About Holy Trinity · Keota, Iowa
Holy Trinity Parish is a small rural Catholic parish in Keota, Iowa, part of the Diocese of Davenport. Formed in 1992, it is the union of three historic Keokuk County parishes: St. Elizabeth in Harper (dating to 1847), Ss. Peter and Paul in Clear Creek Township (organized in 1860), and St. Mary in Keota (built in 1904). Today Holy Trinity is clustered with St. Mary Parish in Sigourney, with Fr. Robert Lathrop serving as pastor since 2019. The parish worships at the 1950 church at 109 North Lincoln Street in Keota and identifies itself with an agricultural and sacramental heritage rooted in its German Catholic pioneer founders.
- Established
- 1992
- Patron
- Holy Trinity
- Rector
- Rev. Robert Lathrop
- Diocese
- Diocese of Davenport
Why belong here
Holy Trinity offers the warmth of a small, multigenerational rural Catholic community with deep roots in the German Catholic pioneer heritage of Keokuk County, going back nearly 180 years. Worship is centered on the Sacraments and Sacred Scripture, with daily and weekend Mass celebrated in the parish's 1950 church in Keota. As part of a cluster with neighboring St. Mary Parish in Sigourney and supported by committed lay contacts, parishioners find a parish life shaped by an agri-religious work ethic, shared ancestry, and mutual care — a place where everyone knows each other and Catholic identity is lived together across the countryside.
Mass times at Holy Trinity
Weekly Mass schedule
About Holy Trinity Parish
Holy Trinity Parish in Keota, Iowa, is a small rural Catholic community in the Diocese of Davenport that traces its roots to three pioneer-era Keokuk County parishes. The parish today worships at 109 North Lincoln Street in Keota in the 1950 church and is clustered with St. Mary Parish in Sigourney under one pastor. Its self-understanding is rooted in Sacraments, Sacred Scripture, and a shared agricultural heritage among descendants of German Catholic settlers.
- Diocese: Davenport
- Cluster partner: St. Mary Parish, Sigourney
- Address: 109 North Lincoln St., Keota, IA 52248
- Phone: 641-636-3883
Mission Statement
The parish's published mission statement expresses its identity as a rural, sacramental, Scripture-rooted community. It acknowledges the parish's origin in three distinct but kindred congregations and affirms a common Catholic identity, ancestry, and agri-religious work ethic.
- Identity rooted in the Sacraments and Sacred Scripture
- United from three formerly separate parishes
- Common ancestry and agri-religious heritage
History of the Three Founding Parishes
Holy Trinity Parish was formed in 1992 from three earlier Keokuk County parishes, each of which had a long history before the merger.
St. Elizabeth of Hungary — Harper
St. Elizabeth was the first of the three parishes, beginning in 1847 when German Catholic families from Baden, Germany settled 'New Baden' and were visited by itinerant priests. In 1857 they built the first consecrated Catholic church in Keokuk County, dedicated to St. Elizabeth of Hungary. The church was moved to Harper in 1883 to follow the railroad and rededicated there in 1884. Under Fr. Henry Gothe in 1900 a school and convent were built, and St. Elizabeth ran the only Catholic high school in Keokuk County, which closed in 1963 after 63 years. Its grade school closed in 1984. The closing Mass at St. Elizabeth was held on October 18, 2009, with Bishop Martin J. Amos of Davenport presiding and Father Charles J. Fladung as pastor; former pastors Father Robert McAleer, Father H. Robert Harness, and Father Martin Goetz attended, along with Father Robert Striegel, who grew up at St. Elizabeth and was ordained July 14, 1973. The church was filled with people coming to pay tribute to what had been the cornerstone of the Harper Catholic community for 162 years.
