Father Richard Mueller was first pastor of Our Lady of the Greenwood Parish

By Mary Ann Wyand

Father Richard J. Mueller, a retired diocesan priest who was the founding pastor of Our Lady of the Greenwood Parish in Greenwood and served on the archdiocesan Metropolitan Tribunal staff for 42 years, died on May 1 at Marquette Manor in Indianapolis. He was 91.

The Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated at 11 a.m. on May 18 at SS. Peter and Paul Cathedral in Indianapolis, with visitation there from 9 a.m. until the time of Mass. Burial will follow at the Mueller family plot at St. Joseph Cemetery in Indianapolis.

Msgr. Joseph F. Schaedel, vicar general, is the principal celebrant for the funeral Mass and Father James Bonke is the homilist.

“I think Father Mueller was certainly one of our distinguished senior priests,” Msgr. Schaedel said. “… He was extremely generous with his time. Well after he was retired, he continued to work at the marriage Tribunal, and gave so much of his time because he saw that as an important ministry.”

In addition to his parish and Tribunal ministries, Father Mueller was appointed to the Archdiocesan Church Music Commission in 1947 and the Archdiocesan Liturgical Commission in 1958, which he served for a number of years. He was named chairman of the liturgical commission in 1973.

“One of the things that we should recall about him and appreciate about him is his love for music,” Msgr. Schaedel said. “He was a very cultured man and had a great love for a wide variety of music. Because of that, he also had a deep appreciation and expertise in good, solid liturgical music.

“I think as the Church has transitioned our repertoire of music, so to speak, Father Mueller was a great help on the Archdiocesan Liturgical Commission at that time,” he said. “We owe a lot to him for what he did in helping us preserve some sacred and beautiful music.”

Msgr. Frederick Easton, archdiocesan vicar judicial, said Father Mueller was a longtime friend who brought considerable talents and dedication to his priestly ministries.

“Even before he became a Tribunal judge in 1967, he was involved in liturgy,” Msgr. Easton said. “He was a major figure, after Vatican Council II, in the archdiocese as we were implementing the council’s decrees on liturgy.

“... For the Tribunal, he was always the epitome of a good judge,” Msgr. Easton said. “He had a very sober and realistic approach to things. He was very intelligent. He had his theology background from The Catholic University [of America], to which he was very much devoted to the Theological College as well as to Saint Meinrad [School of Theology].”

Father Mueller “always had a real, good, practical philosophy of life,” he said. “I traveled with him. … He was a joy to be with, a perfect gentleman in all ways. … He had a great love of music. [We] went to the opera many times together.”

Father Mueller served as the founding pastor of Our Lady of the Greenwood, Queen of the Holy Rosary Parish in Greenwood from 1955 until 1973, and as pastor of Our Lady of Lourdes Parish in Indianapolis from 1973 until 1982.

The Archdiocese of Indianapolis, 1834-2009—Like a Mustard Seed Growing reports that Our Lady of the Greenwood Parish began with only 40 members as a mission church in northern Johnson County in 1949, and has grown steadily over seven decades to become one of the largest parishes in the archdiocese with more than 2,200 households.

Father Mueller’s photograph is displayed in a place of honor in the entry hall of Our Lady of the Greenwood School, which was built in 1955 when the mission church was designated as a parish.

Richard Joseph Mueller was born on July 9, 1918, in Indianapolis to Carol G. and Lena (Hook) Mueller, who were members of SS. Peter and Paul Cathedral Parish.

He attended the former Cathedral Grade School before studying for the priesthood at Saint Meinrad’s minor and major seminaries in St. Meinrad.

He also earned a licentiate in sacred theology at The Catholic University of America in Washington, D.C.

On May 30, 1944, he was ordained to the priesthood by Archbishop Joseph E. Ritter at Saint Meinrad Archabbey Church.

Father Mueller celebrated his first Mass on June 4, 1944, at SS. Peter and Paul Cathedral.

On June 15, 1944, he was named associate pastor of St. John the Evangelist Parish in Indianapolis.

Father Mueller was appointed to the Chancery office with responsibility for seminarians on May 4, 1945.

He began his service on the Archdiocesan Church Music Commission on May 21, 1947.

On Sept. 26, 1955, he was appointed the founding pastor of Our Lady of the Greenwood Parish.

His longtime ministry with the archdiocesan Metropolitan Tribunal began on Feb. 7, 1967, with his appointment as pro-synodal judge.

On July 5, 1973, Father Mueller was named pastor of Our Lady of Lourdes Parish.

While retaining his Tribunal assignment as pro-synodal judge, he was named vice-officialis, pro tempore until Jan. 1, 1978.

On July 7, 1982, he was named associate pastor of St. Pius X Parish in Indianapolis.

The following year, he was appointed auditor of the Metropolitan Tribunal on July 6, 1983, with residence at Holy Spirit Parish in Indianapolis, while continuing his assignment as pro-synodal judge.

On Nov. 22, 1983, Father Mueller was reappointed pro-synodal judge for 10 years with the title of archdiocesan judge.

He retired from active ministry on July 10, 1985, and continued to serve the Metropolitan Tribunal for 24 years.

Father Mueller was reappointed as judge and auditor of the Tribunal on July 1, 1993, and Nov. 3, 1999. He was again reappointed to the Tribunal as judge on July 1, 2004, for a five-year term that concluded in 2009. †