About Holy Family · Eudora, Kansas
Holy Family Catholic Church is a parish of the Archdiocese of Kansas City in Kansas, located in the small town of Eudora, Kansas. Tracing its roots back to 1859, it is among the oldest Catholic communities in the state and is home to what the Kansas State Historical Society identifies as the oldest Catholic church building still standing and in use in Kansas. Today the parish worships at its newer 2015 church at 409 E. Eighth Street while continuing to use the historic 1864 sandstone church — listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2020 — as an adoration chapel and for occasional Masses, weddings and funerals. Under the pastoral leadership of Father Mick Mulvany, Holy Family describes itself as "a growing community of disciples" called to bring the love and compassion of Jesus through ministry, worship and hospitality.
- Established
- 1859
- Patron
- Holy Family (Jesus, Mary, and Joseph)
- Rector
- Rev. Mick Mulvany (Fr. Mick)
- Diocese
- Archdiocese of Kansas City in Kansas
Why belong here
Holy Family is a warm, growing parish where disciples of all ages are formed in faith, fellowship and service. Liturgical life is rooted in weekday and Sunday Mass, Eucharistic Adoration every Thursday morning, and Saturday reconciliation, with the historic 1864 sandstone church offering a quiet place for adoration, first-Saturday Mass and the parish's beloved Christmas community caroling. Parishioners of every stage of life — mothers, fathers, empty nesters, youth, men and women — find a place through ministries such as PREP religious education, the Axios youth group, the Knights of Columbus, St. Theresa's Society, prayer chains, men's and women's groups, the bereavement ministry, the cemetery board, and outreach like Feeding Eudora and the Heart of Christmas.
Mass times at Holy Family
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Saturday 3:00–3:45 PM
- Wednesday 6:00–7:00 PM during Lent
- Anytime by appointment
Adoration times
- Thursday 9:30 AM – 1:30 PM
Parish Identity & Mission
Holy Family Catholic Church in Eudora, Kansas is a parish of the Archdiocese of Kansas City in Kansas whose mission statement reads: "As a growing community of disciples we are called to bring the love and compassion of Jesus by our ministry, worship and hospitality. As a community of faith we are first and foremost nurtured by the meal that we receive at the Eucharistic table." The parish tagline — "Creating disciples, every day" — frames everything from its PREP classrooms to its outreach ministries.
- Parish mission: bringing the love and compassion of Jesus through ministry, worship and hospitality
- Tagline: "Creating disciples, every day."
- Part of the Archdiocese of Kansas City in Kansas
History of Holy Family Parish
The Catholic community of Eudora traces its founding to 1859, when area settlers who had been riding ten miles to Mass in Lawrence — fording the Wakarusa River at Blue Jacket Crossing — asked Bishop John B. Miege for a local missionary. Father Lewis Guenther and then Father Anton Kuhls began celebrating monthly Mass in a Main Street storefront owned by Jewish brothers George and John Andreas. By 1861 the parish had grown to roughly twenty families and resolved to build a sandstone church; it was dedicated in 1864 as the German Church of the Holy Family. A sacristy was added in 1886–1891 and a vestibule and 60-foot steeple in 1897. The parish celebrated its centennial in 1964, and in 1963 a new church and school were built one block away. The old church was restored in 1981 and listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2020. A new parish church at 409 E. Eighth Street was built in 2015 and is the primary site of worship today.
- 1859 — Bishop Miege sends a missionary priest; Masses in a Jewish-owned storefront
- 1864 — Sandstone church completed and dedicated
- 1886–1891 — Sacristy added
- 1897 — Vestibule and 60-foot steeple added
- 1963 — New church and school completed one block away
- 1964 — Parish centennial
- 1970 — Parish school closes
- 1981 — Old church restored
- 2015 — Current parish church built at 409 E. 8th St.
- 2020 — Old church listed on National Register of Historic Places
Historic 1864 Church & National Register
The original 1864 sandstone church at 301 E. Ninth Street (parish records list 311 E. 9th) is recognized by the Kansas State Historical Society as the oldest Catholic church building still standing and in use in Kansas. After 1963 it sat unused until a community-wide restoration in 1981. Today it serves mainly as an adoration chapel, hosts a first-Saturday Mass each month, and is used for weddings, funerals and the parish's communitywide Christmas caroling. It was listed on the Kansas Register of Historic Places on August 1, 2020 and on the National Register of Historic Places on October 2, 2020.
- Oldest Catholic church still standing and in use in Kansas
- Listed on Kansas Register of Historic Places, August 1, 2020
- Listed on National Register of Historic Places, October 2, 2020
- Used as adoration chapel and for first-Saturday Masses
Parish Staff & Clergy
The parish is led by Father Mick Mulvany as Pastor, with Deacon Dave Healy assisting. The lay staff includes a Director of Music & Liturgy, a Director of Religious Education K-6, a Parish Manager, and a Website & Technology coordinator. The parish encourages parishioners to call or text staff members and to reach out by email anytime.
