About Annunciation · Frankfort, Kansas
Annunciation Catholic Church is a rural parish in Frankfort, Kansas, founded in 1880 and part of the Archdiocese of Kansas City in Kansas. It anchors a three-parish cluster that also serves St. Monica–St. Elizabeth in Blue Rapids and St. Columbkille in Blaine, caring for roughly 376 registered families across the rolling farmland of Marshall and Pottawatomie counties. The current pastor, Rev. Anthony Chendumalli, leads weekend Masses on Saturday evening and Sunday morning, with daily Mass several days a week and a weekday Mass at the local Frankfort care home. The parish traces its identity to the Annunciation of the Lord and to a remarkable pioneer legacy: four successive church buildings, two destroyed by fire and one by lightning, before the present white limestone church was dedicated in 1909.
- Established
- 1880
- Patron
- The Annunciation of the Blessed Virgin Mary
- Rector
- Rev. Anthony Chendumalli
- Diocese
- Archdiocese of Kansas City in Kansas
Why belong here
Annunciation Catholic Church welcomes anyone seeking the truth of the Gospel in a 'loving and peaceful setting.' It is a tight-knit rural parish that supports daily and weekly Mass, regular Eucharistic Adoration with Rosary and Benediction, Saturday confessions, and faith formation for grade-school youth, all under the personal pastoral care of Fr. Anthony Chendumalli. Joining the parish means being part of a 376-family community that has faithfully rebuilt itself four times since 1880 and continues to serve the wider tri-parish area of Frankfort, Blue Rapids, and Blaine.
Mass times at Annunciation
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Saturday 3:00–3:45 PM (per catholicmasstime.org, the parish publishes 3:15–3:45 PM; Saturday afternoon is the regular confession time before the 4 PM Mass)
Adoration times
- Tuesday 7:00–8:00 PM — Exposition, Adoration, Rosary and Benediction
- Friday 1:00–5:00 PM — Exposition/Adoration
Welcome from the Pastor
The homepage of annunciationfrankfort.org opens with the Gospel account of the Annunciation (Luke 1:28–33) and a personal letter from the pastor. Fr. Anthony Chendumalli writes that 'God created humanity for greatness and calls each of us to continually grow in holiness,' and that 'Jesus gave us the Church and its many treasures to guide us; providing a perfect road map to salvation.' He extends a personal invitation to anyone who has been away to come back, and notes that the parish has a 'Catholics Come Home' section to help returning Catholics and inquirers take the next step.
- Gospel of Luke 1:28–33 (Annunciation) opens the website
- Pastor's invitation to join the parish community
- Catholics Come Home section for returning Catholics
- Spiritual 'checkup' invitation
Parish History
Founded in 1880 by Rev. William Fitzgerald, Annunciation Parish grew from about seventeen families in the original congregation. The parish's history is marked by extraordinary perseverance: four successive church buildings, two destroyed by fire and one by lightning, before the present white limestone church was dedicated on February 22, 1909 by Bishop Thomas F. Lillis. The parish produced a centennial history in 1980 documenting founders, builders, the Benedictine sisters who taught at the parish school, Golden Marriages, baptisms and members, which is available as a PDF from the parish website.
- 1880 – First church built by Rev. William Fitzgerald
- c.1885 – First church destroyed by fire
- 1900 – Second church built under Rev. William Michel
- November 4, 1905 – Second church destroyed by fire (with parish house)
- July 4, 1906 – Third church dedicated
- May 3, 1908 – Third church struck by lightning and burned
- August 1908 – Cornerstone laid for the fourth (current) church
- February 22, 1909 – Present church dedicated by Bishop Thomas F. Lillis
- 1976 and 2000 – Major renovations
Architecture of the Present Church
The parish's centennial history describes the present church as 'a magnificent building of clearest white limestone, designed in the Roman style of architecture, with slate roof, ornamental stained glass windows and stately bell tower.' The interior was originally frescoed in the summer of 1912 under Rev. C. A. Bradley, and the basement was fitted up into an assembly room in the early years. The building has undergone two major renovations, in 1976 and 2000, preserving its Roman-style limestone character for today's worshippers.
- Roman style of architecture
- White limestone construction
- Slate roof
- Ornamental stained glass windows
- Stately bell tower
- 1912 frescoing under Rev. C. A. Bradley
- Renovations in 1976 and 2000
Clergy and Pastoral Leadership
Annunciation Parish is led by Rev. Anthony Chendumalli, who was named pastor in an appointment by Archbishop Joseph F. Naumann effective July 1. He previously served as parochial administrator of the cluster and now pastors all three parishes in the Frankfort family of faith: Annunciation in Frankfort, St. Monica–St. Elizabeth in Blue Rapids, and St. Columbkille in Blaine. Fr. Chendumalli was ordained on April 21, 2016 at St. Mary Cathedral in Kadapa, Diocese of Cuddapah, India.
