About Holy Family · Odin, Kansas
Holy Family Catholic Parish is a small, historically-rich Catholic community in the unincorporated community of Odin in northeastern Barton County, Kansas. Founded in the 1870s by Moravian and Austrian immigrants, the parish clusters with Immaculate Conception in Claflin and St. Joseph in Ellinwood, sharing a single priest, bulletin, website, and ministries across the rural cluster. Holy Family is part of the Diocese of Dodge City, currently served by Fr. Benjamin Dande, and gathers approximately 115 registered households for Mass each week in its 1899 limestone church — one of the oldest continuously-used Catholic churches in central Kansas.
- Established
- 1878
- Patron
- The Holy Family (Jesus, Mary, and Joseph)
- Rector
- Fr. Benjamin Dande
- Diocese
- Diocese of Dodge City
Why belong here
Holy Family offers what many small-town Kansas parishes cannot — a deeply rooted, multi-generational community still gathering in a historic 1899 limestone church surrounded by farmland. Parishioners worship together three times a week (Tuesday morning, Thursday evening, Sunday morning), serve through the Altar Society and Knights of Columbus Council #2630, and share faith formation, bulletins, and ministries across the Odin–Claflin–Ellinwood cluster. It's the kind of parish where your family name can still appear on a stained-glass ventilator window, and where the priests, deacons, and lay ministers know every household by name.
Mass times at Holy Family
Weekly Mass schedule
Parish History
Holy Family traces its roots to about 1870, when Moravian settlers arrived from Odin, Illinois, and Austrian immigrant Joseph Goetzel is remembered as the founder of the parish. The first small frame church, St. Mary's, was built in 1878 on land donated by John Seus; Father Hundhausen of St. Joseph, Ellinwood came once a month to celebrate Mass. Catholic education began in 1879 in the Seus home, and Father Werner Emmerich became the first resident pastor in 1881, building the rectory, the first school, and beginning the permanent church.
- 1878: First frame church, St. Mary's, built on ten acres donated by John Seus
- 1879: Catholic education begins in a room of John Seus' home
- 1881: Father Werner Emmerich becomes the first resident pastor
- January 5, 1896: Rev. Augustine P. Heimann takes charge of the parish
- May 23, 1899: Bishop Hennessy dedicates the new limestone church; parish renamed Holy Family
- 1908: $20,000 school completed; staffed by the Sisters of St. Dominic
- 1929: Golden Jubilee celebrated under Father Colin T. Niederpruem
- 1951: Holy Family joins the newly created Diocese of Dodge City (Bishop John B. Franz, first bishop)
- 1954: Diamond Jubilee booklet authored by Father Cornelius Leunissen
- 1972: Holy Family High School closes
- 1974: Parish grade school closes
The Church Building & Stained-Glass Windows
The present church is a Kansas-limestone building constructed with stone quarried nine miles northeast of Odin and hauled by parishioners themselves. Its interior features three altars, Stations of the Cross, statues, a baptismal font, pews, a reed organ, and individually sponsored stained-glass windows — each donated at $100 by a parish family. Those art-glass windows were fully refurbished by Hoefer Stained Glass of South Hutchinson, and on a Lenten Friday Bishop Brungardt re-dedicated them in a special rite, blessing each window individually.
- Limestone quarried 9 miles NE of Odin, hauled by parishioners
- Three altars, Stations of the Cross, statues, baptismal font
- Art windows sponsored individually by parish families (each $100)
- Windows restored by Hoefer Stained Glass of South Hutchinson
- Re-dedication by Bishop Brungardt, assisted by Fathers Pascal Klein, Ted Stoecklein and John Forkuoh
Cluster of Parishes: Odin, Claflin & Ellinwood
Holy Family (Odin) is part of a three-parish cluster with Immaculate Conception in Claflin and St. Joseph in Ellinwood. The parishes share one priest, one website (iccholyfamily.com for Odin and Claflin; stjosephellinwood.com for the Ellinwood side), one bulletin, and many joint activities and ministries. The Diocese of Dodge City directory lists Holy Family as one of the cluster parishes, currently served by Fr. Benjamin Dande.
- Holy Family — Odin (Sunday 8:00 am; Tuesday 8:00 am; Thursday 6:00 pm)
- Immaculate Conception — Claflin
- St. Joseph — Ellinwood (Saturday Vigil 5:00 pm; Sunday 9:00 am; Weekday M–F 8:15 am; Confessions Saturday 4:00 pm)
- Shared website, bulletin, online giving and ministry schedules
- Shared pastor, Altar Society, Knights of Columbus councils
Parish Staff & Contacts
Day-to-day parish life is coordinated by Fr. Benjamin Dande (Pastor) and parish secretary Carla Liebl, with Keeley Hipp serving as Director of Religious Education (DRE). The parish office is open Monday through Friday, 8:00 am to 12:00 pm, and can be reached at 620-587-3628 (fax 620-588-3628).
