About Holy Rosary · Medicine Lodge, Kansas
Holy Rosary Catholic Church is a small Catholic parish serving Medicine Lodge, Kansas, and the surrounding Barber County area as one of three linked parishes that together form the 'Catholic Church of Barber County.' It sits in the Diocese of Dodge City and is pastored (along with St. Boniface in Sharon and St. John the Apostle in Kiowa) by Rev. Emmanuel Kosikumah. The parish shares Saturday-evening Mass responsibilities with its sister parishes and operates a joint Parish School of Religion, Altar Society, and Knights of Columbus Council (Medicine Lodge Council #6618).
- Established
- 1954
- Patron
- Holy Rosary (Our Lady of the Rosary)
- Rector
- Rev. Emmanuel Kosikumah
- Diocese
- Diocese of Dodge City (Bishop John Balthasar Brungardt since 2010)
Why belong here
Holy Rosary offers the warmth of a small-town Catholic parish — only about 70 registered households — with a strong network of family-oriented ministries. Parishioners grow in faith together through the Parish School of Religion (PSR) on Wednesday evenings, an active Altar Society, a local Knights of Columbus council (#6618) that supports scholarships and fire-victims relief, youth ministry, adult faith formation, and OCIA (Order of Christian Initiation of Adults) for those exploring the Catholic faith. It is also one of three Barber County parishes that cooperate under a single pastor and joint pastoral council, giving members an unusually tight sense of community across Medicine Lodge, Sharon, and Kiowa.
Mass times at Holy Rosary
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- 30 minutes before each Mass (per weekly bulletin)
- By appointment with Father Emmanuel at 620-886-3596
Parish Identity & Diocese
Holy Rosary Catholic Church in Medicine Lodge, Kansas, is one of three parishes that together make up the 'Catholic Church of Barber County.' It belongs to the Diocese of Dodge City (currently led by Bishop John Balthasar Brungardt) and is pastored jointly with St. Boniface in Sharon and St. John the Apostle in Kiowa. The parish shares a common website and staff with those sister parishes, and a Barber County Pastoral Council coordinates schedules, programs, and ministries across all three.
History of Holy Rosary Parish
Catholic worship in Medicine Lodge goes back to 1867, when Franciscan missionaries were present at the peace treaties, and the first reliably recorded Mass was said by Father Bitters in 1885. After Father Lombardi of St. Boniface served all three Barber County missions from 1909-1917, Medicine Lodge was without its own Catholic church for 35 years. In 1952, Bishop Franz and Father Birzer organized a new parish of 23 families; the church was dedicated on May 23, 1954. Father Bernard Groome became the first resident pastor in 1960, and a larger church and parish hall were dedicated by Bishop Ronald Gilmore on February 20, 2000.
- 1867 — Franciscan missionaries present at peace-treaty signing
- 1885 — First reliably recorded Mass in Medicine Lodge (Father Bitters, at Rudolph home)
- 1909-1917 — Father Lombardi first assigned to serve all three Barber County parishes
- 1952 — Bishop Franz and Father Birzer organize a parish for 23 Catholic families
- Dec 20, 1953 — First Mass at Holy Rosary's new church (Father Jerasa)
- May 23, 1954 — Church formally dedicated by Bishop John B. Franz
- 1960 — Father Bernard Groome becomes first resident pastor; rectory built in 1961
- 1994 — Priest shortage prompts joint-pastor restructuring; Barber County Pastoral Council formed
- May 23, 1999 — Groundbreaking for current church and parish hall (45 years to the day)
- Feb 20, 2000 — New church dedicated by Bishop Ronald Gilmore; original church becomes PSR classrooms
Staff & Clergy
The Catholic Churches of Barber County are led by Rev. Emmanuel Kosikumah as pastor. Fr. Emmanuel can be reached at the parish office (620-886-3596) or his emergency cell (785-656-9108). Operational support is provided by a parish secretary, bookkeeper, director of religious education, and OCIA director.
- Pastor — Rev. Emmanuel Kosikumah (cell 785-656-9108)
- Parish Secretary — Carol Rickie
- Bookkeeper — Brian Withrow
- Director of Religious Education (DRE) — Cheri Dohrmann
- OCIA Director — Diane Seiler
- Chaplain to the Knights of Columbus councils — Rev. Mark Brantley
Faith Formation & Religious Education
The Parish School of Religion (PSR) partners with families to form disciples of Jesus Christ, with classes normally running mid-September through April. For the 2025-26 school year, Holy Rosary and St. Boniface hold joint PSR classes at Holy Rosary on Wednesday evenings from 7:00 to 8:00 pm. The DRE for the joint program is Mrs. Cheri Dohrmann.