- Rev. Anthony Chendumalli — Pastor
- Also pastors St. Monica–St. Elizabeth, Blue Rapids, and St. Columbkille, Blaine
- Ordained April 21, 2016, Kadapa, India
- Rectory phone: (785) 292-4170
Sacraments
Annunciation celebrates the full sacramental life of the Catholic Church. In addition to weekly Mass, the parish offers Confession, Baptism, Marriage, the Anointing of the Sick (including care-home visits), and the Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults (RCIA) for those preparing to enter full communion with the Catholic Church. The parish website explicitly invites anyone 'interested in the Catholic faith' to visit the Catholics Come Home section and contact the parish office.
- Eucharist
- Confession (Saturday)
- Baptism
- Marriage
- Anointing of the Sick / care-home ministry
- RCIA (Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults)
Faith Formation and School
Annunciation Parish has a long history of Catholic education, documented in its centennial history with sections on the founders, builders, Benedictine sisters who taught, the parish school, baptisms, and Golden Marriages. Today the parish supports faith formation for grade-school-age children not enrolled in Catholic school, weekly CCD-type classes, sacramental preparation, and youth initiatives including support for Catholic Heart Work Camp and other Christian youth rallies through the Annunciation Youth Fund.
- Parish School of Religion / CCD for grade-school youth
- Sacramental preparation
- RCIA for adults
- Annunciation Youth Fund (Catholic Heart Work Camp and youth rallies)
- Historical Benedictine sisters' service at Annunciation School
Tri-Parish Cluster
Annunciation is the hub of a three-parish cluster under one pastor: Annunciation (Frankfort), St. Monica–St. Elizabeth (Blue Rapids), and St. Columbkille (Blaine). The website's homepage lays out the weekend Mass schedule for all three parishes, so visitors can plan their visit. The cluster model allows rural families across Marshall and Pottawatomie counties to maintain a vibrant Catholic presence despite the small size of any individual parish.
- Annunciation, Frankfort – Saturday 4 PM, Sunday 10 AM
- St. Monica–St. Elizabeth, Blue Rapids – Sunday 8:30 AM
- St. Columbkille, Blaine – Saturday 6 PM
- Single pastor (Fr. Anthony Chendumalli) serves all three
Contact, Location, and Practical Info
The parish office and rectory are at 213 E. 5th Street, Frankfort, Kansas 66427. The office phone is (785) 292-4462, the rectory phone is (785) 292-4170, the fax is (785) 292-5095, and the parish email is [email protected]. The Archdiocese of Kansas City in Kansas also lists Annunciation on its parish directory page at archkck.org. The parish is supported in part by the Frankfort Community Foundation's Annunciation Catholic Church Fund and Annunciation Youth Fund, which help sustain the parish's ministries and youth trips.
- Address: 213 E. 5th St, Frankfort, KS 66427
- Office: (785) 292-4462
- Rectory: (785) 292-4170
- Fax: (785) 292-5095
- Email: [email protected]
- Website: annunciationfrankfort.org
- Listed by the Archdiocese of Kansas City in Kansas
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Rev. William Fitzgerald1880–1888
Built the first church; resident pastor of St. Joseph's on Irish Creek
- Rev. Bernard Hudson
Listed among early priests in charge of the parish
- Rev. J. Daly
Listed among early priests in charge
- Rev. A. M. Meile
Listed among early priests in charge
- Rev. William Stack
Listed among early priests in charge
- Rev. John Begley
Listed among early priests in charge
- Rev. John Ward (later bishop)
Listed among early priests in charge of the parish
- Rev. P. Kloss1888–1890+
First resident priest in Frankfort; built the 1889 parish house
- Rev. T. Butler
Listed among priests who served the parish
- Rev. Sylvester Meehan
Listed among priests who served the parish
- Rev. A. W. Jennings
Listed among priests who served the parish
- Rev. William Michel1900–1902
Built the 1900 church; laid its cornerstone July 15, 1900
- Rev. F. Kulicek1902–1905
Also tended the Bohemian mission church south of Irving
- Rev. Francis M. Orr1906–1911
Appointed by Bishop Lillis; oversaw rebuilding after the 1905 fire and the 1908 lightning strike; led construction of the present 1909 church
- Rev. C. A. BradleyJune 1911–
Appointed by Bishop Ward; oversaw frescoing and basement improvements