- Fr. Mick Mulvany — Pastor ([email protected])
- Deacon Dave Healy ([email protected])
- Maureen Brogren — Parish Manager ([email protected])
- Prudence Wilson — Director of Religious Education K-6 ([email protected])
- Travis Channell — Director of Music & Liturgy ([email protected])
- Angie Miller — Website & Technology ([email protected])
Religious Education (PREP)
Holy Family runs a Parish Religious Education Program (PREP) for children in kindergarten through sixth grade, with classes held September through May on Sunday mornings. While construction is underway at the church (late May through December), grade-level classes meet in alternate locations such as Eudora Elementary School. First Reconciliation and First Communion preparation is integrated into the second-grade year using the Sadlier Sacraments program, and scholarships are available for families who need them. Catechists and classroom assistants (VIRTUS-trained) are recruited each year.
- Grades K-3 meet Sundays 10:15–11:05 AM
- Grades 4-6 meet Sundays 10:30–11:20 AM
- Registration fee: $50 per child; $65 for 2nd graders
- Sadlier Sacraments for First Reconciliation / First Communion
- Christ In Us curriculum for ongoing formation
- Catechists and assistants needed for 2026/27
Youth Ministry — Axios
Holy Family hosts Axios, its middle and high school youth group open to students in grades 6 through 12. No registration is required and friends are welcome; the group covers a range of faith topics and engages in service projects throughout the year, with contact handled through the youth minister at [email protected].
- Axios youth group for grades 6–12
- No registration required; friends welcome
- Contact: Julia at [email protected]
Liturgical Ministries
Parishioners serve the parish's liturgies in a wide range of roles, from the sanctuary to the entrance. The parish draws on Pope Francis's words to remind acolytes that serving at the altar is a privileged way to draw closer to Jesus, and welcomes children in fourth grade and older as altar servers.
- Acolytes (altar servers, 4th grade and up)
- Lectors
- Eucharistic Ministers
- Music Ministry — cantors, choir and instrumentalists
- Greeters
- Ushers
- Gift Bearers
- Sacristans
- St. Veronica's Ministry — care of altar linens
Prayer Ministries
Prayer is at the heart of parish life at Holy Family. A Prayer Chain keeps a constant vigil for the intentions of parishioners and friends; the Men's Prayer Group helps fathers and husbands grow in their Catholic faith; the Women's Bible Study draws women into a deeper relationship with Jesus through Scripture; and a Liturgical Commission shapes the visual environment of the church across the seasons.
- Parish Prayer Chain
- Men's Prayer Group
- Women's Bible Study
- Pray for the Parish
- Eucharistic Adoration
- Communion to the Hospitalized and Homebound
- Liturgical Commission
Service Ministries
Service ministries put the parish's faith into action — feeding the grieving at funerals, counting the weekly collection, stewarding the parish cemetery, and helping neighbors through local Catholic Charities partnerships like Harvesters food boxes for income-eligible seniors in Douglas County.
- Bereavement Ministry
- Finance Council
- Collection Counters
- Cemetery Board
- Harvesters Food Boxes (Catholic Charities)
- Heart of Christmas (Christmas Giving)
Community Building
Holy Family sees parish life as something to be celebrated and shared. Hospitality Teams welcome new members and host Sunday morning coffee and doughnuts; a Mother's Group plans social and spiritual events for new moms; an Empty Nesters group plans parish activities and excursions; and signature annual events like the fall Parish Picnic and the spring Gaudete Charity Auction bring the parish together.
- Hospitality Team — Sunday coffee & doughnuts, Christmas outreach
- Holy Family Mother's Group
- Empty Nesters
- Knights of Columbus — Mother's Day Brunch
- St. Theresa's Society — Father's Day Brunch
- Parish Picnic (fall)
- Gaudete Charity Auction (spring)
Outreach & Local Mission
The parish extends its mission beyond its walls through hands-on community programs. Feeding Eudora brings volunteers together to prepare and serve meals; Christmas in July collects school supplies for students in DeSoto, Eudora and Linwood; Sharing the Harvest / Truck or Treat gathers the wider community each fall; and the Heart of Christmas program supports neighbors at Christmas.
- Feeding Eudora — summer meal ministry
- Christmas in July — school supply drive for DeSoto, Eudora and Linwood
- Sharing the Harvest / Truck or Treat
- Heart of Christmas
- Invite a Friend to Church Weekend
Parish Cemetery
Holy Family maintains its own parish cemetery, with a Cemetery Board providing leadership on perpetual care, long-term planning and decisions about the resting place of parishioners' ancestors — a role that connects today's community to the German and Irish Catholic families who founded the parish in 1859.
- Cemetery Board appointed by the pastor
- Oversight of perpetual care and long-term planning
Connect & Register
The parish welcomes new members and visitors. Anyone interested in joining or learning more is invited to call or text a staff member, email the office, or use the parish's online registration. The parish office can be reached at (785) 542-2788 or [email protected].
- Phone: (785) 542-2788
- Office email: [email protected]
- Online registration available via the parish website