About Divine Mercy Parish - St. John Church · Burlington, Iowa
Divine Mercy Parish is a Roman Catholic territorial parish in Burlington and West Burlington, Iowa, formed on June 30, 2017 by Bishop Thomas Zinkula of the Diocese of Davenport through the merger of Saints John and Paul Parish (Burlington) and Ss. Mary and Patrick Parish (West Burlington). It brings together four historic worship sites — St. John Church, St. Paul Church, Ss. Mary & Patrick Church, and St. Mary in Dodgeville — into one unified Catholic community. The parish draws on a heritage that traces back to 1839, when St. Paul's became the first Catholic church in Burlington. Its vision statement is to be 'a more unified and welcoming community that embodies Christ.'
- Established
- 2017
- Patron
- Divine Mercy (the parish); St. John the Baptist (St. John worship site)
- Rector
- Very Rev. Martin G. Goetz, VF
- Diocese
- Diocese of Davenport
Why belong here
Divine Mercy Parish welcomes Catholics from across Burlington and West Burlington into a single, unified community rooted in nearly two centuries of local faith — from the 1839 founding of St. Paul's by Fr. Mazzuchelli to today's four historic worship sites. It offers daily Mass in English, the Sacraments, 24-hour Eucharistic Adoration on First Fridays, weekly Thursday adoration with confessions, and the pastoral care of an experienced priest and parochial vicar. Worshippers can choose from a range of Mass locations and times each weekend and participate in shared ministries and parish life as one family of faith.
Mass times at Divine Mercy Parish - St. John Church
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Thursday during Adoration, 6:00–8:00 pm at Ss. Mary & Patrick Church
- Saturday after 8:00 am Daily Mass at Ss. Mary & Patrick Church
- Saturday 3:30–4:30 pm before the Saturday Vigil at Ss. Mary & Patrick Church
Adoration times
- Thursday 6:00–8:00 pm at Ss. Mary & Patrick Church
- 24-hour Adoration on the 1st Friday of each month, following the 8:00 am Friday Mass until the 8:00 am Saturday Mass at Ss. Mary & Patrick Church
Parish Overview
Divine Mercy Parish is the single Catholic territorial parish serving Burlington and West Burlington, Iowa. Created on June 30, 2017 by Bishop Thomas Zinkula of the Diocese of Davenport, it unites the historic parishes of Saints John and Paul (Burlington) and Ss. Mary and Patrick (West Burlington) under one pastoral team. The parish maintains four worship sites — St. John Church, St. Paul Church, Ss. Mary & Patrick Church, and St. Mary in Dodgeville — and offers Mass in each on the weekend so that Catholics across the community can worship close to home.
- Diocese: Davenport
- Formed: June 30, 2017
- First pastor: Very Rev. Martin G. Goetz, VF
- Parochial vicar: Rev. William D. Roush
- Deacon: Andrew Reif
History of the Parish
Catholic presence in Burlington began in 1839 with Fr. Samuel Charles Mazzuchelli, OP founding St. Paul's, the town's first Catholic parish. A growing German immigrant population led Bishop Mathias Loras to establish St. John the Baptist in 1852 under Father Reffe; a frame church was finished by 1856, followed by a school staffed by the School Sisters of Notre Dame. A larger brick St. John church went up on the east side of Seventh Street in 1855; the present Gothic church with its 168-foot steeple was blessed on September 4, 1884. From 1876 to 1890 the parish was cared for by Jesuits; from 1890 to 1990 by Benedictines from Atchison, Kansas; and from 1990 onward by diocesan priests. Across the river, St. Patrick Parish (founded 1870) and St. Mary Parish (founded 1886) rebuilt after fires and built the present Ss. Mary & Patrick Church in 1917. Declining clergy numbers and shifting demographics led Bishop Gerald O'Keefe to announce a 1991 consolidation; in 1997–98 the Burlington parishes merged into Saints John and Paul, and in 2017 Bishop Zinkula merged all into Divine Mercy Parish.
