About Immaculate Conception Oratory · Marshalltown, Iowa
Immaculate Conception Oratory is a small Catholic worship site in the rural community of Haverhill, Iowa (Marshall County), under the care of St. Francis of Assisi Parish in Marshalltown and the Archdiocese of Dubuque. Established in 1877 by German- and English-speaking farm families, the parish built its present Gothic red-brick church in 1902. Regular weekly Masses ended in July 2007, after which the Archdiocese reclassified the building as an Oratory, with Masses now offered only a few times a year (typically in May and December) and used for funerals and weddings of registered members. It is listed by GCatholic as a mission of St. Henry Church in Marshalltown, now part of the unified St. Francis of Assisi Parish.
- Established
- 1877
- Patron
- Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary
- Rector
- Rev. Alan J. Dietzenbach (Pastor of St. Francis of Assisi Parish, Marshalltown)
- Diocese
- Archdiocese of Dubuque
Why belong here
Immaculate Conception Oratory is a small, historic Catholic worship site preserved for the rural Haverhill community as part of St. Francis of Assisi Parish in Marshalltown. While regular weekly Masses ended in 2007, the Oratory remains a sacramental home for registered members — offering Mass a few times a year (traditionally in May and December) and serving as the setting for funerals and weddings of certified members. Families with roots in the German and English Catholic farming community that founded the parish in 1877 continue to care for the building, and it stands as a tangible link to more than a century of Catholic life in Marshall County. For Catholics in the Haverhill area, it is the place to turn for sacraments tied to this historic parish family; for the broader community, it is a Gothic landmark preserved within the unified St. Francis of Assisi Parish.
Mass times at Immaculate Conception Oratory
Weekly Mass schedule
History of Immaculate Conception, Haverhill
Immaculate Conception traces its roots to a meeting on October 20, 1877, when twelve German-speaking and nine English-speaking Catholic families in the Haverhill area organized a parish. By 1879 they had built a small frame church about a mile west of the present site at a cost of $1,285. When the Chicago, Milwaukee and St. Paul Railway platted the town of Haverhill in 1881, the frame church was moved to its current location. The present Gothic red-brick church was dedicated on October 22, 1902. After 105 years of continuous worship, a final closing Mass was celebrated July 1, 2007.
- 1877 — Parish organized by 12 German- and 9 English-speaking families (Oct 20, 1877)
- 1879 — First frame church built at a cost of $1,285
- 1881 — Frame church relocated to its present site when Haverhill was platted
- 1902 — Present Gothic church dedicated (Oct 22, 1902)
- 1968 — St. Joseph's parochial school closes
- 2007 — Final regular Mass celebrated (July 1, 2007); building reclassified as an Oratory
From Parish to Oratory
In 2007, with the rural Catholic population in Haverhill no longer able to sustain weekly worship, the Archdiocese of Dubuque celebrated a final Mass at Immaculate Conception and reclassified the building as an Oratory. Rather than closing the site outright, the Archdiocese preserved it for occasional use: Masses are offered a few times each year (typically in May and December), and the building is available for funerals and weddings of certified members. The Oratory remains a recognized mission of St. Francis of Assisi Parish in Marshalltown.
- Designated an Oratory by the Archdiocese of Dubuque in 2007
- Masses held each May and December
- Reserved for funerals and weddings of certified members
- Listed as a mission of St. Henry Church, Marshalltown (GCatholic)
Connection to St. Francis of Assisi Parish, Marshalltown
In 2019, Immaculate Conception Oratory, together with St. Henry and St. Mary churches in Marshalltown, was formally unified as St. Francis of Assisi Parish in the Archdiocese of Dubuque. The unified parish operates from the former St. Mary parish office, with St. Henry and St. Mary serving as the active worship campuses. Rev. Alan J. Dietzenbach, formerly pastor of St. Mary's, was named pastor of the unified parish, with associate pastors assisting across all sites.
- Unified in 2019 with St. Henry and St. Mary into St. Francis of Assisi Parish
- Rev. Alan J. Dietzenbach — Pastor
- Rev. Kyle T. Tietz — Associate Pastor
- Parish office: (641) 752-6278
- Parish website: st-francis.net
Architecture and Setting
The present Immaculate Conception Oratory is a Gothic Revival building of red brick with white stone trim, measuring 48 by 118 feet and topped by a tall tower (described in local histories as a 13-story tower). It sits at 101 2nd Street in Haverhill, the small rural community in Marshall County that was platted by the Milwaukee Road in 1881.
- Gothic Revival style
- Red brick with white stone trim
- Dimensions: 48 x 118 feet
- Tall tower; dedicated October 22, 1902
Worship Schedule and Sacraments
Because Immaculate Conception is now an Oratory rather than a full parish church, its worship schedule is intentionally limited. Catholic Mass times directory listings reflect the historic Sunday 8:30 AM Mass that was offered before 2007, while current practice is for Mass to be celebrated only a few times per year, typically in May and December. The Oratory remains available for funerals and weddings of certified members; inquiries should be directed to the unified St. Francis of Assisi Parish office.
- Historic regular Mass: Sunday 8:30 AM (English)
- Current Masses: May and December each year
- Funerals of certified members by arrangement
- Weddings of certified members by arrangement
- Contact: St. Francis of Assisi Parish office, (641) 752-6278
Visiting Haverhill and the Oratory
Haverhill is a small town in Marshall County in central Iowa. Visitors approaching the Oratory typically contact the unified St. Francis of Assisi Parish office in Marshalltown to confirm whether a Mass is scheduled during their visit. The town itself is noted for the Matthew Edel Blacksmith Shop and House, owned by the State Historical Society of Iowa, and for an annual Haverhill Days community celebration.
- Located at 101 2nd St., Haverhill, Iowa 50120
- Marshall County, central Iowa
- Nearby landmark: Matthew Edel Blacksmith Shop and House
- Local event: Haverhill Days