Immaculate Conception

About Immaculate Conception Parish

Immaculate Conception is a Catholic parish in downtown Watertown, South Dakota, rooted in the city since 1881 and part of the Diocese of Sioux Falls. Its mission statement — 'A family of faith, fully alive in Christ, journeying to heaven' — reflects a community built around the Eucharist, the sacraments, and intentional missionary discipleship. The parish now shares its day-to-day ministry with six sister parishes through the Ave Maria Pastorate.

History

Immaculate Conception has served Watertown Catholics since 1881. Under prior clergy the parish grew steadily, eventually filling its Sunday pews and its youth catechism programs. Around 2020, then-pastor Father Richard Fox and the staff recognized that growth had plateaued and pivoted toward missionary discipleship, launching 'The 99' series and rebuilding youth faith formation around the family. The COVID-19 pandemic accelerated that change.

• Parish founded in 1881 (per GCatholic).
• Pre-2020 parish life featured full prayer groups, full youth catechism classes, and 300+ attendance at large events.
• March 2020: Pandemic prompts cancellation of publicly-attended Masses and the first parish changes.
• Fall 2021: New family-based youth ministry launches, with parents and children gathering on the first Wednesday of each month.
• Diocesan statistic cited by the parish: 85% of Catholic youth leave the faith in high school or college.

Ave Maria Pastorate

Immaculate Conception is one of seven parishes that came together as the Ave Maria Pastorate under Bishop DeGrood's 'Set Ablaze' pastoral plan for the Diocese of Sioux Falls. In Watertown, Immaculate Conception shares ministry with Holy Name of Jesus; the other member parishes are Blessed Sacrament (Florence), Holy Rosary (Kranzburg), St. Michael (Clark), St. Henry (Henry), and St. Mary (Bryant). The pastorate's logo uses seven stars to mark the geographic locations of these communities.

• Blessed Sacrament — Florence
• Holy Rosary — Kranzburg
• St. Henry — Henry
• St. Michael — Clark
• Holy Name of Jesus — Watertown
• Immaculate Conception — Watertown
• St. Mary — Bryant

Parish Staff & Clergy

The parish is led by its pastor and supported by two parochial vicars. Parishioners can reach the clergy through the parish office.

• Rev. Shaun T. Haggerty — Pastor ([email protected])
• Rev. John Fischer — Parochial Vicar
• Rev. Christopher Hughes — Parochial Vicar
• Parish Office: 605-886-4049

Faith Formation & Religious Education

Immaculate Conception shifted away from a purely classroom-based model toward a family-based model of religious education. Parents and children gather at the church on the first Wednesday of each month for a parish meal, after which children go to class and parents stay for faith formation and feedback. Materials go home for the remaining weeks, with mentor support on the second and fourth Wednesdays and a parish-wide speaker/supper on the third Wednesday.

• First Wednesday: parish meal + classroom instruction for children, parent formation in the church
• Second & Fourth Wednesdays: mentor support for parents
• Third Wednesday: parish-wide speaker and supper
• Evening closes with Adoration

Ave Maria Catholic School & Faith Formation Center

On March 19, 2025 — the Feast of St. Joseph — Immaculate Conception Church, Holy Name Church, and Immaculate Conception School jointly purchased the former Roosevelt Elementary School in Watertown for $875,000 to create the Ave Maria Catholic School & Faith Formation Center. The new campus is 40% larger than the current school, with much more land to expand, and will serve as the largest faith-formation location in the pastorate. The total fundraising goal is $1.6 million to refurbish the building, supported by an anonymous donor offering a $1-for-$2 matching gift up to $300,000.

• Fall 2025: Grades K–6 at the new school
• Fall 2026: Grades K–7
• Fall 2027: Grades K–8
• Fall 2028: Discernment of a possible high school
• Funds used for classrooms, HVAC, chapel with Blessed Sacrament (seating for 100), new kitchen, roof repair, playground asphalt, new flooring, gym painting, and relocated stained-glass windows in the school library
• Tuition assistance: no child refused because of inability to pay; applications handled through South Dakota Partners in Education

Outreach & Community Life

The parish emphasizes missionary discipleship — reaching beyond its own walls to bring others into the life of the Church. Its 'The 99' speaker series, parish-wide suppers, and ongoing mentor support for parents are designed to draw the wider Watertown community into contact with the parish. As part of the Ave Maria Pastorate, Immaculate Conception also collaborates with neighboring parishes on shared events and the new school and faith-formation center.

Visit & Contact

Parishioners and visitors can reach the parish office by phone during business hours or by email. The church sits at 309 2nd Avenue SE in Watertown, sharing its life with Holy Name of Jesus just across town as part of the Ave Maria Pastorate.

• Address: 309 2nd Ave SE, Watertown, SD 57201
• Phone: 605-886-4049
• Fax: 605-882-2911
• Email: [email protected]
• Website: www.avemariapastorate.org (the icparishwatertown.org site redirects there)