- 1839 – St. Paul's founded by Fr. Mazzuchelli
- 1852 – St. John the Baptist founded
- 1855 – Larger St. John church built
- 1876 – Jesuits take pastoral care of St. John's
- 1883 – Cornerstone of present St. John church laid
- 1884 – St. John church blessed
- 1890 – Benedictines from Atchison take over
- 1892 – Cornerstone of present St. Paul's laid
- 1895 – St. Paul's dedicated
- 1917 – Ss. Mary & Patrick church built
- 1997–98 – St. John's and St. Paul's merge into Saints John and Paul
- 2003 – St. Patrick church closes
- 2017 – Divine Mercy Parish formed
St. John the Baptist Church
St. John the Baptist parish was started in 1852 to serve Burlington's growing German Catholic community, with Father Reffe as its first pastor. A church was finished by 1856, a school was added the following year staffed by the School Sisters of Notre Dame, and a larger church was erected on the east side of Seventh Street in 1855. The present Gothic church — built on land purchased in 1882, with cornerstone laid October 7, 1883 and blessed September 4, 1884 — features a 168-foot steeple. The parish was cared for by the Jesuits (1876–1890) and then by Benedictines from Atchison, Kansas (1890–1990) before diocesan priests resumed care. The bell from the early building still rings with the same tones heard by ancestors.
- Address: 700 Division Street, Burlington, Iowa
- Cornerstone laid: October 7, 1883
- Blessed: September 4, 1884
- Steeple height: 168 feet
- Style: Gothic
St. Paul the Apostle Church
St. Paul's is Burlington's original Catholic parish, founded in 1839 by Fr. Samuel Charles Mazzuchelli, OP as the first Catholic church in town. The original building was later expanded into what is now the sanctuary and sacristies of the present church. A second English Gothic church was built in 1863, and the cornerstone of the third and present building was laid October 23, 1892 under the direction of Fr. Bernard Mack; it was dedicated in 1895, designed by J.J. Egan, 'a prince of Church architects.' St. Paul's Church and rectory are contributing properties in the Heritage Hill Historic District, listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
- Address: 508 North 4th Street, Burlington, Iowa
- Founded: 1839
- Current church dedicated: 1895
- Architect: J.J. Egan
- Heritage Hill Historic District, National Register of Historic Places
Ss. Mary & Patrick Church
St. Patrick Parish was founded in 1870 to serve Burlington's growing Irish Catholic community; St. Mary Parish was founded in West Burlington in 1886. Both churches suffered fires within their first 30 years and were rebuilt. The present Ss. Mary & Patrick church on West Mount Pleasant Street was built in 1917. St. Patrick and St. Mary merged in 1999 during Advent, and the final Mass at St. Patrick's was celebrated June 8, 2003 after the building was closed in 2002 due to structural concerns and nearby street construction.
- St. Patrick Parish founded: 1870
- St. Mary Parish founded: 1886
- Present church built: 1917
- St. Mary's and St. Patrick's merged: 1999
- Final Mass at St. Patrick's: June 8, 2003
Parish Office and Contact
The Divine Mercy Parish Office is located at 502 West Mt. Pleasant Street in West Burlington, Iowa 52655. Office hours are Monday through Thursday, 7:30 am to 4:00 pm. The office can be reached by phone at 319-752-6733. Sue Nelson serves as Secretary and Deacon Andrew Reif assists at the parish office.
- Office: 502 W. Mt. Pleasant St., West Burlington, IA 52655
- Phone: 319-752-6733
- Hours: Mon–Thu 7:30 am–4:00 pm
- Secretary: Sue Nelson
- Deacon: Andrew Reif
Vision Statement
The parish's published vision statement reads: 'Divine Mercy Parish desires to be a more unified and welcoming community that embodies Christ.' It is the guiding aspiration for the newly merged community as it brings together four historic worship sites and their people into one family of faith.
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Fr. Samuel Charles Mazzuchelli, OP1839–
Founded St. Paul's, the first Catholic parish in Burlington.
- Father Reffe1852–
First pastor of St. John the Baptist, serving the growing German community.
- Fr. Bernard Mack1892
Directed laying of the cornerstone of the present St. Paul's church.
- Society of Jesus (Jesuits)1876–1890
Cared for St. John the Baptist parish.
- Benedictines of Atchison, Kansas1890–1990
Took over care of St. John the Baptist after the Jesuits withdrew.
- Rev. John Hyland1996–
Pastor of both St. Paul's and St. John's; oversaw their 1997–98 merger into Saints John and Paul Parish.
- Very Rev. Martin G. Goetz, VF2017–
First pastor of Divine Mercy Parish upon its formation June 30, 2017; concurrently remained pastor of St. Mary, Dodgeville.