As the population of Indiana grew from the time it was first settled by the French in the late 1600s, the Attica area was part of a number of dioceses and had no permanent pastor. Instead, the area was served by visiting priests. 

In the 1860s, land was purchased for the building of a church in Attica and a small church was built next to the location of the present church. Attica was part of the Diocese of Ft. Wayne at the time, and in 1863, Bishop Luers appointed Reverend Joseph Rademacher as the first permanent pastor of Attica.  A school was built a few years later, but failed due to a lack of financial support one year later. 

The parish was small and poor at first, but soon began to grow and on June 21, 1891, the present St. Francis Xavier Church was dedicated by the parish's first priest, who was now Bishop Joseph Rademacher of the Nashville Diocese. A glass jar containing the names of several important people of the day and those involved in the building of the church was placed in the cornerstone. News articles from 1890/1891 comment that a few thousand people from the surrounding area came to celebrate both the laying of the cornerstone and the new church's dedication. 

The parishioners pitched in with the building effort and the total cost was around $20,000. A few years later, the present rectory was built as well. After the church’s dedication, Fr. Charles Lemper turned the 1870’s school addition into a Sister’s residence and made the old church into a two-room school that lasted a year.  
 
Over the years, the church was improved in various ways, including upgrading the heating systems and making cosmetic changes. In 1944, the Attica parish became part of its current diocese, the Diocese of Lafayette. 

On April 29, 1954, Bishop John Bennett blessed a new parish hall. On September 15 during the 1954 Marian Year, Fr. Richard Puetz dedicated an outdoor Blessed Mother shrine. Again, as the church grew and aged, more improvements and changes were made both on the interior and exterior.
 
In 1987, a shrine to Saint Francis Xavier was built in memory of Mildred DeSutter. In 1989, a second floor with six classrooms was added onto the exisiting hall. Many renovations were done to repair the interior in preparation for the church's centenary in 1991. 
 
The church held a special centennial celebration on June 21st, 1991. Bishop William Higi said a special Mass, there was an open house, and a special dinner served by the Ladies Guild. Since 2000, beginning with Fr. Charles Kline, the pastor of St. Francis Xavier has also served as paster of St. Joseph, Covington. 

St. Francis Xavier parish has many societies and groups to help the church and our local area. St. Francis Xavier Ladies Guild, originally the Altar and Rosary Society, does much to carry out God’s work. In addition to its weekly sewing circle for overseas missions and the “Pope’s Warehouse,” its members serve at socials and funerals, contact shut-ins, provide for the needy in Fountain and Warren counties and hold fundraisers for worthy causes. The parish’s 192 households consist of 467 people.

Taken from A History of the Diocese of Lafayette -in-Indiana and "Centennial 1891-1991" compiled and edited by H.J. and Wilma Shackleton in 1991.