About Church of the Magdalen · Wichita, Kansas
Church of the Magdalen is a Roman Catholic parish in the Diocese of Wichita, Kansas, serving roughly 1,500 families and 3,500 individual Catholics on the east side of Wichita. Established in 1950, the parish has relocated three times and today worships in a 1,500-seat sanctuary on East 21st Street, accompanied by an adjacent school (preschool through 8th grade) and a chapel where adoration of the Blessed Sacrament is offered perpetually. Its mission is summarized in the motto 'Be Disciples. Make Missionary Disciples!' and is lived out through daily and weekend Mass, perpetual adoration, OCIA, PSR, Catechesis of the Good Shepherd, High School Ministry, and parish-wide stewardship.
- Established
- 1950
- Patron
- St. Mary Magdalene
- Rector
- Rev. David Marstall
- Diocese
- Diocese of Wichita
Why belong here
Magdalen welcomes new parishioners with a personal, three-step onboarding led by a Steward of New Parishioner Accompaniment (Cheyenne Barnthouse), making it easy to register, get connected, and — if needed — arrange a baptism or a return-to-the-Catholic-Church conversation with a priest. The parish makes the Eucharist and prayer readily accessible, with multiple daily Masses, perpetual adoration in the chapel, and confession offered before weekday Masses, on Saturday afternoons, and during every Sunday Mass. Faith formation is available for every age — PSR for K–8, Catechesis of the Good Shepherd for toddlers through age 6, and a Wednesday-night High School Ministry — and the parish provides its own preschool-through-8th-grade school on the same campus.
Mass times at Church of the Magdalen
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Monday–Friday: 6:40am (before 7:00am Mass)
- Tuesday–Friday: 5:00pm (before 5:30pm Mass)
- Saturday: 3:30–4:15pm
- During the Saturday 4:30pm Vigil Mass
- During all Sunday Masses (7:30am, 9:30am, 11:30am & 4:30pm)
Adoration times
- 24 hours a day / 7 days a week (perpetual) in the Adoration Chapel
Parish History
The Church of the Magdalen parish was established in 1950 and has relocated three times in its history. The first worship space was a building that was later repurposed as the social hall of the parish's former location. In 1968 the parish built its famous 'round church' at the intersection of Kellogg and Woodlawn, which served as its spiritual home for 33 years (1968–2001) and was dedicated on 9 May 1968; a printed history-and-dedication booklet still preserves that moment. When the city acquired that property for the widening of Kellogg, the parish relocated to its present East 21st Street campus, where the new sanctuary was dedicated in November 2002. The current building was designed, in many ways, to replicate the feeling of the round church — with curved walls, curved pews, and a sloped floor — but on a much larger scale, growing seating capacity from 850 to 1,500. Two themes shaped the design: the pilgrimage of faith (a journey of conversion) and a theme of healing that has guided the art commissioned for the new space. Architects and parish leaders adhered throughout to a guiding principle of 'noble simplicity.'
- Established 1950
- 1968: 'round church' at Kellogg & Woodlawn (demolished 2001)
- November 2002: current sanctuary dedicated at 21st & 127th
- Architectural themes: pilgrimage of faith and healing
- Guiding principle: 'noble simplicity'
Architecture & Campus
The Magdalen campus totals 132,805 square feet and was built by The Law Company of Wichita, which received an Award of Excellence for the project. The new sanctuary seats 1,500 people and is adjoined by an adoration chapel, a social hall, and a gathering space, while the on-site school facility includes preschool through 8th-grade classrooms, administrative offices, a media center, computer and science labs, a kitchen, and a gymnasium. The worship space intentionally echoes the parish's former round church through curved walls, curved pews, and a sloped floor, and is shaped by the principles of 'noble simplicity,' pilgrimage, and healing.
- 1,500-seat sanctuary
- Separate perpetual adoration chapel
- Social hall and gathering space
- Preschool–8 school on the same campus
- Total 132,805 sq ft, built by The Law Company
Faith Formation
Faith formation at Magdalen is offered for every age and stage of life. The Parish School of Religion (PSR) is for children in kindergarten through 8th grade who attend a non-Catholic school or are homeschooled; classes meet Wednesdays from 6:30–7:30pm and help prepare students to receive the sacraments of Confession, Holy Communion, and Confirmation. The Catechesis of the Good Shepherd (CGS) program offers a toddler atrium for ages 0–3 and a Level I atrium for ages 3–6, drawing on the Montessori-based approach St. John Paul II once called 'the most beautiful homily I have ever witnessed.' Adults seeking to become Catholic journey through OCIA — the Order of Christian Initiation of Adults — meeting Wednesday nights from 6:30 to 7:45pm beginning in September. The parish also subscribes to FORMED (parish code 1104e9), giving every parishioner free 24/7 access to Catholic movies, study programs, and audio content for adult faith formation, marriage preparation, Scripture study, RCIA/OCIA, and small-group discipleship.
