About Holy Spirit · Carroll, Iowa
Holy Spirit Church, located at 421 E. Bluff Street in Carroll, Iowa, is one of the worship sites of St. John Paul II Catholic Parish in the Diocese of Sioux City. Created in 1964 through the consolidation of Sts. Peter and Paul Parish and St. Joseph Parish on Carroll's southeast side, Holy Spirit began with about 800 families under its first pastor, Msgr. Frank Greteman. In July 2018 it merged with neighboring St. Lawrence Parish to form St. John Paul II Catholic Parish, and on July 1, 2022, four additional rural parishes (Annunciation in Coon Rapids, St. Elizabeth Ann Seton in Glidden, St. Joseph in Dedham, and St. Mary in Willey) were folded in as well. Today Holy Spirit hosts a Saturday Vigil Mass, a Sunday morning Mass, several weekday Masses, and a perpetual Eucharistic Adoration chapel.
- Established
- 1964
- Patron
- Holy Spirit
- Rector
- Fr. Kevin Richter (Pastor of St. John Paul II Parish, which includes Holy Spirit Church)
- Diocese
- Diocese of Sioux City
Why belong here
Holy Spirit Church is the principal Carroll worship site of St. John Paul II Catholic Parish, offering a Saturday Vigil Mass (4:30 PM), a Sunday Mass (9:00 AM), weekday Masses, and one of the few perpetual Eucharistic Adoration chapels in the area — a remarkable grace that has been a hallmark of the parish since Msgr. Mervin Hood's pastorate in the late 1980s. The parish is grounded in decades of Catholic tradition in southeast Carroll, with active ministries for men, women, youth, the homebound, and vocations (Knights of Columbus, Catholic Daughters, Legion of Mary, Ladies Guild, Men's Club, Serra Club). Worshippers also benefit from a longstanding sister-parish relationship with St. John Paul II Parish in Rutledge, Tennessee, and from the parish's connection to the K-12 Kuemper Catholic School System, Carroll's unified Catholic school.
Mass times at Holy Spirit
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Saturday 3:30 PM at Holy Spirit Church
- Tuesday 6:30 PM at Holy Spirit Church
- By appointment — call (712) 792-9244
Adoration times
- Perpetual Adoration at the Holy Spirit Church Adoration Chapel
- Note: Adoration Chapel closes Saturdays at 3:00 PM and reopens Sundays at 12:00 PM (noon) due to weekend Masses
History of Holy Spirit Parish
Holy Spirit Parish traces its roots to two older southeast-side Carroll parishes: Sts. Peter and Paul and St. Joseph. After proposals in 1960 and 1962, Bishop Joseph M. Mueller of the Diocese of Sioux City announced the consolidation on June 17, 1964, effective July 22, 1964. The new parish began with about 800 families under founding pastor Msgr. Frank Greteman, with Rev. Richard S. Ries and Rev. Jerome P. Cosgrove as assistant pastors. The new Holy Spirit Convent at 127 South East Street was completed and dedicated August 16, 1964. In 1965 Msgr. Leo Lenz launched a capital campaign that raised $600,000 in pledges in one Sunday and built the $800,000 church-offices-rectory complex (dedicated August 17, 1969). The parish grew through five more pastorates and, in July 2018, merged with St. Lawrence Parish to form St. John Paul II Catholic Parish; four additional rural parishes followed on July 1, 2022.
The Church Building & Greteman Center
The current Holy Spirit church building was constructed in 1968 and dedicated on Sunday, August 17, 1969. Under Fr. James McCormick's pastorate (1996–2008) the Greteman Center — a parish hall with an enlarged narthex, chapel, family room/nursery, and parish library — was added to the south side of the church. Groundbreaking began in November 1998, and the building was completed in 2000. It is named after Bishop Frank H. Greteman, the fourth Bishop of Sioux City, who had also served as Holy Spirit's founding pastor. The Center is available for all community churches, schools, civic groups, and business meetings. Adjacent to it, the Holy Spirit rectory provides living quarters for resident priests and guest rooms, with a basement meeting room used for parish committee meetings, Sunday school, and quilters.
- Church dedicated August 17, 1969
- Greteman Center completed 2000
- Bishop Frank H. Greteman — 4th Bishop of Sioux City and Holy Spirit's founding pastor
- Center available for community, civic, school, and business use
Kuemper Catholic School System
Holy Spirit School (itself unified with Dedham and Willey parish schools in 1990) consolidated with St. Lawrence School in 1996 to form Kuemper Catholic Grade School (the 'Knights'). By the 2003–2004 school year, all Catholic schools in Carroll County had unified into a single K-12 Kuemper Catholic School System, with Optional Kindergarten through grade 3 housed at the Holy Spirit Center. Msgr. Leo Lenz, Holy Spirit's second pastor, had been the founder and first superintendent of Kuemper High School (1953–1961).
