About Holy Ephiphany · Epiphany, South Dakota
Church of the Epiphany is a small Roman Catholic parish in the unincorporated village of Epiphany in Hanson County, South Dakota (also referenced as the Epiphany-Canova parish because of its proximity to the nearby town of Canova). It is part of the Diocese of Sioux Falls and is grouped into St. Mary Magdalen Pastorate (also called 'Pastorate 16'), a cluster of seven rural parishes in McCook, Hanson, Miner, and Sanborn counties served by one pastor and parochial vicars. Mass is celebrated in the historic church at 106 Jackson Street, and the parish shares its bulletin and faith-formation staff with sister parishes in Salem, Montrose, Humboldt, Bridgewater, Emery, and Alexandria.
- Established
- 1887
- Patron
- The Epiphany of the Lord
- Rector
- Rev. Melvin Kuhn
- Diocese
- Diocese of Sioux Falls (St. Mary Magdalen Pastorate / Pastorate 16)
Why belong here
Church of the Epiphany offers faithful Catholics in rural Hanson County a quiet, traditional place to worship and a centuries-old Catholic presence in their community. As one of the seven parishes of St. Mary Magdalen Pastorate, Epiphany members benefit from shared clergy, faith formation, youth ministry, a weekly bulletin, and joint devotional studies such as the parish-run Fulton Sheen book study. The parish also maintains a historic cemetery and is rooted in the extraordinary legacy of Father William Kroeger, the 'Doctor-Priest' who is buried under a large stone cross in the parish cemetery.
Mass times at Holy Ephiphany
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- After Mass until all are heard (parish-specific Sunday practice for Epiphany, per St. Mary Magdalen Pastorate bulletin)
Parish Identity & Pastorate Membership
Church of the Epiphany is a small rural parish of the Diocese of Sioux Falls, located in the unincorporated village of Epiphany in eastern Hanson County, South Dakota, near the larger town of Canova. The parish is administered as part of 'St. Mary Magdalen Pastorate' (also called Pastorate 16), a grouping of seven Catholic parishes across McCook, Hanson, Miner, and Sanborn counties created so that one team of priests can keep Mass available in each of the small farming communities. The six sister parishes are St. Mary of Mercy (Alexandria), St. Stephen (Bridgewater), St. Martin of Tours (Emery), St. Ann (Humboldt), St. Patrick (Montrose), and St. Mary, Help of Christians (Salem). For administrative purposes the parish's mailing address is in Salem, and the main office phone line is shared across the pastorate.
- Parish name: Church of the Epiphany (Epiphany, SD)
- Diocese: Sioux Falls
- Pastorate: St. Mary Magdalen / Pastorate 16
- Sister parishes: 6 (Alexandria, Bridgewater, Emery, Humboldt, Montrose, Salem)
History & Heritage
The parish was founded in 1887, in the era when Bishop Martin Marty was organizing Catholic ministry across the new Dakota Territory settlements. The village of Epiphany itself was named by Bishop Marty between 1889 and 1892. The parish's most remarkable chapter is tied to Father William Kroeger, a Catholic priest and licensed physician who in 1893 established the village's first laboratory and a renowned healing center that attracted 300–400 patients at a time from around the United States and abroad. Father Kroeger claimed a cure for skin cancer and operated the first hand-operated X-ray machine in South Dakota (later sold to the city of Sioux Falls). He also supplied Epiphany with its first electric light plant, water works, and artificial ice plant, and published the local newspaper 'Kroeger Echo' starting in April 1903. In 1899 he resigned his priestly duties to practice medicine full-time, was reinstated as a priest in 1904, and died on December 8, 1904, at age 52; he was buried in the parish cemetery beneath a large stone cross with full priestly honors.
- Founded: 1887 (per GCatholic)
- Village of Epiphany named by Bishop Martin Marty, 1889–1892
- Father William Kroeger, the 'Doctor-Priest,' served the parish and is buried in Epiphany cemetery
Clergy & Staff
Mass and sacraments at Church of the Epiphany are provided by the clergy team of St. Mary Magdalen Pastorate. The current pastor is Rev. Melvin Kuhn, supported by parochial vicars. The Diocese of Sioux Falls priest directory lists Rev. Melvin Kuhn as pastor and Rev. Steven Jones as parochial vicar across all seven parishes of the pastorate. Pastorate bulletins from 2023 and 2024 also name Rev. William Hamak and Rev. Robert ('Bob') Krantz as parochial vicars during that period. Faith formation, youth ministry, and discipleship for Epiphany and the surrounding parishes is coordinated by Maggan Krempges, and the weekly pastorate bulletin is compiled by Vicky Huls.
