About Holy Family · Mitchell, South Dakota
Holy Family Catholic Church is a historic Roman Catholic parish in Mitchell, South Dakota, founded on June 7, 1880. It is one of two parishes that together make up Mitchell Catholic Parishes (the other being Holy Spirit Catholic Church), forming a vibrant Catholic community within the Diocese of Sioux Falls. The parish worships in a striking 1906 Gothic Revival church built of local Spencer granite with a 165-foot cross atop its spire, and the complex — church, school, and rectory — was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1976–1977.
- Established
- 1880
- Patron
- Holy Family (Jesus, Mary, and Joseph)
- Rector
- Fr. Yamato Icochea, PES (priest in solidum / Pastor of Holy Family and Holy Spirit parishes as of July 1, 2025)
- Diocese
- Diocese of Sioux Falls
Why belong here
Holy Family is the older of Mitchell's two Catholic parishes and offers a deep well of community life: a historic Gothic Revival church listed on the National Register of Historic Places, daily and weekend Masses, weekly Eucharistic Adoration on Tuesdays from 8:30 AM to 8:00 PM, a rich liturgical ministry program (ushers, lectors, Eucharistic ministers, altar servers, choir), and outreach to the homebound and the local food pantry. Families and young adults especially will find a home here — Holy Family partners with Holy Spirit to offer Faith Formation K–6, a 7–12 youth ministry, a thriving college ministry called Semper, an annual Peru mission trip, and adult programs such as School of Faith and That Man is You!
Mass times at Holy Family
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Saturday: 3:30 to 4:30 PM
- Or by appointment
Adoration times
- Tuesday: 8:30 AM – 8:00 PM at Holy Family
Parish History
Holy Family Parish began on June 7, 1880, with the first Mass in the settlement of Mitchell, organized by Fr. Hennessy. By 1882 the congregation had built a 37-by-74-foot wood-frame church and rectory for about $7,500, serving 500 parishioners. The present Gothic Revival church was constructed in 1906 of granite quarried at Spencer, SD; A. J. Kings was the lead contractor and the building cost $100,000. Notre Dame Academy opened in 1912 (with additions in 1921 and 1956) and the rectory was added the same year. The Holy Family and Holy Spirit school systems combined in 1999, the former school was demolished in 2005, and a new 7,000-square-foot gathering space opened in 2008.
- Founded June 7, 1880, by Fr. Hennessy
- First church built 1882 (37 × 74 ft, $7,500)
- Current Gothic Revival church built 1906 ($100,000)
- Cross atop the spire rises 165 feet
- Stained glass by Ford Brothers Glass Company, Minneapolis
- Added to the National Register of Historic Places, 1977
- Notre Dame School built 1912; additions in 1921 and 1956
- Holy Family and Holy Spirit schools combined in 1999
Architecture & Historic Designation
The 1906 church is built in the Gothic Revival architectural style of Spencer-quarried granite. Stained glass windows were designed by the Ford Brothers Glass Company of Minneapolis, and the cross atop the spire is 165 feet above the ground. The church, school, and rectory complex is listed on the National Register of Historic Places, and the parish has invested in ongoing restorations — to the steeple, tuck-pointing, and stained glass.
- Gothic Revival style, granite from Spencer, SD
- Lead contractor: A. J. Kings
- Stained glass by Ford Brothers Glass Co., Minneapolis
- Spire cross: 165 feet above ground
- Multiple restorations (steeple, tuck-pointing, stained glass)
Pastorate Leadership & Councils
The Pastorate Leadership Team (PLT) helps the pastor establish priorities and carry out the mission, and includes Fr. Yamato Icochea, Fr. Juan Carlos Villavicencio, Christine Lemmer, John Heemstra, Nicole Fuhrer, Sarah Timmer, and Tonya Meaney. Pastoral and Finance Councils advise on parish life; the Holy Family Pastoral Council includes Tim Goldammer (chair), Maureen Peart, Mary Knippling, Brian Gottlob, Craig Haiar, Stephanie Van Zee, Andy Deinert, and Dean Uher.
- Pastorate Leadership Team (PLT) — meets weekly
- Holy Family Pastoral Council — meets quarterly
- Holy Family Finance Council
- Holy Family Building & Grounds
Mass & Sacrament Schedule
Holy Family offers a full weekly schedule: Saturday Vigil Mass at 5:00 PM, Sunday Masses at 8:30 and 10:30 AM (plus a 5:00 PM Sunday Mass), and weekday Masses Monday and Wednesday through Friday at 8:00 AM. Confessions are heard Saturdays from 3:30 to 4:30 PM and by appointment. The Rosary is prayed 30 minutes before each Mass.
- Saturday Vigil: 5:00 PM
- Sunday: 8:30 AM, 10:30 AM, 5:00 PM
- Weekdays (Mon, Wed–Fri): 8:00 AM
- Confession: Saturday 3:30–4:30 PM, or by appointment
Faith Formation & Religious Education
Faith Formation is offered jointly with Holy Spirit for parish youth and adults. Catechists, class leaders, helpers, and chaperones are always needed, and a Director of Discipleship & Evangelization (with a Director of 7–12 Religious Education on behalf of Pro Ecclesia Sancta) oversees the program. Children's Liturgy of the Word is offered during the 10:30 AM Mass at Holy Family.
