About Assumption of Mary Mission · Herndon, Kansas
Assumption of Mary Parish is a Roman Catholic mission church in the tiny rural community of Herndon, in Rawlins County in far northwest Kansas. It is one of the oldest Catholic congregations in the region, founded in 1883 by German, English, and Bohemian settlers of the high plains, and since 1986 it has been administered as a mission of Sacred Heart Parish in Atwood within the Diocese of Salina. The parish is currently pastored in solidum by Fr. Henry Saw Lone (moderator) and Fr. Richard Daise, who together also serve Sacred Heart (Atwood), St. Francis of Assisi (St. Francis), St. Joseph (Bird City), and St. John Nepomucene (Beardsley). The simple 1917 concrete-block church at 541 Palermo Avenue remains the spiritual anchor for the surrounding farming community.
- Established
- 1883
- Patron
- Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary
- Rector
- Fr. Henry Saw Lone (moderator); Fr. Richard Daise (pastor in solidum)
- Diocese
- Diocese of Salina
Why belong here
Assumption of Mary offers a small, tight-knit rural Catholic community in the heart of Kansas wheat country, where families have worshipped together for more than 140 years. Visiting parishioners are welcomed into a simple, historic 1917 concrete-block church built by the founders' own hands, and into a cluster of far-northwest Kansas parishes that share pastoral care. It is an ideal fit for Catholics who value quiet country liturgies, the traditional Marian devotion of the Assumption, and a connection to the deep immigrant-German, Bohemian, and English pioneer heritage of the high plains.
Mass times at Assumption of Mary Mission
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Sunday 8:00–8:20 am
History of Assumption of Mary Parish
The parish traces its origin to 1880, when Precious Blood Father August Reichert of New Almelo said the first Mass in the sod home of Adam Pregler. A sod church followed in 1883, a 24-by-48-foot frame church in 1885, and a frame church in Herndon itself in 1889. A 17-month priestless stretch in 1890–91 led Bishop Richard Scannell of Concordia to intervene; the rural and town congregations were finally merged in 1892 as Assumption of the Blessed Virgin (Mary). The town church burned in 1893 and its replacement was destroyed by a tornado the same year. Capuchin friars arrived in 1909 at Bishop John Cunningham's invitation and served the parish until 1986.
The 1917 Concrete-Block Church
The present church, completed in 1917, is the third sanctuary built in Herndon proper. Made of concrete blocks that the parishioners themselves manufactured over three years, it stands as a monument to the immigrant farming community that built it. A rectory was added in 1924 and replaced in 1973.
Parish School
A new parish school was built in 1926 and staffed by religious sisters. In the early 1900s it was the only Sisters' school in northwest Kansas. The high school was closed in 1939 and the grade school in 1969.
Pastoral Team and Cluster Parishes
Since 1986 the parish has been administered as a mission of Sacred Heart Parish in Atwood. In 2024 Bishop Jerry + the Diocese of Salina appointed Fr. Henry Saw Lone as moderator and Fr. Richard Daise as pastor in solidum, sharing pastoral care across five parishes in Rawlins and Cheyenne counties: Sacred Heart (Atwood), Assumption of Mary (Herndon), St. Francis of Assisi (St. Francis), St. Joseph (Bird City), and St. John Nepomucene (Beardsley).
Visiting and Contact Information
The parish office and mailing contact are shared with Sacred Heart Parish in Atwood. The mailing address is 508 N Railroad Ave., Atwood, KS 67730; the listed phone is 785-626-3335. The physical address of the mission church is 541 Palermo Ave., Herndon, KS 67739. Driving directions: from Midway, Kansas, take KS-117 north, turn west on Keystone Street, then north on Palermo Avenue about 1.5 blocks.
Notable Heritage and Community Character
By the early 1900s the parish numbered roughly 90 families (about 500 people), three-quarters German and the remainder English and Bohemian, and ran the only Sisters' school in northwest Kansas. The current 1917 concrete-block church and the historic 1926 school reflect the deep immigrant and farming roots of the congregation.
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Fr. August Reichert (Precious Blood, New Almelo)1880
Celebrated the first Mass in the sod home of settler Adam Pregler
- Priest sent by Bishop John Hennessy (resident in Herndon)circa 1891–1892
Lived in Herndon and served both the West and Town congregations
- Next pastor assigned in 18921892
Merged the rural and town congregations under the name Assumption of the Blessed Virgin
- Rev. William Wenzel1897–1908
Diocese of Concordia; born 1865 in Ruestungen, Germany; later served Tipton, Clifton, Schoenchen, Park, Colby (per Salina Diocese Necrology, d. April 9, 1936)
- Rev. J.B. Glynnearly 1900s
Pastoral care of Herndon together with the missions of Rawlins and Cheyenne Counties; resided in Atwood
- Capuchin Fathers (Province)1909–1986
Arrived in Rawlins County at the request of Bishop John Cunningham; staffed Herndon together with Sacred Heart, Atwood
- Diocesan clergy team (post-Capuchin)1986–present
Herndon administered as a mission of Sacred Heart, Atwood
- Rev. Galen Long2006–2008
Pastor of Sacred Heart (Atwood), Assumption of Mary (Herndon), and St. John Nepomucene (Beardsley) (per Salina Diocese Necrology, d. Feb. 7, 2012)
- Rev. Kenneth Paul Lohrmeyer1982–1986
Member of the team ministry serving Herndon, Oberlin, Selden and Leoville parishes (per Salina Diocese Necrology)
- Fr. Richard Daise2024–present
Pastor in solidum; resides at St. Francis of Assisi parish rectory, St. Francis; appointed 2024 from St. Joseph Parish, Hays; ordained May 22, 2010 by Bishop Paul Coakley
- Fr. Henry Saw Lone2024–present
Moderator of the priests in solidum team; also serves the cluster parishes