- Pastor: Rev. Melvin Kuhn — [email protected] — 605-425-2600
- Parochial Vicar: Rev. Steven Jones
- Pastoral Vicars (2023–2024 bulletins): Rev. William Hamak, Rev. Robert 'Bob' Krantz
- Discipleship & Evangelization / Faith Formation: Maggan Krempges — [email protected] — 605-425-2600
- Bulletin editor: Vicky Huls — [email protected]
Parish Office, Address & Contact
The parish's physical address is 106 Jackson Street, Epiphany, SD 57349, situated in Hanson County near Canova. Because the parish is administered as part of a larger pastorate, its mailing address and phone are centralized: mail should be directed to P.O. Box 308, Salem, SD 57058, and the main parish phone line is 605-425-2600. The general email inbox is [email protected]. The official diocesan parish page is hosted at sfcatholic.org (the URL provided) and the current weekly bulletin is published online through the sister parishes' websites.
- Street address: 106 Jackson St., Epiphany, SD 57349
- Mailing: P.O. Box 308, Salem, SD 57058
- Phone: 605-425-2600
- Email: [email protected]
- Diocesan page: sfcatholic.org/parishes/epiphany-canova/
Sacraments & Devotions
Arrangements for Baptism, the Anointing/Care of the Sick, Marriage, and the Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults (RCIA) are made by contacting the parish priest, per the standing notice in the St. Mary Magdalen Pastorate bulletin. The pastorate also runs a 7-Week Women's Book Study using Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen's 'Victory Over Vice & The Seven Virtues,' meeting at sister parishes in Salem and Montrose and welcoming Epiphany parishioners; Holy Days of Obligation are announced in the bulletin.
- Baptism — contact parish priest
- Marriage — contact parish priest
- Anointing / Care of the Sick — contact parish priest
- RCIA — contact parish priest
- Women's Book Study (Fulton J. Sheen) — 7 weeks, pastorate-wide
Faith Formation, Youth & Community Life
Faith formation and family discipleship for the Epiphany area are coordinated across the pastorate by Maggan Krempges ([email protected], 605-425-2600). Recent bulletins recognized high-school seniors from Church of the Epiphany alongside seniors from St. Patrick and St. Mary parishes, including altar servers honored by the McCook Central Knights of Columbus Council — reflecting the close youth-ministry partnership among the rural parishes. The Epiphany Lady's Altar Society also has a long historical footprint in the community; the society is named on the 1975 South Dakota State Historical Marker that commemorates the founding of the town of Epiphany.
- Faith Formation & Family Discipleship: Maggan Krempges
- Altar Society (Epiphany Lady's Altar Society) — historical and continuing role in parish life
- Knights of Columbus (McCook Central Council) — partners with parish youth ministry
The Epiphany Cemetery
The parish maintains the historic Epiphany Cemetery, which sits in the village of Epiphany alongside and behind the church grounds. The cemetery is the final resting place of Father William Kroeger, the nineteenth-century 'Doctor-Priest,' whose grave is marked by a large stone cross; his 1904 funeral is remembered as having been carried out with the full honors of a Catholic priest.
- Located in the village of Epiphany, Hanson County
- Burial site of Father William Kroeger (1852–1904)
Getting Involved
Parishioners and visitors can engage with Church of the Epiphany through Sunday or Thursday Mass, by contacting the priest for any of the sacraments, or by participating in the pastorate's shared ministries — faith formation, the women's book study, or Knights of Columbus service. The Epiphany Lady's Altar Society offers an additional longstanding avenue for lay involvement. Weekly bulletin items and announcements are coordinated through the centralized office (Vicky Huls, [email protected], with submissions due Mondays at 2:00 pm).
- Attend Sunday 11:00 AM or Thursday 10:00 AM Mass
- Contact the parish priest for sacraments (Baptism, Marriage, Anointing, RCIA)
- Join the women's book study or faith-formation team
- Submit bulletin items by Monday at 2:00 pm to [email protected]