About Our Lady of Lourdes · Harrisonville, Missouri
Our Lady of Lourdes is a Roman Catholic parish in Harrisonville, Missouri, in the Diocese of Kansas City–Saint Joseph. It traces its roots back to 1847, became a mission church in 1884, and was officially named a parish on February 12, 1941. Today the parish serves the Harrisonville area with weekend and weekday Masses, a parish school of religion for children, a youth group, an active Knights of Columbus council, and ongoing outreach such as a bimonthly blood drive and a regular work day at the local Shepherd's Staff Food Pantry. The parish also partners with Holy Trinity in Urich for Sunday Mass and shares a Mission status that continues a tradition of missionary ministry that once included St. Sabina in Belton.
- Established
- 1941
- Patron
- Our Lady of Lourdes
- Rector
- Fr. Dan (Joseph D.) Reardon
- Diocese
- Diocese of Kansas City–Saint Joseph
Why belong here
Our Lady of Lourdes offers the full rhythm of Catholic life in a small-town setting: Saturday vigil and two Sunday Masses, daily Mass on Wednesday through Friday, a generous confession schedule, 24-hour Eucharistic Adoration continuing weekly, and a stream of ministries that meets parishioners at every age. Children are catechized through the School of Religion (SOR), Vacation Bible School, and sacramental preparation for First Reconciliation, First Communion, and Confirmation, while teenagers gather in the JPII/Skylight Room for Youth Group fellowship, and adults grow through a weekly Sunday-night faith formation class, lectures, and retreats. Outreach is concrete: the parish staffs work days at the Shepherd's Staff Food Pantry every other month and the Knights of Columbus host a bimonthly blood drive in the Parish Hall — making it easy to belong, serve, and put faith into practice.
Mass times at Our Lady of Lourdes
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Wednesday and Friday: immediately following Mass
- Thursday: 8:30–9:30 AM and 5:00–6:00 PM
- Saturday: 3:00–3:30 PM and immediately following Mass
- Sunday: immediately following Mass
- Or by appointment
Adoration times
- 24-Hour Eucharistic Adoration weekly (check bulletin for current week's schedule)
Parish History
The story of Our Lady of Lourdes begins in 1847, when Catholics were first recorded in Harrisonville. The community became an official mission church in 1884, with monthly Mass celebrated in the home of John McGuire. It was officially named a parish on February 12, 1941 by Fr. Thomas J. Crowell and grew steadily through three successive church buildings over the next 60 years. The current sanctuary, dedicated in August 2004 by Bishop Raymond Boland, seats 647 and stands on land originally donated by Bartles and Teresa Henderson.
- 1884 – Mission church status acquired
- Feb. 12, 1941 – Parish officially named; 12 founding families
- Jan. 11, 1946 – First church dedicated by Bishop Edwin O'Hara (120 seats)
- Aug. 5, 1973 – Second church dedicated by Bishop Charles Helmsing ($182,000, 350 seats)
- Aug. 2004 – Current church dedicated by Bishop Raymond Boland ($2,535,085, 647 seats)
Parish Staff
The parish is led by a small, full-time staff supported by volunteer clergy and maintenance. Father Dan Reardon serves as Pastor, with Deacon Dave Rennicke assisting; Theresa Smith coordinates Faith Formation (the School of Religion). The office is managed by Office Manager Barbara Campbell, with Receptionist & Parish Secretary Maria Newton and Bulletin Editor Dayna Janssens. Music and youth ministry are combined under Rene S. Gladyn, and the physical plant is maintained by Chris Messer, Thad Messer, and Housekeeping coordinator Debbie Donegan.
- Fr. Dan Reardon – Pastor (ext. 201)
- Deacon Dave Rennicke – Parish Deacon
- Theresa Smith – Faith Formation Coordinator ([email protected])
- Barbara Campbell – Office Manager (ext. 200, [email protected])
- Maria Newton – Receptionist & Parish Secretary (ext. 206, [email protected])
- Dayna Janssens – Bulletin Editor (ext. 206, [email protected])
- Rene S. Gladyn – Sunday/Choir Music Director & Youth Group Coordinator
- Debbie Donegan, Chris Messer, Thad Messer – Maintenance/Housekeeping
Faith Formation & Religious Education
The School of Religion (SOR) is the parish's primary catechetical ministry, 'inviting and educating our youth into a personal knowledge and relationship with Jesus and His Church through catechesis in community.' Classes meet weekly on Sundays during the school year, and the program supports the whole family through monthly parent meetings, liturgically themed retreats, and family celebrations. Sacramental preparation for First Reconciliation, First Holy Communion, and Confirmation is offered annually, along with altar-server training and a summer Vacation Bible School (VBS) for children ages 4–11 that meets in the evenings for Bible stories, crafts, music, and prayer.
