About Immaculate Conception · North Buena Vista, Iowa
Immaculate Conception Parish is a small Roman Catholic parish in the unincorporated community of North Buena Vista in Clayton County, northeastern Iowa. It is one of three linked parishes — together with St. Mary in Guttenberg and St. Joseph in Garnavillo — that share one pastor and serve the rural Mississippi River region under the Archdiocese of Dubuque. The parish was incorporated in 1912 and today offers Sunday Mass at 8:30 a.m. in its church at 218 Main Street, supports the regional St. Mary Immaculate Conception Catholic School in nearby Guttenberg, and works closely with neighboring parishes on faith formation, sacramental preparation, and community life.
- Established
- 1912
- Patron
- Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary
- Rector
- Fr. Paul Kwaku Ameyaw
- Diocese
- Archdiocese of Dubuque
Why belong here
Immaculate Conception is a small, welcoming rural parish that shares its priest, deacon, and faith-formation staff with neighboring St. Mary (Guttenberg) and St. Joseph (Garnavillo) parishes, giving members strong sacramental and community support across three Mississippi River towns. Sunday Mass is celebrated locally at 8:30 a.m., and parishioners benefit from access to confession, Eucharistic adoration, RCIA, and a regional Pre-K–8 Catholic school. New families and individuals are explicitly invited to register with the parish family, and ministry, religious education, and sacramental preparation are coordinated cooperatively across the linked parishes.
Mass times at Immaculate Conception
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Friday 9:00 am – 9:45 am at St. Mary, Guttenberg (linked parish)
- Confessions also before the 8:30 am Sunday Mass at Immaculate Conception and available by appointment
Adoration times
- Last Wednesday of each month, 9:00 am – 7:00 pm at St. Mary, Guttenberg (linked parish)
About Immaculate Conception Parish
Immaculate Conception Parish is the Catholic congregation of North Buena Vista, Iowa, a small Mississippi River community in Clayton County. It is one of three parishes — St. Mary (Guttenberg), Immaculate Conception (North Buena Vista), and St. Joseph (Garnavillo) — that together form a single linked pastorate sharing a pastor, deacon, and parish office. The parish was incorporated on January 25, 1912 and is part of the Archdiocese of Dubuque. New families and individuals are explicitly invited to join the parish family and to register through the rectory; members are asked to notify the rectory of any address changes or departure from the parish.
- Location: 218 Main St., North Buena Vista, Iowa 52066
- Diocese: Archdiocese of Dubuque
- Incorporated: January 25, 1912
- Pastoral style: part of a three-parish linked pastorate
History of the Parish and Its Region
Immaculate Conception was formally organized in 1912 as a separate parish serving the small community of North Buena Vista. From the start it was closely tied to St. Mary Parish in nearby Guttenberg, whose first parish church (1851) was the first in Clayton County. In 1968, Immaculate Conception's school-age students, furniture, and materials were consolidated into St. Mary School in Guttenberg — a transition led by Sister Imogene, then a teacher at Immaculate Conception. Combined religious education classes for high-school students and for public-school students from both parishes have continued to this day, and the linked parishes now jointly support St. Mary Immaculate Conception Catholic School in Guttenberg.
- 1851 — St. Mary, Guttenberg, becomes first parish church in Clayton County
- 1870 — Franciscan Sisters of Perpetual Adoration begin teaching at St. Mary School
- 1912 — Immaculate Conception, North Buena Vista, is formally incorporated
- 1968 — Immaculate Conception's school consolidates with St. Mary School in Guttenberg
- Today — three-parish linked pastorate and shared regional Catholic school
Parish Staff and Clergy
Immaculate Conception shares its pastoral team with the linked parishes of St. Mary (Guttenberg) and St. Joseph (Garnavillo). The parish is currently served by Fr. Paul Kwaku Ameyaw as pastor and Deacon James Pfaffly. Parish office operations are coordinated through Lisa Kies, and Mary Breitbach serves as bookkeeper/treasurer. Judy Hefel is the Coordinator of Religious Education for Immaculate Conception Parish. (Earlier linked-parish materials list Fr. Marvin Bries as the prior pastor.)
- Pastor: Fr. Paul Kwaku Ameyaw — 563-252-1247 / 563-880-6017
- Deacon: James Pfaffly — 563-880-9696, [email protected]
- Office Secretary: Lisa Kies — 563-252-1247
- Bookkeeper / Treasurer: Mary Breitbach
- Coordinator of Religious Education (IC): Judy Hefel
Faith Formation, School, and Religious Education
Immaculate Conception families participate in the religious-education and Catholic-school life of the linked parishes. Judy Hefel coordinates Religious Education for Immaculate Conception, while the three parishes share faith-formation programs, combined classes, and RCIA. The linked parishes also support St. Mary Immaculate Conception Catholic School, a Pre-K through Grade 8 school in Guttenberg with a long tradition of Catholic academic and spiritual education dating back to 1853.
- Religious Education for Immaculate Conception coordinated by Judy Hefel
- Combined parish religious education classes for high-school youth and public-school students
- RCIA / 'Journey in Faith' for adults seeking to become Catholic
- St. Mary Immaculate Conception Catholic School (Pre-K–8), Guttenberg
Sacraments
Immaculate Conception offers the full range of parish sacraments, with arrangements made through the rectory. Baptisms and funerals are scheduled through the parish office; marriages require contacting the priest at formal engagement and beginning preparation at least six months before the wedding. Anointing of the Sick and visits to the homebound or hospitalized are provided on request by calling the rectory.
- Baptism — arrangements at the rectory
- First Eucharist and Confirmation — through parish Religious Education
- Marriage — contact priest at formal engagement, minimum 6 months' preparation
- Anointing of the Sick / Sick Calls — call the rectory (252-1247)
- Funerals — arrangements at the rectory
- RCIA — for unbaptized adults and those entering full communion with the Catholic Church
Parish Life, Pro-Life, and Outreach
The linked parishes invite participation in parish life beyond weekend Mass, including the Pro-Life apostolate (the website highlights 'What is Pro Life?') and ministry to the sick and homebound. The parish website also features resources such as the 'Bridges Transition Model' video for parishioners navigating change, and points new inquirers to contact the pastor about becoming Catholic.
- Pro-Life ministry and education
- Visits to the sick, elderly, and homebound
- RCIA and Journey in Faith for inquirers
- Parish bulletins published weekly at St. Mary and shared across the pastorate
- Linked-parish cooperation on faith formation, sacramental prep, and Catholic-school support
Visiting, Address, and Contact
Immaculate Conception Church sits at 218 Main Street in North Buena Vista, a small community on the Great River Road in northeastern Iowa. The parish shares office staff and mailing operations with St. Mary in Guttenberg (520 S. 2nd St., Guttenberg, IA 52052), which serves as the administrative center for the linked pastorate. Visitors and newcomers are encouraged to contact the parish office to register or to inquire about becoming Catholic.
- Address: 218 Main St., North Buena Vista, IA 52066
- Parish / rectory phone: 563-252-1247
- Parish office (via Lisa Kies): [email protected]
- Pastor mobile: 563-880-6017
- Deacon James Pfaffly: 563-880-9696, [email protected]