About St. John's St. John's is a Roman Catholic Church in the Archdiocese of Indianapolis. We are located in Ripley County in Indiana, approximately 70 miles southeast of Indianapolis on U.S. Highway 421 in a town named Osgood. |
The leadership of the Roman Catholic Church has been seated in the city of Rome since the time of Peter the apostle. The Pope, Bishop of Rome is recognized as the successor of Peter and as such has the highest level of authority in the church. The Pope resides in the Vatican in Rome.
The Catholic Church was established by Jesus Christ when he instructed the apostles to spread the good news. He further appointed Peter as the leader or Pope with his statement "Peter you are rock and on this rock I shall build my church." (Matthew 16:16-18). The hierarchy of the Roman Catholic Church follows the pattern established by Jesus. The Pope, successor of Peter, as mentioned above, is the final authority in the Catholic Church. The Bishops are seen as the successors of the apostles. The Bishops oversee their Diocese and see to its spiritual well-being. In order to accomplish this huge task and because it is impossible for them to be everywhere they are needed, the Bishops ordain priests who carry out the work of the Bishop within their assigned areas.