Harvest Dinner set for November 1 – St. Charles has big heart for community
The St. Charles Catholic Church in Milan stands as a symbol of hope and love in the community and beyond. As they prepare for their 20th Harvest Dinner, they are hoping everyone will join them in their endeavor to serve others.
The St. Charles Catholic Church located at 213 W. Ripley Street in Milan, stands in testament to many willing workers in the community it serves.
The church began in homes in 1906 and then was officially established as a mission in 1908 with the current building dedicated on August 8, 1908. It was built on land that was donated by Mr. and Mrs. Newt Peters with most of the work being donated by the 25 parish families at the time. Altars were donated by Mrs. Rudolf of Oldenburg with the stained-glass windows compliments of the Sisters of St. Francis of Oldenburg.
The mission was served by priests from parishes in Osgood and Lawrenceburg until 1948 when St. Charles was officially recognized as a parish by the Archdiocese of Indianapolis. Father Burgert was the first pastor that year when the present rectory home was built. The church continued its path of shining a light with the parish hall built in 1949. That building could accommodate five classrooms and a full-service kitchen and reception hall.
On Saturday, November 1, that kitchen and hall will become the backdrop for a Harvest Dinner – the 20th anniversary for this event. The dinner is the largest fundraiser for the St. Charles Church with around 300 home-made pulled pork dinners to be served from 3-7 p.m. in the parish hall.
A large prize raffle that will include quilts, processed half hogs, cash prizes, basket raffles and more will be held that day. A country store will offer home grown and home-made goodies. Children’s games will be held in the hall classrooms. All proceeds from this event will go toward continuous improvements needed at the facilities.
St. Charles is a vital source filling community needs as they serve by volunteering and supporting many endeavors that enrich those around them. They are active with the Milan Food Pantry, the Safe Haven Baby Box at the Milan EMS building, the Pregnancy Care Center of Southeastern Indiana and the Milan Christmas project. They annually host the St. Charles Right to Life Chain in October at the 4-way stop in Milan.
Parish groups such as the Ladies Society, Welcome Committee, Homebound Ministry and Faith Friends are all ways the people give back to the community in which they are located.
Father Shaun Wittington serves as the sacramental minister of St. Charles while also serving as the Pastor of St. Nicholas parish in Sunman. Mass is celebrated each weekend on Saturday evenings at 5 p.m. and Sunday mornings at 8:30 a.m. Sunday School instruction is provided for children, grades 8-12 after Sunday morning mass at 9:30 a.m. and adult faith formation classes are offered continuously throughout the year.
St. Charles has grown from its original 25 families to now serving over 200 families who celebrate their Catholic faith every weekend and practice the Golden Rule of giving to others through their sacrificial volunteering and commitment to Milan and beyond. Their parish includes people families from Dillsboro, Versailles, Moores Hill and Manchester, reaching out to everyone.
Come join the group on November 1 as they mark 20 years of the Harvest Dinner and over 117 years of being established in Milan.
