Diocese of Fort Wayne-South Bend

What Diocese of Fort Wayne-South Bend does

The Diocese of Fort Wayne-South Bend is a non-profit Catholic ecclesiastical jurisdiction founded by Pope Pius IX in 1857 and currently led by Bishop Kevin C. Rhoades, the ninth bishop of the diocese, who was installed on January 13, 2010. It serves Catholics across 14 counties in Northern Indiana through a network of 81 parishes, 43 Catholic schools (including four high schools), and a portfolio of affiliated ministries and wholly-owned operating entities including Catholic Charities, the Catholic Community Foundation of Northeast Indiana, the Scholarship Granting Organization of Northeast Indiana (SGONEI, founded 2011), Today's Catholic newspaper, Good Shepherd Books and Gifts, Divine Mercy Funeral Home, and Saint Anne Communities (a senior living provider). The diocese maintains formal canonical relationships with several Catholic higher education institutions within its territory, including the University of Notre Dame, Saint Mary's College, Holy Cross College, the University of Saint Francis, and Ancilla College, and partners with Moreau Seminary for priestly formation.

The diocese's revenue model is donation- and tuition-based, with no product pricing. Funding streams comprise weekly parish tithes and offerings across the 81 parishes, the Annual Bishop's Appeal, the Pentecost Collection for Seminarians, school tuition, stock and memorial gifts, and legacy/planned giving managed through the Catholic Community Foundation. Distribution is hybrid: physical parishes and schools serve as the primary community touchpoints, supplemented by the Today's Catholic newspaper, social media channels, parish bulletins, Theology on Tap events for young adults, and a televised Sunday Mass partnership with Heart of the Nation broadcast on WPTA 21.3, WISE CW 33.1 (Fort Wayne), and WNDU 16 (South Bend), with online streaming for homebound viewers.

The operational technology footprint is modest and communications-focused — a WordPress website, email newsletters, social media, and broadcast partnerships — with no proprietary software products, AI/ML systems, APIs, or commercial integrations. The organization is governed canonically by the diocesan bishop in communion with the Pope and the universal Catholic Church, operates under Indiana non-profit jurisdiction, employs approximately 70 diocesan-staff-level personnel (broader total headcount including parish/school staff is reported as 101-250), and is segmented into multiple Secretariats covering pastoral ministries, catechesis, communications, stewardship and development, social ministry, and administrative services.

Name

Diocese of Fort Wayne-South Bend

Legal name

Diocese of Fort Wayne-South Bend

Website

https://diocesefwsb.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1857

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

The Diocese of Fort Wayne-South Bend is a Catholic ecclesiastical jurisdiction founded in 1857, serving Northern Indiana across 14 counties through 81 parishes, 43 schools, and affiliated ministries under Bishop Kevin C. Rhoades.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Fort Wayne

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Parish Tithes and Offerings: Weekly Sunday collections from 81 parishes across 14 counties in Northern Indiana
2. Annual Bishop's Appeal: Annual fundraising campaign supporting programs and foundations throughout the diocese
3. Catholic School Tuition: Tuition revenue from 43 Catholic schools including K-12 and higher education institutions
4. Pentecost Collection for Seminarians: Designated collection supporting education and formation of diocesan seminarians
5. Stewardship and Development Office: Coordinates various giving opportunities including stock gifts, memorial gifts, and legacy giving through Catholic Community Foundation

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

The Diocese of Fort Wayne-South Bend provides Catholic pastoral and sacramental services, faith formation, and worship across 81 parishes in 14 counties of Northern Indiana. It operates 43 Catholic schools from Pre-K through high school, delivers social services through Catholic Charities, and supports senior living, funeral services, a bookstore, and a charitable foundation. The diocese is funded primarily through donations, parish tithes, the Annual Bishop's Appeal, the Pentecost Collection, and school tuition.

Product overview

The Diocese of Fort Wayne-South Bend is a religious institution providing Catholic Church services, not a technology product company. Its offerings consist of pastoral services, parish operations, Catholic education across 43 schools, and communication/newsletter publishing through Today's Catholic. The diocese operates a network of 81 parishes and 43 schools across 14 counties in Northern Indiana under Bishop Kevin C. Rhoades, providing sacramental services, faith formation programs, youth and young adult ministries, vocation discernment resources, Catholic schools education, and stewardship development opportunities. The organization does not offer technology products or software services.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Parish Pastoral and Sacramental Services
• Catholic K-12 Education
• Catholic Charities Social Services
• Saint Anne Communities Senior Living
• Today's Catholic Newspaper
• Good Shepherd Books and Gifts
• Divine Mercy Funeral Home
• Catholic Community Foundation of Northeast Indiana
• Scholarship Granting Organization of Northeast Indiana (SGONEI)
• Diocesan Museum

