels, South Bend, baptism service, 9 Mar 2019
- St. Michael and All Angels, South Bend, font, 21 Jun 2015
- Rev. Paul Leatherbury and other delegates, St. Michael and All Angels, South Bend
- St. Michael and All Angels, South Bend window 16 April 2019
- St. Michael and All Angels, South Bend, exterior 1966
- Rev. Paul Leatherbury and Rev. William Hibbert in Procession
- St. Michael and All Angels, South Bend, altar, 16 April 2019
- St. Michael and All Angels, South Bend, Ross Yoder, Sue Glover, Matthew Cowden, Bishop Little, 26 Jun 2012
- St. Michael and All Angels, South Bend, interior 1966
- St. Michael and All Angels Episcopal Church, South Bend, painting
- St. Michael and All Angels, South Bend, exterior, 16 April 2019
- St. Michael and All Angels, South Bend, Pentecost 19 May 2013
- St. Michael and All Angels, South Bend, exterior sign, 1980s
- St. Michael and All Angels, South Bend exterior
- St. Michael and All Angels, South Bend, Easter vigil. 21 Apr 2019
- St. Michael and All Angels, South Bend, confirmands, Matthew Cowden, Bishop Little, 29 Jun 2014
- St. Michael and All Angels, South Bend, exterior, 1980s
- St. Michael and All Angels, South Bend, Rev. Michael Cowden
- St. Michael and All Angels, South Bend, baptism 21 Apr 2019, Easter vigil
- St. Michael and All Angels, South Bend, Rev. Susan Tiffany and Bishop Little, 26 Sep 2014
- St. Michael and All Angels, South Bend, exterior close up, 1980s
- Major Horace L. Varian of the 100th Bomb Group, later priest in South Bend and Huntington
- St. Michael and All Angels, South Bend, visitation, 4 March 2009, with Bishop Sparks
- St. Michael and All Angels, South Bend, Easter vigil service, 21 Apr 2019, joint service with three congregations
- St. Michael and All Angels, South Bend, exterior, 1 Feb. 2015
- St. Michael and All Angels, South Bend, interior, 1980s
- Rev. Paul Leatherbury, St. Michael and All Angels, South Bend
- St. Michael and All Angels, South Bend, visitation with Bishop Sparks and Michael Cowden, 4 Mar 2019
- St. Michael and All Angels, South Bend, Easter vigil service, 21 Apr 2019, 2
- St. Michael and All Angels, South Bend, Bishop Little, Matthew Cowden, Rev. Susan Tiffany, Cindy VanParys, 21 Jun 2015