- Pastor — Fr. Benjamin Dande
- Parish Secretary — Carla Liebl (620-587-3628)
- Director of Religious Education (DRE) — Keeley Hipp
- Office Hours — Mon–Fri, 8:00 am – 12:00 pm
- Mailing Address — PO Box 197, Claflin, KS 67525
Liturgical Ministries
The parish actively recruits lay faithful for the liturgical ministries that make Sunday and weekday Mass possible. Training is provided, and Eucharistic Ministers also extend the parish's reach by taking Communion to the homebound, the hospital, and area nursing homes.
- Altar Servers — open to any 4th grader or above; training provided
- Lectors — readers of Sacred Scripture at Mass
- Extraordinary Eucharistic Ministers — distribute the Body and Blood of Christ and bring the Eucharist to the homebound, hospital, and nursing homes
- Hospitality / Greeters — create a welcoming environment for worshippers
- Decorating / Environment Ministry — uses art, symbols, color and texture to mark the liturgical seasons
- Funeral Committee — Altar Society members who prepare and serve funeral meals
Parish Life & Organizations
Outside of liturgy, Holy Family parishioners stay connected through a small set of long-standing parish organizations that also serve the cluster partner parishes in Claflin and Ellinwood. The Welcome Committee reaches out to new parishioners with directories, bulletins, and personal contact.
- Altar Society (Claflin & Odin) — sanctuary care, supplies, cleaning
- Knights of Columbus — Holy Family Council #2630 & Immaculate Conception Council #1500
- Welcome Committee — outreach to new parishioners
- Adopt-a-Seminarian program (KC)
- Commitment to Humanities Tootsie Roll campaign (KC)
- Annual Memorial Day Weekend golf tournament (KC fundraiser)
- Annual Thanksgiving weekend breakfast (KC fundraiser)
- Yearly mixed social (KC fundraiser)
- Free Throw Contest for youth (KC)
- Stations of the Cross during Lent (KC assistance)
Faith Formation & PSR
Religious education for parish children is coordinated across the cluster by Director of Religious Education Keeley Hipp, and is supported financially by the Knights of Columbus Religious Education fund. The parish also hosts Totus Tuus summer programs and other youth events through the cluster.
- Director of Religious Education: Keeley Hipp
- PSR (Parish School of Religion) classes supported by Knights of Columbus Religious Education fund
- Totus Tuus summer program offered through the cluster
- Youth Free Throw Contest (KC-sponsored)
Visiting & Getting Involved
Newcomers are welcomed through the parish Welcome Committee, which provides a parish directory, bulletin, and other materials to help families feel at home. The parish website offers online giving, downloadable bulletins, and a printable ministry schedule so visitors and parishioners can plan their participation in parish life.
- Welcome Committee contacts new parishioners directly
- Online Giving available through iccholyfamily.com
- Current bulletins posted as PDF on the parish website
- Monthly Ministry Schedule (PDF) lists lector, EM, server, and other assignments
- Parish Registration form available on the website
Diocese of Dodge City
Holy Family is part of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Dodge City, which was erected in 1951 from the western portion of the Diocese of Wichita. Its first bishop was Most Reverend John B. Franz, formerly of Springfield, Illinois. The diocesan directory lists Holy Family among its parishes, with 115 registered households, served by Fr. Benjamin Dande as pastor.
- Diocese created in 1951 from the Diocese of Wichita
- First Bishop: Most Reverend John B. Franz
- Diocesan directory: 115 registered households
- Cluster partner parishes in Claflin and Ellinwood
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Father Hundhausen1878
Resident pastor at St. Joseph, Ellinwood; came to Odin once a month to celebrate Mass and built the first small frame church, St. Mary's.
- Father Werner Emmerich1881
First resident pastor at Odin; built the rectory, the first school, and began building the new (stone) church.
- Rev. Augustine P. Heimann1896
Took charge January 5, 1896; renamed the parish from St. Mary's to Holy Family; completed the limestone church (dedicated May 23, 1899) and began the school (completed 1908, staffed by Dominican Sisters). Died 1951.
- Father Colin T. Niederpruemc. 1929
Author of the 1929 Golden Jubilee 'Early Reminiscences' manuscript discovered in the rectory attic; documented the individually sponsored Stations and windows.
- Father Cornelius Leunissenc. 1954
Author of the 1954 Diamond Jubilee booklet that originally claimed the stained-glass windows had come from the Wichita pro-cathedral.
- Bishop John B. Franz1951
First Bishop of the newly created Diocese of Dodge City, which Holy Family joined.
- Sister Andre Kravev, O.P.
Parish life coordinator; discovered the Niederpruem manuscript in the rectory attic that helped resolve the stained-glass window mystery.
- Bishop Brungardt
Re-dedicated the refurbished stained-glass windows in a Lenten Friday rite assisted by Fathers Pascal Klein, Ted Stoecklein and John Forkuoh.
- Fr. Aneesh Parappanattu
Listed by the Diocese of Dodge City as pastor of the cluster parish St. Joseph, Ellinwood at an earlier directory date.
- Fr. Benjamin Dandecurrent
Current pastor of Holy Family (Odin) per the Diocese of Dodge City directory.