About Holy Name · Rock Rapids, Iowa
Holy Name Catholic Church is a small Roman Catholic parish serving the farming community of Rock Rapids, the county seat of Lyon County in far northwest Iowa. The parish is one half of the Holy Mary Cluster — a paired-parish arrangement with St. Mary's Catholic Church in neighboring Larchwood — under the Diocese of Sioux City. Worship at Holy Name centers on a Sunday morning Mass together with brief early-morning weekday Masses on Wednesdays and Fridays, fitting the rhythm of a tight-knit rural congregation that gathers faithfully around the altar each week.
- Established
- 1912
- Patron
- Holy Name of Jesus
- Rector
- Rev. Francis Makwinja
- Diocese
- Diocese of Sioux City
Why belong here
Holy Name Catholic Church offers a faithful, small-town Catholic home in Rock Rapids, where parishioners are known by name and welcomed into a worshipping community that gathers around Sunday Mass and a true Eucharistic weekday rhythm. Newcomers can register with a simple form, parents can walk their children through sacraments, adults can journey into the Church through the parish RCIA program (September to Easter), and men and women can plug into long-standing parish organizations including the Holy Name Men's Group and the Women's Organizations. As part of the Holy Mary Cluster, parishioners also share the resources, ministries, and faith-formation programs of sister St. Mary's in Larchwood — a real, rooted Catholic life in rural Lyon County.
Mass times at Holy Name
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Sunday 8:00–8:25 AM (half hour before Mass)
- Or by appointment with the pastor
Adoration times
- Adoration is scheduled at the partner site, St. Mary's, Larchwood (see the parish calendar)
Holy Mary Cluster — Two Parishes, One Family of Faith
Holy Name Catholic Church in Rock Rapids and St. Mary's Catholic Church in Larchwood form the Holy Mary Cluster, a single pastoral community serving the Catholic faithful of eastern Lyon County. The two parishes share one pastor — Rev. Francis Makwinja — one bulletin, one combined calendar, and joint faith-formation and volunteer-ministry programming. Holy Name's worship address is 1108 S. Carroll St., Rock Rapids; St. Mary's worship address is 1030 Blaine Ave., Larchwood. Day-to-day parish office and rectory calls are routed through the St. Mary's office and rectory at 712-477-2273.
- Holy Name Parish — 1108 S. Carroll St., Rock Rapids, IA 51246
- St. Mary's Parish — 1030 Blaine Ave., Larchwood, IA 51241
- Cluster Office & Rectory: 712-477-2273 (fax 712-477-2162)
- Cluster email: [email protected]
Clergy & Pastoral Staff
Holy Name is currently led by Rev. Francis Makwinja, the cluster's pastor. A retired deacon also assists with parish ministry in the cluster. Pastoral inquiries (Baptism, Marriage, Anointing of the Sick, home visits) are routed through the cluster office at 712-477-2273 or the Holy Name parish office at 712-472-3248.
- Pastor — Rev. Francis Makwinja (born in Malawi, ordained August 1997)
- Pastor Office/Rectory — 712-477-2273
- Deacon (retired) — Jeff Gallagher, 712-477-2405
- Holy Name Parish Office — 712-472-3248
- Cluster email — [email protected]
Becoming Catholic & Joining the Parish
The parish warmly welcomes newcomers. Registration forms are available at the main entrance of church, by contacting the parish office, or by downloading a membership form from the parish website. Adults who want to learn more about the Catholic faith or become Catholic are invited into the parish's RCIA program, which runs each year from September through Easter; contact the pastor for details.
- Newcomer registration — paper form at church entrance, or downloadable on website
- RCIA (Adult Inquiry) — September to Easter, contact the pastor
- Parish financial information available on request from the parish office
Sacraments
Holy Name prepares parishioners for the seven sacraments according to the pastoral needs of the cluster. Parents should contact the pastor to schedule a Baptism and to obtain the Baptism Register form. Couples planning to marry at Holy Name should contact the pastor at least nine months in advance of the wedding date. Adults who are unbaptized, baptized in another Christian tradition, or Catholic but uncatechized are welcomed through the parish RCIA process each year.
- Baptism — contact pastor (Baptism Register form on parish website)
- Marriage Preparation — contact pastor at least 9 months prior
- RCIA — runs September to Easter, contact pastor
- Reconciliation — Sunday 8:00–8:25 AM or by appointment
- Anointing of the Sick / Communion calls — by request through the parish office
Faith Formation & Religious Education
Religious Education is organized at the cluster level, drawing children and families from both Holy Name and St. Mary's into shared catechetical programming. The cluster also subscribes to FORMED.org, a digital Catholic media library of study programs, films, audio talks, and e-books for parishioners of all ages. Adults wishing to deepen their faith beyond RCIA are encouraged to use the parish's FORMED subscription, which is available through the parish website.
- Cluster-wide Religious Education for children and youth
- FORMED.org parish subscription for at-home study
- RCIA for adults and older teens
Parish Ministries, Organizations & Volunteer Life
A healthy lay culture is at the heart of Holy Mary Cluster life. The cluster publishes a monthly Volunteer Ministry Schedule that fills lector, Eucharistic minister, usher, sacristan, and other liturgical roles across both parishes. Long-standing parish organizations include the Holy Name Men's Group and the cluster's Women's Organizations, which support the parish through fellowship, service projects, and fundraising.
- Volunteer Ministry Schedule (lectors, EMHCs, ushers, sacristans, etc.)
- Holy Name Men's Group
- Women's Organizations (cluster-wide)
- Parish Hall rental — available for community events
Support & Giving
Holy Name gives parishioners several ways to support the mission of the Church. In addition to regular envelope giving to the parish, members can direct AmazonSmile purchases to benefit Holy Name at no extra cost, and parishioners can request a parish financial report from the parish office. Sacramental preparation, programs, and facilities are funded through the generosity of registered parishioners and visitors.
- Parish envelopes / regular collection
- AmazonSmile giving (linked via parish website)
- Parish financial report — available on request from the parish office
Forms & Parish Documents
The cluster's website gathers the key forms a parishioner or visitor might need into a single downloads page. Parishioners can register as members of either parish, fill out a baptism register form, or reserve the parish hall for an event with the corresponding policies and forms.
- Holy Name member registration form
- St. Mary member registration form
- Baptism Register form
- Holy Name Parish Hall Rental Policy & Form
- St. Mary Parish Hall Rental Policy & Form