About Diocese of Dodge City
The Diocese of Dodge City (Latin: Dioecesis Dodgepolis) is a Roman Catholic diocese of the Latin rite covering 28 counties of southwestern Kansas across roughly 23,000 square miles. Erected on May 19, 1951 by Pope Pius XII from territory taken from the Diocese of Wichita, it is a suffragan of the Archdiocese of Kansas City in Kansas and is the first diocese in the United States to have Our Lady of Guadalupe as its principal patroness. Its mother church is the Cathedral of Our Lady of Guadalupe in Dodge City, consecrated in 2001, and it is led today by its sixth bishop, John Balthasar Brungardt.
- Bishop
- John Balthasar Brungardt
- Established
- 1951
- Cathedral
- Cathedral of Our Lady of Guadalupe, Dodge City, Kansas
- Territory
- 28 counties in southwestern Kansas: Barber, Barton, Clark, Comanche, Edwards, Finney, Ford, Grant, Gray, Greeley, Hamilton, Haskell, Hodgeman, Kearny, Kiowa, Lane, Meade, Morton, Ness, Pawnee, Pratt, Rush, Scott, Seward, Stafford, Stanton, Stevens, and Wichita — covering approximately 23,000 square miles (59,547 km²).
- Parishes
- 52 churches (GCatholic 2022) / 18 pastoral centres
- Province
- Archdiocese of Kansas City in Kansas (Ecclesiastical Province of Kansas City)
History of the Diocese
Catholic life in southwestern Kansas long predates the 1951 erection of the diocese. The territory was first evangelized from the Apostolic Vicariate of Indian Territory (1850), then the Vicariate of Kansas (1857), the Diocese of Leavenworth (1877), and finally the Diocese of Wichita (1887), from which Dodge City was carved by Pope Pius XII on May 19, 1951 with Msgr. John Baptist Franz as first bishop. Six bishops have now served the see, each leaving a distinct mark — Franz's organization of the new diocese, Forst's adoption of Our Lady of Guadalupe as patroness, Schlarman's internationalization of the clergy, and Gilmore's building of the cathedral — culminating in the current episcopate of Bishop John Balthasar Brungardt (since 2011).
- Established May 19, 1951 by Pope Pius XII from the Diocese of Wichita
- Initially suffragan of St. Louis; transferred to the Province of Kansas City on August 9, 1952
- First U.S. diocese to adopt Our Lady of Guadalupe as principal patron (September 12, 1961)
Our Bishops
Six bishops have led the diocese in succession, each listed on the diocesan 'History of the Diocese' page: John B. Franz (1951–1959), Marion F. Forst (1960–1976), Eugene J. Gerber (1976–1983), Stanley G. Schlarman (1983–1998), Ronald M. Gilmore (1998–2010), and John B. Brungardt (2010–present). Three were later promoted — Franz to Peoria, Gerber to Wichita, and Forst as auxiliary in Kansas City in Kansas — leaving a bench of successors that links Dodge City into the wider life of the American Church.
- Bishop John B. Franz (1951–1959) — founding bishop
- Bishop Marion F. Forst (1960–1976) — secured Guadalupe patronage
- Bishop Eugene J. Gerber (1976–1983) — later Bishop of Wichita
- Bishop Stanley G. Schlarman (1983–1998) — recruited international priests
- Bishop Ronald M. Gilmore (1998–2010) — built the new cathedral
- Bishop John B. Brungardt (2010–present) — sixth bishop, motto 'Filled with compassion'
Cathedral of Our Lady of Guadalupe
The mother church of the diocese is the Cathedral of Our Lady of Guadalupe, a 1,400-seat postmodern cathedral in Dodge City designed by Albuquerque architect Robert Habiger of Dekker/Perich/Sabatini and consecrated on December 9, 2001. Built of Silverdale limestone and copper, it rises 106 feet with a 77-foot spire and is laid out around an Easter-fire-centered plaza intended to evoke the windbreaks and pilgrimage routes of the southwest Kansas plains. It is the first new Catholic cathedral built in the United States in the new millennium and includes a Eucharistic reservation chapel designed for perpetual adoration, a Sacred Heart Daily Mass Chapel, and a shrine chapel to the patroness.
- Consecrated December 9, 2001; first Mass on the feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe, December 12, 2001
- Designed by Robert Habiger of Dekker/Perich/Sabatini (Albuquerque)
- 1,400-seat nave; 106 feet tall with a 77-foot spire
- Includes a perpetual adoration reservation chapel, Sacred Heart Daily Mass Chapel, and Our Lady of Guadalupe shrine chapel
- Parish formed by the consolidation of historic Sacred Heart and Our Lady of Guadalupe parishes on December 9, 2001
Former Cathedral — Sacred Heart
Before the 2001 cathedral, the mother church was Sacred Heart Parish, founded in 1882 with a frame Gothic Revival church and rebuilt in 1916. It was elevated to cathedral status when the diocese was erected in 1951 and served as the cathedra until its merger into the new Cathedral of Our Lady of Guadalupe in 2001. Our Lady of Guadalupe Parish, established in the early 20th century with a church built in 1950, joined it in the consolidation that formed the present-day cathedral parish.
- Sacred Heart Parish established 1882 (frame Gothic Revival); rebuilt 1916; cathedral from 1951 to 2001
- Our Lady of Guadalupe Parish established early 20th century; rebuilt 1950; merged in 2001
- Early Dodge City Masses were celebrated in the Union Church shared by local Protestant congregations
Catholic Schools
The diocesan Catholic Schools Office coordinates a network of parish and mission Catholic schools across southwestern Kansas under the mission statement: 'United with the family, the parish, and each other, Catholic Schools in the Diocese of Dodge City form disciples of Jesus Christ to learn and serve.' The schools are supported in part by the Kansas School Tax Credit Program, which offers Kansas donors a 75% state tax credit on gifts of $500 to $500,000 for low-income student scholarships, distributed by the diocese to all its schools.