- SOR tuition: $40/child, $75 Confirmation students, $90 family maximum
- Financial assistance available; diocesan safe-environment training required for volunteers
- VBS typically held the second week of June, 6:00–7:30 PM evenings
- Contact: Theresa Smith, [email protected], 816-380-5744
Youth Ministry
The OLL Youth Group engages high-schoolers from their post-Confirmation year through senior year, combining fellowship with faith formation through scripture, studies, conferences, and retreats. Students meet in the JPII Room (also called the Skylight Room) on the parish campus, organizing service projects such as the 'Can Corral' aluminum-can cleanup fundraiser and gathering socially throughout the summer and school year.
- Open to post-Confirmation through senior year high schoolers
- Meets in the JPII / Skylight Room
- Includes conferences, retreats, scripture studies, and service projects
- Contact: Rene S. Gladyn, Youth Group Coordinator
Adult Faith Formation
The Adult Faith Formation Group is dedicated to the spiritual and educational growth of adult parishioners. Its core offering is a weekly Sunday-night adult class, supplemented by lectures and discussion on religious and family topics, day and weekend retreats, parish visits to other churches, and various other activities. News of upcoming events is published in the parish calendar and weekly bulletin.
- Weekly Sunday-night adult class
- Lectures and discussions on religious and family topics
- Day and weekend retreats
- Church visits to different parishes
Outreach & Charity
Outreach is a hallmark of parish life. Every other month on a Friday, Lourdes sends 5–7 volunteers to staff the Shepherd's Staff Food Pantry in Harrisonville (1:30–5:30 PM) — anyone interested may call Debbie Donegan at 816-288-1606 or simply show up. The Knights of Columbus Council also sponsors a bimonthly blood drive in the Parish Hall from Noon–6:00 PM, and the Ladies Auxiliary hosts the annual OLLapalooza 'Ladies Night Out' fundraiser each June.
- Shepherd's Staff Food Pantry (Harrisonville) – bimonthly Friday work days
- Knights of Columbus Blood Drive – bimonthly, Parish Hall, Noon–6:00 PM
- Ladies Auxiliary OLLapalooza 'Ladies Night Out' – annual fundraiser
Music & Liturgy
The Music Ministry is led by Rene S. Gladyn, who serves as both Sunday/Choir Music Director and Youth Group Coordinator. The parish invites feedback from parishioners through a dedicated feedback form published on the parish website and offers a livestream of Mass for those unable to attend in person, alongside a weekly bulletin published by Bulletin Editor Dayna Janssens.
- Sunday/Choir Music Director: Rene S. Gladyn
- Livestream Mass available via parish website
- Weekly bulletin with Mass, confession, and ministry schedules
Visit, Connect & Become Catholic
Our Lady of Lourdes welcomes new parishioners through a 'Join the Parish' registration process and offers a 'Become Catholic' inquiry process for those preparing for Baptism, Confirmation, or reception into the Catholic Church (typically tied into the RCIA journey). The parish partners with FORMED (online Catholic content), the Diocese of Kansas City–Saint Joseph, and the universal 'Saint of the Day' for ongoing formation resources, and Mass livestreams are published online for homebound parishioners.
- Parish registration via 'Join the Parish' page
- RCIA / 'Become Catholic' inquiry
- FORMED online Catholic content available
- Diocese of Kansas City–Saint Joseph link on website
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Fr. Thomas J. Crowell1941–1951
Founding pastor; both Lourdes and St. Sabina were founded by him.
- Fr. Connally1951–1954
- Fr. Weir1954–1957
- Fr. Boyle1957–1958
- Fr. McBrien1958–1960
- Fr. Puetz1960–1963
- Fr. Mifcovic1963–1970
- Fr. Ryan1970–1981
- Fr. Don Cleary1981–1990
Built an addition onto the 1973 church, completed in 1989 for $233,000.
- Fr. Santner1990–1993
- Fr. Bradley Offutt (later Msgr. Offutt)1993–2005
Led the building of the current church dedicated in August 2004.
- Fr. Lwin2005–2010
- Fr. Malewski2010–2013
- Fr. Murphy2013–2018
- Fr. Clary2018–2019
- Fr. Rocha2019–2019
- Fr. Dan Reardon2019–present
Appointed Pastor of Our Lady of Lourdes Parish, Harrisonville, and Holy Trinity Mission, Urich (effective July 1, 2021). A former U.S. Navy chaplain (LCDR, CHC, USN) with 26 years of service.