- Parish School of Religion (PSR) — K–8, Wednesdays 6:30–7:30pm
- Catechesis of the Good Shepherd (CGS) — toddler & Level I atriums
- Becoming Catholic / OCIA — Wednesdays 6:30–7:45pm
- FORMED digital platform with parish access code 1104e9
- Stewardship Council
- PSR Catechists
High School Ministry
Magdalen's High School Ministry (HSM) meets Wednesday nights from 6:30–8pm in the Magdalen School Gym beginning October 8, 2025. Open to high school teens from any area school, HSM combines fun, friendship, prayer, food, and time to grow in love of God and neighbor. Students earn points for attending, and each point is worth $4 deposited into a personal HSM Bank that can be spent on spiritual enrichment such as camps, formation opportunities, Catholic conferences, or spiritual reading and apps. Volunteer leaders and behind-the-scenes helpers are always welcome.
- Wednesdays 6:30–8pm in Magdalen School Gym
- Open to all high-school teens, friends welcome
- HSM Bank rewards participation in faith-formation activities
- Contact: Amanda Prieto, Director of Parish Evangelization and Discipleship
Parish School (Preschool–8)
Church of the Magdalen Catholic School shares the parish campus, offering preschool through 8th-grade classrooms alongside a media center, computer and science labs, a kitchen, and a gymnasium. The school was built as part of the same 2002-era campus project as the new church and continues the parish's long-standing commitment to Catholic education on Wichita's east side.
- Preschool through 8th grade
- On-site media center, computer and science labs
- Gymnasium, kitchen, and administrative offices
- Built as part of the 2002 church-and-school campus
Parish Staff
The parish is served by a pastor, senior parochial vicar, a permanent deacon, and a full team of lay staff coordinating operations, formation, and evangelization. New parishioners are personally accompanied by a dedicated Steward of New Parishioner Accompaniment through the registration process, and the Director of Parish Evangelization and Discipleship oversees youth ministry and the OCIA process.
- Fr. David Marstall — Pastor (ext. 124, [email protected])
- Fr. Marco De Loera — Senior Parochial Vicar (ext. 117, [email protected])
- Deacon Jeff A. Jacobs — Permanent Deacon ([email protected])
- Monica Chessmore — Parish Business Manager (ext. 127)
- Holly Beard — Parish Life Coordinator (ext. 119)
- Cheyenne Barnthouse — Steward of New Parishioner Accompaniment (ext. 116)
- Marie Gilbertson — Parish Secretary
- Amanda Prieto — Director of Parish Evangelization and Discipleship
- Nathan Rausch — Facilities Manager
- Sarah Bachman — Parish Operations Assistant (ext. 129)
- Karen Weaver — PSR Coordinator ([email protected])
- Jessica Durbin — OCIA ([email protected])
- Danielle Seiler — Catechesis of the Good Shepherd contact
Becoming a Parishioner
Joining Magdalen is a three-step process: (1) complete the online registration inquiry form; (2) meet with Cheyenne Barnthouse, the Steward of New Parishioner Accompaniment, who handles the required paperwork (a required step for parents seeking baptism for their children); and (3) complete and return the registration forms. Catholics returning to the Church are invited to call the parish office to schedule a meeting with one of the priests, and those interested in becoming Catholic are pointed toward the Becoming Catholic / OCIA process. The parish frames its mission in the words of Romans 15:7 — 'Welcome one another, therefore, just as Christ has welcomed you, for the glory of God' — and lives out its discipleship through stewardship of time, talent, and treasure.
- Step 1: Online inquiry form
- Step 2: Personal meeting with Cheyenne Barnthouse
- Step 3: Return completed registration forms
- Returning Catholics: appointment with a priest via the Parish Office
- Not yet Catholic: Becoming Catholic / OCIA process