About Blessed Sacrament · Bethany, Missouri
Blessed Sacrament Catholic Parish is a small Roman Catholic parish in Bethany, the seat of Harrison County in northern Missouri. It belongs to the Diocese of Kansas City–St. Joseph and is pastored by Father Timothy Leete, who also serves the neighboring parishes of Mary Immaculate in Gallatin and St. Joseph in Trenton as a collaborative, multi-parish pastorate. Weekend and midweek Masses are celebrated in English on Saturday afternoon and Wednesday evening, with Saturday confessions and a Saturday rosary before Mass. The parish also runs a community food pantry and welcomes Mass intentions.
- Established
- 1869 (Catholic presence in Bethany); modern parish records begin 1945
- Patron
- Blessed Sacrament (the Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ)
- Rector
- Father Timothy Leete
- Diocese
- Diocese of Kansas City–St. Joseph
Why belong here
Blessed Sacrament offers the full rhythm of Catholic life in a small-town setting: a Saturday Vigil Mass with confessions and the rosary beforehand, a midweek Wednesday evening Mass, the opportunity to enroll living and deceased loved ones in Mass intentions, and a parish food pantry that serves neighbors in need. Under the pastoral plan, Bethany is part of a collaborative pastorate with Mary Immaculate in Gallatin and St. Joseph in Trenton, which means parishioners are supported by a priest who shepherds three communities together. It is an intimate, family-sized parish where members know one another and can be involved in the life of the wider Harrison County Catholic community.
Mass times at Blessed Sacrament
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Saturday 4:00 p.m.
About Blessed Sacrament Parish
Blessed Sacrament Catholic Parish is a small Roman Catholic faith community serving Bethany, the county seat of Harrison County in northern Missouri, and the surrounding rural area. The parish is part of the Diocese of Kansas City–St. Joseph and is pastored by Father Timothy Leete, who shepherds this parish together with Mary Immaculate in Gallatin and St. Joseph in Trenton as part of a diocesan collaborative pastorate. Mass is celebrated in English on Saturday afternoon and Wednesday evening, with confessions and the rosary prayed before the Saturday Vigil.
History of the Parish
Catholic worship in Bethany goes back to 1869, when priests from the missions serving northwestern Missouri began visiting the community, according to a chronology of churches along the I-35 corridor maintained by the Diocese of Kansas City–St. Joseph. Early sacramental records are scattered between Trenton and Chillicothe, a reminder of the era when priests traveled circuits to scattered Catholic families on the prairie. Modern records at the parish begin in 1945, and the parish also holds records for other Harrison County Catholic missions after that year.
- 1869 — Catholic presence established in Bethany along the I-35 corridor
- 1945 — Modern sacramental records begin at Blessed Sacrament
- Pre-1945 records held at Trenton and Chillicothe
- Repository for other Harrison County Catholic mission records after 1945
Collaborative Pastorate (2023 Pastoral Plan)
In June 2023, the Diocese of Kansas City–St. Joseph issued a pastoral plan that placed Blessed Sacrament in a collaborative cluster with Mary Immaculate in Gallatin and St. Joseph in Trenton, all served by one pastor. The plan directs the three parishes to develop a collaborative relationship to strengthen membership and ministerial activity across the rural cluster. The plan also encourages Blessed Sacrament to welcome parishioners from neighboring communities that may merge or close in the future, including those from Sacred Heart in Hamilton.
- Clustered with Mary Immaculate (Gallatin) and St. Joseph (Trenton) under one pastor
- Directed to welcome parishioners from merging/closing parishes (e.g., Sacred Heart, Hamilton)
- Part of wider diocesan effort to sustain small parishes in northwest Missouri
Parish Staff
Blessed Sacrament is served by a small but devoted staff led by Father Timothy Leete, who serves the parish as Pastor (also described on the parish site as Parochial Administrator in keeping with diocesan practice for collaborative pastorates). Administrative support for the parish is provided by Cecilia Marsh.
- Father Timothy Leete — Pastor / Parochial Administrator
- Cecilia Marsh — Administrative Support (660-359-2841)
Faith Formation & School of Religion
According to the diocesan pastoral plan data, Blessed Sacrament runs a Parish School of Religion (PSR) for children and youth, with enrollment reported in both K-8 and 9-12 age bands in recent years. This program is the principal vehicle for faith formation and sacramental preparation for young parishioners.
- K-8 Parish School of Religion enrollment (per pastoral plan data)
- 9-12 Parish School of Religion enrollment (per pastoral plan data)
Outreach & Charity
The parish operates a community Food Pantry that serves Bethany and surrounding neighborhoods. Monthly needs are listed in the parish bulletin, and parishioners are encouraged to donate generously so the pantry can continue assisting local families in need.
- Parish Food Pantry — donations requested; monthly needs published in the bulletin
Mass Intentions
Blessed Sacrament welcomes Mass intentions for both deceased and living friends and relatives. The standard offering for a Mass intention is $10. Requests can be made through the parish office.
- Mass Intentions offered for living and deceased
- Standard offering: $10
- Requests handled through the parish office
Contact & Registration
Parishioners and visitors can reach the parish office by phone at (660) 425-8160 or by email through the contact page on the parish website. New members can register online or by downloading and printing a registration form from the website.
- Phone: (660) 425-8160
- Email: available via the website contact page
- Online parish registration available on the website
- Downloadable/printable registration form on the website
Visit & Directions
Blessed Sacrament Catholic Church is located at 1208 S. 25th Street, Bethany, Missouri 64424. From I-35, take exit 92, turn left onto Miller, then left onto South 69 Highway and continue about a quarter mile to the parish.
- Address: 1208 S. 25th Street, Bethany, MO 64424
- Driving directions: I-35 exit 92 → left on Miller → left on South 69 Hwy → 1/4 mile
Diocese & Wider Catholic Community
Blessed Sacrament is one of the parishes of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Kansas City–St. Joseph, which covers western and northern Missouri. The parish is listed on the diocese's parish locator at kcsjcatholic.org/connect/parishes/ and is identified by GCatholic as Church ID 35685 within the same jurisdiction. The parish works closely with neighboring Catholic parishes in Harrison and surrounding counties as part of the diocese's collaborative pastoral structure.
- Diocese: Kansas City–St. Joseph
- Listed on diocesan parish locator: kcsjcatholic.org/connect/parishes/
- GCatholic Church ID: 35685
- Collaborates with Mary Immaculate (Gallatin) and St. Joseph (Trenton)