- K–6 Faith Formation (with free childcare during School of Faith)
- Children's Liturgy of the Word at the 10:30 AM Mass
- 7–12 Religious Education
- Catechesis of the Good Shepherd program
Youth, College & Young Adult Ministry (Semper)
'Semper' is the youth and young adult ministry of Mitchell Catholic Parishes, run under the priests, brothers, and sisters of Pro Ecclesia Sancta. Semper High School Ministry (grades 7–12) hosts monthly faith and fellowship events plus a high school leadership team. Semper College Ministry meets Tuesday evenings from 7:00 to 8:30 PM in the newly renovated Nazareth Room at Holy Family for college-aged students. Each summer, college-aged youth may apply for the Pro Ecclesia Sancta Mission Trip to the PES Mission Center in the Andes near Arequipa, Peru.
- Semper High School Ministry (@semper_highschool_ministry on Instagram)
- Semper College Ministry — Tuesdays 7–8:30 PM, Nazareth Room, Holy Family (@semper_college_ministry)
- Annual PES Mission Trip to Peru
Liturgical Ministries
Parishioners are encouraged to participate in the Mass through a variety of liturgical roles. Monthly altar server trainings are held during the school year, and adult liturgical roles are open to any registered parishioner.
- Sacristan
- Ushers
- Lectors
- Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion
- Altar Servers (monthly training during the school year)
- Greeters & Gift Bearers
- Liturgical Music (choir, cantors, instrumentalists)
- Environment / Decorating Committee
- Rosary Leader (30 minutes before Mass)
Outreach & Service
Mitchell Catholic Parishes — including Holy Family — have an active outreach footprint in the Mitchell community. The parishes collect food for the Mitchell Food Pantry, deliver Meals on Wheels, and bring Holy Communion to the homebound. Social Concerns raises awareness of current social issues and runs the Love Feast, baby baskets, and visits to the homebound. Holy Family participates in the Mitchell Area Right to Life group, and a Catholic Homeschool Co-op serves families in the parish.
- Meals on Wheels (Marcia Sprinkel, 605-770-2328)
- Mitchell Food Pantry collection in parish breezeways
- Holy Communion to the Homebound
- Social Concerns — Love Feast, baby baskets
- GriefShare support group
- Mitchell Area Right to Life
- Catholic Homeschool Co-op
- Catholic United Financial Local Volunteer Team
Prayer & Devotions
Beyond Mass and Adoration, Holy Family nurtures prayer through several ongoing devotional groups, including a Prayer Chain that receives petitions from parishioners, a Living Rosary in which 20 individuals each pray a daily decade (so the Joyful, Luminous, Sorrowful, and Glorious Mysteries are recited every day), and the Our Lady Rosary Makers who gather monthly to craft rosaries for missions worldwide. Each Lent, youth and young adults present a moving Living Stations of the Cross.
- Prayer Chain (Kathy Domeyer 605-996-7977; Joan Honomichl 605-270-0861; Judi Bartscher 605-770-6145)
- Living Rosary — daily decades by 20 individuals
- Our Lady Rosary Makers — monthly, rosaries for missions (Kathy Northrup 605-770-0943)
- Living Stations of the Cross each Lent
Adult Faith & Men's Groups
Adults are invited to grow in faith through School of Faith on Wednesday evenings from 6:00 to 7:15 PM in the Holy Spirit Gathering Space (with free childcare in the St. John Paul II gym), Bible studies offered throughout the year (including Advent and Lenten studies), and the Men's Group 'That Man is You!' program on Thursday mornings from 6:00 to 7:30 AM at Holy Spirit.
- Adult 'School of Faith' — Wednesdays 6:00–7:15 PM at Holy Spirit (free childcare)
- Bible Studies (Advent, Lenten, book, small group)
- Men's Group — That Man is You! — Thursdays 6:00–7:30 AM at Holy Spirit (Ryan Mueller 605-660-4375, Dean Uher 605-630-3577, Vince Boddicker 605-770-9913)
Visit, Contact & Office Information
The Pastorate Office is located at Holy Family Church, 222 N. Kimball St., Mitchell, SD 57301. The main parish phone is (605) 996-3639, with extension numbers for the pastorate office, business manager, sacrament manager, finance manager, communications director, and director of discipleship and evangelization. The parish email is [email protected], and the unified parish website — covering both Holy Family and Holy Spirit — is mitchellcatholic.org.
- Address: 222 N. Kimball St., Mitchell, SD 57301
- Phone: (605) 996-3639
- Email: [email protected]
- Website: https://www.mitchellcatholic.org/
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Fr. Hennessy1880–
Organized the first Holy Family congregation and celebrated the first Mass in Mitchell on June 7, 1880.
- Fr. Cesar Valencia, PES
Pastor of Holy Family and Holy Spirit parishes, Mitchell (Pro Ecclesia Sancta community). Effective July 1, 2025, relocated to become Pastor of the Our Lady of Victory Pastorate in the Sioux Falls area; remains priest in solidum of the Mitchell parishes.