- Parish gathering began 1847
- First Catholic church in Keokuk County built 1857
- Church moved to Harper in 1883; rededicated 1884
- Catholic high school in Keokuk County operated 1900–1963
- Grade school closed 1984
- Closing Mass October 18, 2009 with Bishop Martin J. Amos
Ss. Peter and Paul — Clear Creek Township
Catholics in Clear Creek Township bought 20 acres for a church and cemetery in 1857; the first Mass was celebrated in a log structure in 1859 and the parish was organized in 1860. A brick church dedicated to Saints Peter and Paul was built in 1863. The present Gothic-style church was designed by Ferdinand S. Borgolte of Rock Island, Illinois; built by Harry Schroeder of Washington, Iowa; and constructed of brick from Fuller & Schumacher of Muscatine. Bishop Henry Cosgrove of Davenport laid the cornerstone on June 8, 1898 and dedicated the building on April 18, 1899, at a cost of about $10,000. The Sisters of St. Francis of Assisi from Milwaukee taught in the parish school from 1895 to 1902. German was used for sermons and services until anti-German sentiment during World War I ended the practice. The parish school closed in 1966–67 when enrollment fell to 48, the school building was torn down in 1983, and Saints Peter and Paul began sharing a pastor with St. Elizabeth's. The property was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1986 and as a historic district in 2021. The last regular Mass was celebrated June 25, 2006 by Father Marty Goetz, and Bishop Martin Amos approved the sale of the church to the Clear Creek Heritage Association on June 13, 2009.
- 20 acres purchased for church and cemetery in 1857
- First Mass in log structure 1859; parish organized 1860
- First brick church built 1863
- Present church designed by Ferdinand S. Borgolte; cornerstone 1898; dedicated April 18, 1899
- Built for about $10,000 with Muscatine brick
- German used for sermons until World War I
- Lightning struck the bell tower in 1950 with minimal damage
- School closed 1966–67 (48 students); building torn down 1983
- Listed on National Register of Historic Places in 1986; historic district in 2021
- Last Mass June 25, 2006 (Father Marty Goetz)
- Sold to Clear Creek Heritage Association June 13, 2009
St. Mary — Keota
The first record of plans for a Catholic church in Keota dates to April 1877, but those plans never materialized. In 1900, families from Harper and Clear Creek decided to build a church in Keota, and in 1902 they agreed to proceed if thirty families would commit. The resulting church was dedicated to St. Mary in May 1904, and it was established as a mission to Harper on August 4, 1905. Plans for a new church in 1926 stalled at the basement stage due to economic conditions; the basement served as the church until 1950, when the present St. Mary (now Holy Trinity) church and rectory were built. Like the other two founding parishes, St. Mary's became part of Holy Trinity Parish in 1992 under Father H. Robert Harness.
- First plans recorded April 1877
- Church dedicated to St. Mary May 1904
- Established as a mission to Harper August 4, 1905
- Basement-only structure served as church until 1950
- Present church and rectory built 1950
The 1992 Merger and Modern Era
The three parishes — St. Elizabeth (Harper), Ss. Peter and Paul (Clear Creek), and St. Mary (Keota) — were officially dissolved on July 1, 1992 under Father H. Robert Harness and merged to form Holy Trinity Parish. All three church buildings were initially used. As Catholic population and priest numbers in the diocese declined, Holy Trinity was clustered with St. Mary's in Sigourney, and Ss. Peter and Paul (last Mass June 25, 2006) and St. Elizabeth (closing Mass October 18, 2009) were formally closed.
- Holy Trinity Parish formed July 1, 1992 under Father H. Robert Harness
- Clustered with St. Mary Parish, Sigourney
- Ss. Peter and Paul last regular Mass June 25, 2006
- St. Elizabeth closing Mass October 18, 2009 with Bishop Martin J. Amos
Parish Staff
Holy Trinity Parish is currently led by Father Robert Lathrop, who also serves St. Mary Parish in Sigourney and (since 2023) St. Joseph Parish in North English, while remaining administrator of Ss. Joseph & Cabrini Parish in Richland. Parish contacts include Kara Sobaski for Keota and Joellen O'Rourke for Sigourney.
