Staff
Rev. Fr. Biju Thomas, Administrator
Fr. Biju Thomas is originally from India. He was ordained on May 3rd 2000 and came to the US in 2014 where he was assigned Associate pastor of St. Marys of Huntingburg. Then he was Associate Pastor at Sts. Peter & Paul in Haubstadt. In 2017 He was assigned as administrator of two parishes namely St. Peter, Linton and Holy Name, Bloomfield. He was assigned to St. Marys of Huntingburg in June of 2020 as Administrator. He prefers to be called Father Biju.
Rev. Fr. Homero Rodriguez
Fr. Homero is a native of central Mexico. He emigrated to the U.S. while in High School and joined the Missionaries of the Sacred Heart in Chicago. As a missionary, he studied Philosophy and Theology in San Antonio, Texas. He was ordained to the priesthood in 2016 in Evansville, IN, and his current assignment is part time at St. Mary in Huntingburg, and part time at St. Joseph in Jasper.
Clare Neukam, Parish Catechetical Leader
Office: (812) 683.2372 | Fax: (812) 683.2747
Clare is a graduate of Northeast Dubois High School where she was a member of St. Isidore the Farmer Catholic Parish until this year. After high school, she attended Thomas Aquinas College in Santa Paula, California where she earned her bachelor’s degree in Philosophy and Theology. After graduating in May 2023, she quickly returned back home to marry Bryce Neukam, also hailing from the small town of Dubois. The couple moved to Huntingburg in March of 2024 and have fallen in love with the community and the parish.
In their free time they enjoy biking, hiking, watching boxing movies, and spending time with family. Clare is currently pursuing her master’s degree in Catholic Education from the Augustine Institute.
Sr. Mary Louise Uebelhor, O.S.B., Music Minister
Office: (812) 683.2372
Sr. Mary Louise joined our St. Mary's staff on April 1, 2011. Sister has served as a music minister and general music teacher for 47 years in various parishes throughout our dioceses and the motherhouse at Ferdinand. The Benedictine sisters and priests at her "home parish," St Mary's and Stork Memorial Hospital played a key role in her becoming a Ferdinand Benedictine. As a pastoral musician, she is dedicated to inviting and encouraging others to share their gift of music as a means of praising God together.
Nick Wagner, Maintenance Supervisor
(812) 683.2372
Nick Wagner joined the Staff in November of 2020 as after Kerry Pfaff retired. After over 20 years in quality control and production supervision for a wood manufacturing company in Corydon, Nick has brought his extensive work experience and passion for serving the Lord to his position.
A lifelong St. Mary's parishioner, Nick has served for the past 22 years as seventh grade catechist, including 2 years as 10th grade catechist. He has led the youth group, gone on several mission trips, led church tours, and has sang in the choir. He holds a B.A. in business management from St. Joseph College, Renssellaer, Indiana, transferring there from St. Meinrad College in the late 1990's.
"I have had a lifelong desire to serve the church and being allowed to do it in a professional capacity is an exciting, new opportunity," Nick said.
Nick is the parents of 5 children: Leah, Ara, Olivia, Matthew and Andrew.
Kim Kendall , Evangelism Leader
Office: (812) 683.2372 | Fax: (812) 683.2747
Kim grew up in Mariah Hill, IN and attended Mary Help of Christians. She had a reversion back to her faith in 1999 and joined St. Joseph in Jasper where she was active in the Religious Education Commission and many Evangelization efforts. She joined St. Mary’s Huntingburg in 2012. Kim has been involved with the Faith Renewal and Evangelization and many other volunteer efforts at St. Mary’s since then.
Kim is married to Scott Kendall and they have 2 teenage daughters, Paige and Jenna. She enjoys being a blessing to others, journeying with others as they grow closer to the Lord and spending time with family and friends.
Sharon Prior , Parish Bookkeeper
Office: (812) 683.2372 | Fax: (812) 683.2747
If you have ever done any banking in downtown Huntingburg at the intersection of Fourth and Main Streets (also known as U. S. 231), you’ve probably been helped by Sharon Prior.
St. Mary’s new bookkeeper began her banking career in 1972 at the downtown bank, which at that time was a branch of First National Bank. Throughout the next 45 years, she stayed at that location while the names outside changed…to First Bank of Huntingburg, then Integra, and at present, Old National Bank.
Sharon learned the business from the ground up, on the job first as a teller and then moving up the ladder to the position of head/vault teller. From there she stepped up to assistant manager, a position she held for over 16 years, handling loans, accounts, and investments as well as being a teller at the counter.
Retiring in April of 2018, she has since enjoyed keeping up with her six grandchildren ranging in ages from 10 to 21, all of whom are based locally in Jasper with her daughter Micki, a nurse at Memorial Hospital, and in Santa Claus with her son Derek, a math teacher at Heritage Hills High School. She also enjoys traveling, including a very memorable Holy Land pilgrimage in late 2019 with her sister’s Pittsburgh-based parish, and trips once or twice a year with family to her sister’s vacation property in the Daytona Beach area.
At St. Mary’s, Sharon has helped on two Christ Renews His Parish teams, including Team One in 2010. She also weaves mats for the homeless on Mondays and serves on the floral committee.
Sharon stepped into her new role at the end of April. She looks forward to being able to use her many years of experience in financial concerns to help our parish thrive. She is in the office Mondays and Tuesdays.
Martha King , Parish Secretary
Office: (812) 683.2372 | Fax: (812) 683.2747
Martha King, our new parish secretary, has been a longtime presence in our parish. Serving the Lord in the day-to-day operations of the parish has opened an exciting new chapter in her life – the fulfillment of a calling she has sensed for some time. “It was an on-the-spot decision,”
Being fluent in Spanish was something the parish has needed to minister more effectively to its Hispanic members. When Fr. Biju approached her about it, she didn’t have to think twice. “I just knew it was for me,” “I love the idea of giving to my parish.” She has served St. Mary’s in a wide range of areas, including on the Finance and Faith Renewal committees, Christ Renews His Parish, as lector, and currently on the parish Welcome Continuation Committee.
Married to parishioner Andy King, she is mother to their three sons - Jason, Justin and Adam.
Martha is in the church office Wednesday through Friday.
Larry Blackgrove Housekeeping
Larry has been a lifelong member of St. Mary's. He worked at Kimball International for 43 years before beginning his work at St. Mary's. He graduated from Huntingburg High School in 1963. Larry is married to Annie and they have two children together: Nicholas and Tina. They have four grandchildren: Justin, Shana, Mitchell & Ali. Larry enjoys fishing, hunting & gardening.