About Holy Family · Mondamin, Iowa
Holy Family Parish is a small Catholic community serving the rural town of Mondamin in western Iowa's Harrison County, part of the Diocese of Des Moines. Officially incorporated under the name 'Holy Family Church of West Harrison County, Iowa,' it is one of four parishes in the local 'Parish Family #1' cluster along with Sacred Heart (Woodbine), St. Patrick (Missouri Valley), and St. Anne (Logan). The parish gathers for Sunday Mass at 307 Mulberry Street, with day-to-day pastoral life coordinated by Deacon Dennis Lovell under a priest moderator.
- Patron
- Holy Family (Jesus, Mary, and Joseph)
- Rector
- Rev. Samuel Danso (Priest Moderator, appointed December 2024 for a one-year term)
- Diocese
- Diocese of Des Moines
Why belong here
Holy Family Parish welcomes Catholics in the Mondamin area to celebrate Mass, receive the sacraments, and join a tight-knit rural faith community in the Loess Hills of western Iowa. Under the day-to-day coordination of Deacon Dennis Lovell and the priestly care of Rev. Samuel Danso, the parish offers weekly Sunday Mass, monthly confession, religious education, liturgical music, and the support of the wider Mo Valley Catholics pastoral family. It is a place where Harrison County families can worship close to home while remaining connected to the broader Diocese of Des Moines.
Mass times at Holy Family
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- First Sunday of the month — 10:00 a.m.
Parish Identity & Patron
Holy Family Parish takes its name from the Holy Family of Jesus, Mary, and Joseph, whose feast the universal Church celebrates on December 30. As 'Holy Family Church of West Harrison County, Iowa,' the parish has a special identity as a rural Catholic community serving the western part of the county.
- Patron: The Holy Family (Jesus, Mary, and Joseph)
- Feast Day: December 30
- Corporate name: Holy Family Church of West Harrison County, Iowa
Clergy & Parish Leadership
Because Holy Family is a small rural parish, it is currently shepherded by a priest moderator who also pastors neighboring parishes, with day-to-day parish life coordinated by a permanent deacon.
- Priest Moderator: Rev. Samuel Danso (appointed December 2024 by Bishop William Joensen for a one-year term; continues as pastor of St. Patrick, Dunlap, and Sacred Heart, Woodbine)
- Deacon / Director of Parish Life: Rev. Mr. Dennis Lovell (since May 2020; also serves as Deacon at St. Anne Parish, Logan)
- Ministry Schedule & Bulletin Editor: Ruth Zahner
- Liturgy Coordinators: Ruth Zahner and Christine Hussing
- Music Minister: Ruth Zahner
- Catechetical Leader: Sheila Kerlin
Mass & Sacrament Schedule
Holy Family gathers for Sunday Mass each week, with the sacrament of Reconciliation offered monthly and Holy Day Masses scheduled as the liturgical calendar requires. Visitors are warmly welcomed at the parish's Mulberry Street location.
- Sunday Mass: 10:30 a.m.
- Holy Day Mass: varies (see bulletin)
- Reconciliation (Confession): First Sunday of the month at 10:00 a.m.
- Weekday Mass: not regularly scheduled at this parish
Religious Education & Faith Formation
Faith formation for the parish's children and youth is coordinated locally with the support of the Diocese of Des Moines' parish religious education network. The parish's religious education contact is Deacon Dennis Lovell, who can connect families with the catechetical leader, Sheila Kerlin.
- Parish RE contact: Deacon Dennis Lovell
- Catechetical Leader: Sheila Kerlin (Modale, IA)
- Diocesan listing under: Mondamin – Holy Family Church
Liturgy & Music
Liturgy preparation and music ministry at Holy Family are led by dedicated lay parishioners who coordinate Sunday worship and the parish bulletin.
- Liturgy Coordinators: Ruth Zahner and Christine Hussing
- Music Minister: Ruth Zahner
- Bulletin & Ministry Scheduling: Ruth Zahner
Parish Family & Mo Valley Catholics
Holy Family is one of four parishes in the Diocese of Des Moines' Parish Family #1 deanery cluster in the Missouri River valley. The parishes collaborate through the Mo Valley Catholics grouping, sharing priests, deacons, and ministry resources across Harrison and neighboring counties.
- Sacred Heart Parish, Woodbine
- Holy Family Parish, Mondamin
- St. Patrick Parish, Missouri Valley
- St. Anne Parish, Logan
- Mo Valley Catholics shared ministry hub: movalleycatholics.wordpress.com
Contact & Visiting
Parishioners and visitors can reach Holy Family through its Mulberry Street address or by contacting Deacon Lovell, the Director of Parish Life. The parish shares contact information with its cluster partner St. Patrick, Missouri Valley through a unified parish email.
- Address: 307 Mulberry Street, Mondamin, IA 51557
- Parish Phone: (402) 689-8940
- Parish Email: [email protected]
- Deacon contact: [email protected]
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Rev. Felix Onuora
Earlier administrator/official of the parish corporation.
- Rev. Joel McNeilpre-2020
Canonical administrator; based in Dunlap while serving Holy Family.
- Rev. Samuel DansoDecember 2024–present
Appointed by Bishop William Joensen as priest moderator for a one-year term while continuing as pastor of St. Patrick, Dunlap, and Sacred Heart, Woodbine.
- Rev. Mr. Dennis LovellMay 2020–present
Director of Parish Life, while also serving as Deacon at St. Anne Parish, Logan.