Named customers4 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles7 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

15 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Scholarship Granting Organization of Northeast Indiana (SGONEI)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2011Founded in 2011 to provide families with scholarships to attend Catholic schools of the diocese. Supports students in Pre-K through high school. Offers 50% Indiana state tax credit for donors.
• Catholic CharitiescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSocial service arm of the Church in the diocese. Helps alleviate poverty, provides healing for mind, body, and spirit, and aims to be a bridge for people seeking self-sufficiency.
• Catholic Community Foundation of Northeast IndianacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCharitable foundation set up specifically to support the Diocese of Fort Wayne-South Bend. Specializes in management of legacy gifts supporting parishes, schools, and ministries.
• Saint Anne CommunitiesminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerNon-profit Senior Living Community serving Fort Wayne since 1967. Also serves the Our Lady of Victory Missionary Sisters and Huntington area. Offers Christ-centered quality health care.
• Heart of the NationcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorNational televised Mass distributor providing 30-minute broadcast on multiple stations in Fort Wayne and South Bend areas. Also provides online streaming of current and past Sunday Masses.
• Ave Maria PressminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCatholic publishing house where employee Mary Henion retired after 50 years of service - longest tenure in company history.
• University of Notre DamecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNotre Dame serves as higher education institution within the diocese. Basilica of the Sacred Heart and Moreau Seminary operate in connection with the university.
• Saint Mary's CollegecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCatholic women's college in Notre Dame, Indiana within the diocese. Bishop Rhoades has issued statements regarding its Catholic identity.
• Holy Cross CollegecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCatholic higher education institution in Notre Dame serving students within the diocese.
• University of Saint FranciscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCatholic university in Fort Wayne with chaplain services from the diocese.
• Ancilla CollegeminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerHigher education institution in Plymouth, Indiana affiliated with the diocese.
• Knights of Columbus Assembly 242minorGTM or Marketing PartnerCatholic fraternal organization supporting veterans programs and hosting community events including America's 250th Anniversary Celebration.
• Poor Handmaids of Jesus ChristminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerReligious congregation with chaplain serving within the diocese.
• Eucharistic Missionaries of NazarethcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNew religious community being established in the diocese with founding mass scheduled for July 19, 2026 at St. Henry Catholic Church - the first community in the United States.
• Moreau SeminarycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHoly Cross seminary located at Notre Dame serving formation of priests for the diocese.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Others

• Catholic Charities USA: National federation of Catholic social-service agencies; comparable to the diocese's Catholic Charities arm delivering poverty alleviation and community outreach.
• Our Sunday Visitor (OSV): Indiana-based Catholic publishing and donor-management provider (OSV Hub powers diocesan giving); an ecosystem partner in Catholic media and fundraising infrastructure.
• University of Notre Dame: Catholic higher-education institution located within the diocese and a core partner; adjacent in the Catholic education/faith-formation ecosystem rather than a direct competitor.

Regional players

• Archdiocese of Indianapolis: The metropolitan Catholic archdiocese covering central and southern Indiana, operating parishes, schools, and Catholic Charities much like the subject diocese but in a different territory of the same state.
• Diocese of Lafayette-in-Indiana: Adjacent Indiana Catholic diocese operating parishes and Catholic schools under the same ecclesiastical model, comparable in scale and mission to Fort Wayne-South Bend.
• Diocese of Gary: Neighboring Catholic diocese in Northwest Indiana with the same parish, school, and social-service ministry structure, serving an adjacent Northern Indiana region.
• Diocese of Evansville: Catholic diocese in southern Indiana with parishes, Catholic schools, and charities, sharing the same governance and revenue model as the subject.
• Diocese of Kalamazoo: Nearby Michigan Catholic diocese with a comparable footprint of parishes and Catholic schools serving a Midwestern regional Catholic population.

Broad incumbents

• Archdiocese of Detroit: Larger Midwestern Catholic archdiocese operating the same parish, school, charity, and foundation structure, representing an established incumbent in the same category.
• Archdiocese of Chicago: A much larger neighboring Catholic archdiocese operating the same core parish/school/charities/foundation portfolio, illustrating the same category at greater scale.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/diocesefwsb
• Facebookfacebook.com/diocesefwsb
• Instagraminstagram.com/diocesefwsb
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/catholic-diocese-office

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles18 records

Subsidiaries7 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Diocese of Fort Wayne-South Bend