- Pastor: Rev. Robert Lathrop (since 2019)
- Parish contact (Keota): Kara Sobaski — 319-461-4501, [email protected]
- Parish contact (Sigourney): Joellen O'Rourke — 641-622-2316, [email protected]
Father Robert Lathrop — Biography
Fr. Robert Lathrop became pastor of Holy Trinity–Keota and St. Mary–Sigourney in 2019. Born in Orlando, Florida, he moved frequently as his father served in the military. After high school he served in the U.S. military from 1977 to 1995, taking early retirement to pursue undergraduate studies at St. Ambrose University and theology at the University of St. Mary of the Lake / Mundelein Seminary. He was ordained to the priesthood on June 9, 2001 by Bishop William Franklin at Sacred Heart Cathedral in Davenport. His assignments have included parochial vicar roles at Ss. Mary & Mathias–Muscatine (2001–02), Our Lady of Victory–Davenport (2002–04), and All Saints–Keokuk and St. Joseph–Montrose (2004–06); administrator and then pastor of St. Patrick–Georgetown, St. Peter–Lovilia, and St. Patrick–Melrose (2006–09); and pastor of All Saints–Keokuk (2009–2019). In a 2024 Catholic Messenger profile, Fr. Lathrop spoke about learning to share pastoral ministry with lay people and the blessing of having help from Father Wilkening and Father Damian Ilokaba (chaplain at the VA Medical Center in Iowa City).
- Ordained June 9, 2001 by Bishop William Franklin at Sacred Heart Cathedral, Davenport
- Military service 1977–1995
- St. Ambrose University graduate; theology at Mundelein Seminary
- Pastor of Holy Trinity–Keota and St. Mary–Sigourney since 2019
- Also serves St. Joseph–North English and Ss. Joseph & Cabrini–Richland
Cluster Parish — St. Mary, Sigourney
Holy Trinity is clustered with St. Mary Parish in Sigourney under one pastor. St. Mary's church is at 415 East Pleasant Valley, Sigourney, IA 52591 (phone 641-622-2316), and shares Fr. Lathrop with Holy Trinity.
- St. Mary Mass schedule on the cluster website lists Tuesday and Thursday 9:00 AM; Saturday times vary by month; Sunday 10:30 AM
Contact and Visiting
The parish office at Holy Trinity is open Wednesday and Friday from 9:00 AM to 11:00 AM. Because the buildings remain closed outside of Mass times, anyone wishing to enter the church at another time should contact Fr. Lathrop to arrange access.
- Office Hours: Wednesday & Friday, 9:00 AM – 11:00 AM
- Phone: 641-636-3883
- Email: [email protected]
- Address: 109 North Lincoln St., Keota, IA 52248
Heritage Resources
The Sts. Peter & Paul Clear Creek Heritage Association maintains the former Ss. Peter and Paul church and preserves the heritage of Clear Creek Township Catholics. Their site offers additional detail on the parish's history.
- Sts. Peter & Paul Clear Creek Heritage Association website: clearcreekheritageassociation.org/history.html
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Rev. H. Robert Harness1988–1992
Guided the 1992 merger of St. Elizabeth (Harper), Ss. Peter and Paul (Clear Creek), and St. Mary (Keota) into Holy Trinity Parish.
- Rev. Robert McAleer
Shared pastor of St. Elizabeth's, Harper; attended the 2009 closing Mass of St. Elizabeth.
- Rev. Martin (Marty) Goetz2001–2006+
Pastor since 2001; celebrated the last regular Mass at Ss. Peter and Paul on June 25, 2006; attended the 2009 St. Elizabeth closing Mass.
- Rev. Charles J. Fladung
Pastor of Holy Trinity Parish at the October 18, 2009 closing Mass of St. Elizabeth.
- Rev. Robert Striegel
Grew up at St. Elizabeth and was ordained July 14, 1973; attended the 2009 closing Mass.
- Rev. Robert Lathrop2019–present
Born in Orlando, FL; military service 1977–1995; St. Ambrose University and Mundelein Seminary; ordained June 9, 2001 by Bishop William Franklin at Sacred Heart Cathedral, Davenport; became pastor of Holy Trinity–Keota and St. Mary–Sigourney in 2019.