About Assumption · Dante, South Dakota
Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary is a small Catholic parish in the rural town of Dante, South Dakota, in Charles Mix County. It is one of nine parishes that together form the Holy Apostles Pastorate within the Roman Catholic Diocese of Sioux Falls. The parish has served the local farming community since 1909 and gathers for Sunday Mass each week at 9:00 a.m., with confessions heard beforehand. As part of the diocesan-wide "Set Ablaze" renewal plan, Assumption shares pastoral leadership and faith-formation resources with neighboring parishes including St. John the Baptist in Wagner and St. Paul in Marty.
- Established
- 1909
- Patron
- The Blessed Virgin Mary (Assumption)
- Rector
- Reverend Thomas Clement
- Diocese
- Diocese of Sioux Falls
Why belong here
Assumption is a welcoming rural parish where the same families have worshipped for over a century, and Mass still draws the community together each Sunday morning. Because it is part of the Holy Apostles Pastorate, parishioners benefit from shared clergy, pastorate-wide faith formation for grades K–12 on Wednesday evenings, OCIA and sacramental preparation, youth mission weeks like Totus Tuus, and ministries such as Catechesis of the Good Shepherd, grief support, and visits to the elderly and homebound. It is an easy place to belong, to be known by name, and to grow as a missionary disciple.
Mass times at Assumption
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Sunday — 8:15 AM
- 1st Saturday — 8:00 AM
Adoration times
- 1st Saturday — 9:00 AM (following the 8:30 AM Mass)
Overview of Assumption Parish, Dante
Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary is a small, family-oriented Catholic parish serving the rural community of Dante, South Dakota. Its church sits at 416 Haines Street in the heart of town, and the parish draws families from the surrounding Charles Mix County farmland. Sunday Mass is the centerpiece of parish life, and the parish shares priests, staff, and faith-formation resources with eight other churches through the Holy Apostles Pastorate. As a member of the Diocese of Sioux Falls, Assumption participates in Bishop Donald DeGrood's diocesan-wide 'Set Ablaze' missionary discipleship plan.
History and Heritage
The parish was founded in 1909, during the great wave of Czech, German, and other Central European Catholic homesteaders who settled across southeastern South Dakota. Generations of the same farming families have worshipped here ever since. In the early 2020s the Diocese of Sioux Falls reorganized its 117 parishes into 25 pastorates; Assumption was grouped with parishes in Armour, Dimock, Geddes, Lake Andes, Marty, Parkston, Platte, and Wagner to form the Holy Apostles Pastorate. A 2025 diocesan mission-team report described the Dante–Marty–Wagner cluster as having 'such a rich history' and a deeply supportive Catholic culture.
- Founded 1909 (per GCatholic)
- Patron: Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary (feast day August 15)
- Member of the Holy Apostles Pastorate since the diocese's Set Ablaze restructuring
Clergy and Staff
Because Assumption belongs to a multi-parish pastorate, it is served by a shared pastoral team rather than a resident priest assigned to a single church. A pastorate administrative assistant and business manager keep the nine parishes running smoothly, and a Director of Discipleship and Evangelization coordinates sacramental preparation and adult faith formation across the cluster.
- Pastor — Rev. Thomas Clement
- Parochial Vicar (Wagner, Dante, Marty) — Rev. Jim Friedrich
- Parochial Vicar — Rev. Gary DeRouchey
- Deacon — Joseph Tegethoff
- Office Manager — Theresa Koupal
- Parish Council Contact — Bud Koupal
- Pastorate Administrative Assistant — JoNell DeHaan ([email protected], 605-680-0870)
- Pastorate Business Manager — Bailee Mogck ([email protected], 605-928-3676)
- Director of Discipleship & Evangelization — Sr. Maribeth Wentzlaff, OSB ([email protected], 605-760-5295)
- Director of Facilities — Marty Royston ([email protected])
Faith Formation and Religious Education
Children in kindergarten through 12th grade gather at Assumption for youth religious education on Wednesday evenings from 6:45 to 7:45 PM. Sacramental preparation, OCIA (the Order of Christian Initiation of Adults), and the Catechesis of the Good Shepherd program are coordinated across the Holy Apostles Pastorate so that families can share resources with neighboring parishes.
- Youth Religious Education — Wednesday 6:45–7:45 PM (K–12)
- OCIA and sacramental preparation (pastorate-wide)
- Catechesis of the Good Shepherd
- SHE and This Man is You (adult faith formation)
- Summer Totus Tuus / Lumen Christi youth mission week
Holy Apostles Pastorate Ministries
Ministry life at Assumption is organized around the four pillars of the diocesan Set Ablaze plan: Worship, Discipleship and Evangelization, Community, and Service. The parish offers outreach to the elderly and homebound, grief support, a parish prayer chain, and welcome ministries that help visitors feel at home. Adult faith formation includes the SHE women's program and the This Man is You men's program.
- Worship — Adoration in all parishes, Teaching Masses, respect for the Real Presence
- Discipleship & Evangelization — SHE, This Man is You, OCIA, Catechesis of the Good Shepherd, Hispanic Ministry, spiritual growth resources
- Service — visits to elderly and homebound, Grief Support
- Community — Welcoming, parish council involvement, Communications and Social Media
Prayer and Devotional Life
Beyond Sunday Mass, parishioners stay connected through the parish Prayer Chain — three local coordinators pray for the intentions of anyone who calls or emails. Eucharistic Adoration is offered the first Saturday of each month after the 8:30 AM Mass, and the pastorate gathers for a shared Mercy Hour on the fourth Sunday of each month at one of the nine parishes.
- Prayer Chain — Danielle Krcil (605-491-2202, [email protected]), Cindy Krcil (605-384-3585), Marilee Krcil (605-286-3907)
- 1st Saturday Adoration — 9:00 AM
- 4th Sunday Mercy Hour — rotating location within the pastorate
Contact, Office, and Bulletins
Parish mail and phone calls are routed through the shared Wagner rectory and parish office, and the weekly bulletin covers Dante, Marty, and Wagner together. The diocese's main parish directory page also lists Assumption and links to the Holy Apostles Pastorate site for the most current information.
- Address — 416 Haines St, Dante, SD 57329
- Mailing — Assumption Parish, PO Box 305, Wagner, SD 57380-0305
- Parish Office — 605-384-5517
- Wagner Rectory — 605-384-5518
- Email — [email protected]
- Bulletins — published weekly at holyapostlessd.org/bulletins