- 1990 — Holy Spirit School unified with Dedham and Willey parish schools
- 1996 — Unified with St. Lawrence School as Kuemper Catholic Grade School
- 2003–2004 — Full K-12 Kuemper Catholic School System formed; K–3 at the Holy Spirit Center
- Msgr. Leo Lenz — founder/first superintendent of Kuemper High School
Our Sister Parish — Rutledge, Tennessee
Around 2011, with the enthusiastic support of Fr. Timothy Johnson, the Parish Council adopted the newly formed St. John Paul II Parish in Rutledge, Tennessee, in the mountainous northeast corner of the state. Holy Spirit continues to support its sister parish with monetary contributions, an annual book-bag collection, and visitation teams.
- Sister parish: St. John Paul II Parish, Rutledge, Tennessee
- Adopted c. 2011 under Fr. Timothy Johnson
- Support: monetary gifts, book-bag drives, visitation teams
International Priests and Religious
Holy Spirit has a notable history of welcoming international clergy and religious. In 1997 Fr. Peter Nguyen, born and raised in Vietnam, became the parish's first minority priest immediately after his ordination. In 2001 Frs. Sunny Dominic ('Father Dominic') and Siby Punnoose ('Father Siby') were brought into the Diocese of Sioux City and assigned to Holy Spirit through Fr. McCormick's missionary contacts; they served eight years. Fr. John Gerald also served at Holy Spirit. Beginning May 31, 2000, three Indian and five Tanzanian sisters of the OSS order (commonly called 'The Holy Spirit Sisters') arrived in Carroll to live at the Holy Spirit Convent and care for the elderly at St. Anthony Nursing Home.
- Fr. Peter Nguyen — first minority priest at Holy Spirit (ordained 1997, Vietnamese-born)
- Frs. Sunny Dominic and Siby Punnoose — served from 2001, eight years
- Fr. John Gerald — assigned to Holy Spirit
- OSS 'Holy Spirit Sisters' from India and Tanzania arrived May 31, 2000
Parish Life & Ministries
The Holy Spirit community is supported by a robust network of lay organizations. The Catholic Daughters of America, Knights of Columbus, Ladies Guild, and Men's Club (which hosts the Fall Breakfast in October and Super Sunday Breakfast) anchor parish social life and service. The Legion of Mary supports prayer gatherings at local nursing homes and facilities, while the Serra Club promotes vocations to the priesthood, diaconate, and religious life. The Carroll County Religious Education Program, directed by Deacon Tim Murphy, serves parish families. The parish also hosts a Catholic Charities Office, and a sister-parish relationship with St. John Paul II Parish in Rutledge, Tennessee.
- Catholic Daughters of America
- Knights of Columbus
- Legion of Mary
- Ladies Guild
- Men's Club (Fall Breakfast in October, Super Sunday Breakfast)
- Serra Club (vocations)
- Carroll County Religious Education Program
- Catholic Charities Office (Carroll)
Clergy & Staff
Holy Spirit Church is now served by the priests of St. John Paul II Catholic Parish. Fr. Kevin Richter, who became Holy Spirit's pastor in 2017, is the pastor of the merged parish; Fr. Patrick Behm and Fr. Shinoj Jose serve as parochial vicars. Five permanent deacons — Alan Loew, Louie Meiners, Tim Murphy, Dave Prenger, and Scott Steffen — minister throughout the parish. The parish office is staffed Monday through Thursday 8:00 AM–5:00 PM and Friday 8:00 AM–2:00 PM; it is located behind St. Lawrence Church in Carroll.
- Pastor: Fr. Kevin Richter
- Parochial Vicars: Fr. Patrick Behm, Fr. Shinoj Jose
- Deacons: Alan Loew, Louie Meiners, Tim Murphy, Dave Prenger, Scott Steffen
- Parish office behind St. Lawrence Church: Mon–Thu 8 AM–5 PM, Fri 8 AM–2 PM
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Msgr. Frank Greteman1964–1965
Founding pastor; had previously served Sts. Peter and Paul Parish; later became the fourth Bishop of Sioux City.
- Msgr. Leo Lenz1965–1978
Returned to Carroll from Fort Dodge; led the $800,000 capital campaign that built the current church (dedicated 1969); founder and first superintendent of Kuemper High School.
- Msgr. Roger Augustine1978–1986
Called to diocesan level in 1986 as Vicar General and Chancellor.
- Msgr. Mervin J. Hood1986–1996
Established perpetual Eucharistic Adoration in the convent chapel; oversaw the addition of kindergarten to the school (1989).
- Fr. James McCormick1996–2008
Former OSS missionary in Tanzania and Germany; led building of the Greteman Center (2000) and brought OSS 'Holy Spirit Sisters' from India and Tanzania to serve at St. Anthony Nursing Home.
- Fr. Timothy Johnson2008–2017
Sixth pastor; assisted by Fr. Tim Boekelman; championed the sister-parish relationship with St. John Paul II Parish in Rutledge, Tennessee (begun c. 2011).
- Fr. Kevin Richter2017–present (as pastor of the merged St. John Paul II Parish)
Took the pastorate one year before the 2018 merger; continues as pastor of the expanded multi-site parish.