About Assumption and St. Patrick · Charlotte, Iowa
Assumption and St. Patrick is a small Roman Catholic parish serving the rural community of Charlotte in Clinton County, Iowa, within the Diocese of Davenport. The parish was formed in 1961 when the historic Assumption Church (built in 1882) merged with the neighboring St. Patrick Church in nearby Villa Nova. It is one of five rural parishes currently clustered under a single pastor, continuing more than a century of Catholic faith life in this small Iowa town.
- Established
- 1882 (Assumption Church); 1961 (merger into Assumption and St. Patrick Parish)
- Patron
- The Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary and St. Patrick
- Rector
- Rev. Francis Odoom (most recent confirmed pastor; assignment was noted as ending June 30, 2022)
- Diocese
- Diocese of Davenport
Why belong here
Assumption and St. Patrick welcomes visitors and parishioners to a small-town Catholic community rooted in the rich Catholic heritage of rural Clinton County since 1882. The parish shares a pastor with four neighboring rural parishes, creating a network of faith and fellowship across the area. With a rotating weekend Mass schedule that lets multiple parishes in the cluster worship together, it offers a faithful, traditional Roman-Latin Mass experience for those in and around Charlotte.
Mass times at Assumption and St. Patrick
Weekly Mass schedule
Parish Identity and Heritage
Assumption and St. Patrick Parish is a small Roman Catholic community rooted in the rural Catholic heritage of Charlotte, Iowa. Its origins trace to 1882, when immigrant Irish and German Catholic families built the original brick Assumption Church as a mission of St. Joseph's Church in Petersville. The present-day parish was created in 1961 by merging the historic Assumption parish with St. Patrick Church of nearby Villa Nova, giving it a distinctive dual patron and identity.
- Original Assumption Church built 1882
- Merger with St. Patrick (Villa Nova) in 1961
- Located in Clinton County, Diocese of Davenport
- Roman-Latin Rite
Cluster of Parishes
Like many rural Midwestern parishes, Assumption and St. Patrick is clustered with four neighboring Catholic parishes across Clinton County, sharing pastoral leadership and rotating Mass schedules. This clustering model allows the diocese to maintain a Catholic presence in each small town while stewarding limited clergy resources.
- Assumption & St. Patrick — Charlotte (this parish)
- St. Patrick — Delmar
- Immaculate Conception — Petersville
- Ss. Mary & Joseph — Sugar Creek–Bryant
- Our Lady of the Holy Rosary — Lost Nation
Pastoral Leadership
Most recently, the cluster parishes have been served by Father Francis Odoom, a priest of the Archdiocese of Cape Coast, Ghana, who arrived in Iowa in 2015 to pursue graduate studies in leadership at St. Ambrose University in Davenport. He was ordained in 2005 and completed a Doctorate in Business Administration in May 2022, writing his dissertation on the transitions of African expatriate priests to rural U.S. Catholic churches. His assignment to the Clinton County cluster ended June 30, 2022.
- Rev. Francis Odoom — Pastor (assignment ended June 30, 2022)
- Originally incardinated in the Archdiocese of Cape Coast, Ghana
- Ordained 2005; arrived in Iowa 2015
- Doctorate in Business Administration, St. Ambrose University, 2022
Contact and Location
The parish offices are at 147 Broadway Street in Charlotte, Iowa, and inquiries can be directed to the parish phone or email during the week. The official parish listing is maintained through the Diocese of Davenport's website.
- Address: 147 Broadway St., Charlotte, IA 52731
- Phone: (563) 677-2758
- Email: [email protected]
- Diocesan website: www.davenportdiocese.org
Community and Cemetery
The church sits on the northern edge of town and remains a focal gathering place for the local Catholic community, with an adjoining cemetery that ties the parish to the pioneer Catholic families of Clinton County. Across the cluster, similar parish cemeteries mark the enduring sacramental and family history of the region.
- Church located on the north side of Charlotte
- Adjoining parish cemetery with historic burials
- Continuing ties to founding Catholic families of the area