- PSR — K-8 faith formation, Wednesdays 7:00-8:00 pm at Holy Rosary (joint with St. Boniface)
- PSR Director — Cheri Dohrmann
- Adult Faith Formation program
- Youth Ministry
- OCIA (Order of Christian Initiation of Adults) — Director Diane Seiler
- 'Becoming Catholic' / 'Catholic Come Home' outreach
Liturgy, Devotions & Other Services
Beyond weekend Masses and scheduled confessions, the parish gathers for seasonal devotions and penance services noted in the weekly bulletin. During Lent, Stations of the Cross are prayed at Holy Rosary on Wednesdays before Mass, with sister parishes holding their own Friday/Thursday observances.
- Stations of the Cross — Wednesdays before Mass at Holy Rosary during Lent
- Lenten Penance Services — scheduled in the weekly bulletin (followed by Mass)
- Community Bible study with local Methodist pastor
- Funeral liturgies coordinated through the parish Funeral Committee
Parish Ministries & Service Organizations
Faith at Holy Rosary is lived out through a tight-knit set of lay organizations. The Altar Society — to which every woman of the parish belongs — cares for the altar, linens, vessels, vestments, candles, and flowers, and supports the parish through dinners and fundraisers. The Knights of Columbus Medicine Lodge Council #6618 promotes charity, unity, fraternity, and patriotism, raising funds for graduating-senior scholarships, religious-education supplies, and immediate-needs donations (including local fire-victims assistance).
- Altar Society — President Rhonda Landwehr; VP Karin Traffas; Secretary Shirley Ditgen; Treasurer Carol Ricke
- Knights of Columbus Council #6618 (Medicine Lodge) — Grand Knight Brian Withrow; meets first Thursday, 7:30 pm at Skipper Hall, 410 W. Kansas Ave, Medicine Lodge
- Sharon Council #2224 — meets second Monday at 7:00 pm, Knights Hall, 412 N. Main, Sharon
- Kiowa Council #7373 — meets third Wednesday, 7:30 pm at St. John Rectory, 920 Main St., Kiowa
- Annual Barber County KofC Golf Tournament across all three councils
- KofC culture-of-life baby showers, Tootsie Roll drives (intellectual disabilities), parish scholarship fundraisers
- Joint Barber County Pastoral Council
Sacraments
The parish site provides dedicated pages for each of the seven Catholic sacraments. Sacramental preparation is arranged through the parish office, and honorarium guidelines are published for celebrations such as weddings and funerals.
- Baptism
- Reconciliation
- Eucharist
- Confirmation
- Matrimony
- Holy Orders
- Anointing of the Sick
- Honorarium Guidelines (for sacraments/services)
Visit, Contact & Getting Involved
Parishioners and visitors can stay connected through Flocknote email/text updates, weekly online bulletins, online giving, and a parish directory. The parish office is staffed at Holy Rosary, 300 Curry Lane, Medicine Lodge, KS 67104.
- Office address — 300 Curry Lane, Medicine Lodge, KS 67104
- Office phone — 620-886-3596
- Email — [email protected]
- Flocknote signup on the home page
- Online giving via the parish site
- Parish registration form
- Funerals information page
- Directions page (barbercountycatholic.org/about-us/directions)
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Father Bitters (of Wellington)1885
Celebrated the first reliably recorded Mass in Medicine Lodge at the home of Charles and Elizabeth Rudolph.
- Father Lombardi (of St. Boniface)1909-1917
First pastor officially assigned to all three Barber County parishes (Sharon, Medicine Lodge, Kiowa).
- Father Birzer (of St. Boniface)early 1952 onward
Helped Bishop Franz organize Holy Rosary for the 23 Catholic families of Medicine Lodge; credited with choosing the parish name due to his devotion to the Rosary.
- Father Jerasa (resident pastor of St. John the Apostle)1953 onward (several years)
Celebrated the first Mass in Holy Rosary's new church on December 20, 1953; served Holy Rosary and St. John jointly for several years.
- Father Bernard Groome1960 onward
First resident pastor of Holy Rosary; moved into the newly constructed rectory in 1961.
- Father Anthony Suellentrop1994-2000 (approx.)
Resident pastor during the 1994 priest-shortage restructuring that united all three Barber County parishes; coined 'Catholic Church of Barber County'; resident pastor at groundbreaking of the new church (May 23, 1999).
- Rev. Emmanuel Kosikumahcurrent
Current pastor of the Catholic Churches of Barber County (Holy Rosary, St. Boniface, St. John the Apostle).