- Network of Catholic schools across southwestern Kansas
- Mission: 'United with the family, the parish, and each other…'
- Kansas School Tax Credit Program: 75% credit, $500–$500,000 donations
- Funds distributed as scholarships for low-income students
Youth Ministry
The diocesan Office of Youth Ministry 'seeks to create lifelong disciples of Christ through the development of comprehensive youth ministry in parishes and homes,' nourishing growth of the whole person through prayer, catechesis, the sacraments, and works of mercy. The office publishes the Chancery Chatter newsletter and supports parish-based youth ministry across the 28-county territory, anchored in John 6:68–69 ('Master, to whom shall we go?') and Hebrews 13:8 ('Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever').
- Office of Youth Ministry staff led by Director Emma
- Chancery Chatter newsletter (also on YouTube: 'Diocese of Dodge City')
- Comprehensive youth ministry in parishes and homes
Pastoral Ministry Formation (PMF)
Pastoral Ministry Formation is the diocese's lay-ministry training program, offered in partnership with Newman University and delivered via Zoom or on Saturday/Tuesday class schedules. PMF equips lay Catholics for ministry rooted in baptism, providing grounding in scripture, theology, and ministerial skills. Current course offerings include THEO 4023 'Theology and Methods of Ministry' (a 3-hour college course for credit at $150 / for enrichment at $75) and THEO 4881 'Women in Scripture' (a 1-hour course for credit at $50 / for enrichment at $25), with instructors including Trish Keller (Newman University's Western Outreach Center) and Fr. Robert Schremmer.
- Partner: Newman University, via Interactive Television / Zoom
- THEO 4023 Theology and Methods of Ministry (3 hrs)
- THEO 4881 Women in Scripture (1 hr)
- Saturday mornings 8:15–12:00 noon; Tuesday evenings 6:00–9:30 pm
- Director of Adult Formation: Coleen Stein
Vocations and Clergy
A diocesan vocations office was established by Bishop Schlarman in the 1980s, and the diocese has continued to cultivate priestly vocations through annual Vocations Rendezvous events and the Chancery Chatter newsletter. The diocese currently has 18 pastoral centres served by 35 priests (31 diocesan, 4 religious), 6 deacons, 39 religious (4 brothers, 35 sisters), and 3 seminarians, according to 2022 statistics. Since the 1980s the diocese has also welcomed priests from Burma, the Philippines, and Vietnam — an initiative that has profoundly diversified its liturgical life.
- Diocesan vocations office founded under Bishop Schlarman
- 35 priests (31 diocesan, 4 religious), 6 deacons, 39 religious, 3 seminarians (2022)
- International priests from Burma, the Philippines, and Vietnam since the 1980s
Office of Respect Life and Social Justice
The Diocese of Dodge City maintains an Office of Respect Life and Social Justice that addresses pro-life, social justice, and human dignity concerns across its 28-county territory. The office was originally directed (1999–2004) by the current bishop, John Balthasar Brungardt, before he moved into diocesan governance roles in Wichita and was eventually appointed to Dodge City.
- Office of Respect Life and Social Justice
- Formerly directed by Bishop John B. Brungardt (1999–2004)
Communications and Diocesan News
The diocese publishes the Southwest Kansas Register and the Chancery Chatter newsletter, the latter also distributed via a YouTube channel (Diocese of Dodge City) and Facebook Live. Bulletin inserts and stewardship infographics are made available in formats branded for Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. Parish events are also cross-promoted on the diocesan Facebook page, and the diocese maintains the Southwest Kansas Catholic newspaper.
- Southwest Kansas Register (diocesan newspaper)
- Chancery Chatter newsletter (email and YouTube)
- Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram resources for parishes
Sacred Heart Consecration and Cathedral Anniversary
In June 2026 Bishop Brungardt led the diocese in a Consecration of the Catholic Diocese of Dodge City to the Sacred Heart of Jesus during a 6:00 p.m. Mass at the Cathedral on June 12, 2026, as part of the 25th anniversary of the Cathedral's dedication. A novena to the Sacred Heart preceded the consecration, prayed each day at noon via Facebook Live on the diocesan Facebook page from June 3–11, 2026. The event coincided with the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops' consecration of the United States to the Sacred Heart marking the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence.
- Diocesan Consecration to the Sacred Heart — June 12, 2026, 6:00 p.m., Cathedral
- Novena prayed June 3–11, 2026 via Facebook Live at noon
- 25th anniversary of the Cathedral of Our Lady of Guadalupe
- Coincided with USCCB consecration of the United States to the Sacred Heart
Patrons and Diocesan Identity
Our Lady of Guadalupe was confirmed as principal patroness of the Diocese of Dodge City by Rome on September 12, 1961, with St. John the Baptist designated as secondary patron in honor of the first bishop, John Baptist Franz. The designation made Dodge City the first diocese in the United States to have Our Lady of Guadalupe as its principal patroness — a heritage vividly carried forward in the cathedral's name, plaza design, and multi-cultural liturgical life.
- Our Lady of Guadalupe — principal patroness (since September 12, 1961)
- St. John the Baptist — secondary patron (honoring Bishop Franz)
- First U.S. diocese with Guadalupe as principal patron
