About Queen of Peace Parish · Waterloo, Iowa
Queen of Peace Parish (Parroquia Reina de la Paz) is a bilingual Roman Catholic parish in downtown Waterloo, Iowa, part of the Archdiocese of Dubuque. Formed in 2002 from the merger of three east-side Waterloo parishes and one in Evansdale, it serves a diverse community of roughly 2,390 Catholics in 909 households, blending Anglo and Latino families — including immigrants from five different indigenous cultures of Mexico, Central and South America. The parish worships in a historic 1900 church building at 320 Mulberry Street, long known as the 'mother church' of Waterloo Catholicism and the home of the Waterloo Catholic Hispanic Ministry since 1993. Its mission is to serve God and worship together while promoting unity, peace, acceptance and justice.
- Established
- 2002
- Patron
- Our Lady, Queen of Peace
- Rector
- Rev. Nils Jesús Hernández, D.Min
- Diocese
- Archdiocese of Dubuque
Why belong here
Queen of Peace is one of the few places in the Cedar Valley where English-speaking and Spanish-speaking Catholics worship side-by-side in the same historic church, with a Sunday Mass in Spanish and another in English and weekday Masses in both languages. The parish grounds a multicultural community of about 2,390 Catholics in the original 1900 St. Joseph Church — the 'mother church' of Waterloo Catholicism — and runs active faith formation, Hispanic Ministry, immigrant advocacy, and shared evangelization programs with the other three Waterloo parishes.
Mass times at Queen of Peace Parish
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Sunday 12:00 PM – 12:20 PM (20 minutes before the Spanish Mass)
- Tuesday–Friday 11:30 AM – 11:50 AM
- Saturday 3:00 PM – 3:30 PM
- Friday 6:20 PM – 6:50 PM (in Spanish, before the 7 PM Spanish Mass)
Adoration times
- Eucharistic Adoration is offered in the parish chapel (see the current parish bulletin or website for the schedule).
Our Story — From St. Joseph to Queen of Peace
The parish worships in a church building with deep roots in Waterloo Catholic history. St. Joseph Parish was founded in 1861 and was the city's first Catholic parish; the present brick church at 320 Mulberry Street, built in 1900, was its third church building. In 2002 the Archdiocese of Dubuque merged St. Joseph with three other parishes — St. John and St. Mary in Waterloo and St. Nicholas in Evansdale — to create Queen of Peace Parish, headquartered at the former St. Joseph Church. The elementary schools at the closing parishes were merged into a single Cedar Valley Catholic Schools site, while the other church buildings were eventually sold and demolished (St. Mary's was torn down by the city after a period of deterioration; St. Nicholas was also demolished).
- St. Joseph Parish founded in 1861 — Waterloo's first Catholic parish
- Present church building constructed in 1900
- Queen of Peace Parish established July 1, 2002 by Archdiocesan merger
- St. Mary's demolished; St. Nicholas also demolished; former St. John's site proposed for housing
- Schools consolidated in 2001 into Cedar Valley Catholic Schools (2003)
- $350,000 church renovation completed in 2014
Parish Mission & Identity
The parish mission statement, published in both English and Spanish on the parish website, frames Queen of Peace as a community called to worship together and to bring peace, acceptance and justice to everyone it meets. It explicitly commits the parish to be a 'healing community that is open to change and growth with respect to one another's heritage.' In Spanish, the community describes itself as 'una comunidad que reaviva y abierta al cambio y al crecimiento con respecto a la herencia de los demás.'
- English mission: 'We, the Queen of Peace Community, believe our Mission is to serve God and to worship together.'
- Spanish mission: 'Nuestra Misión es servir a Dios y orar juntos.'
- Core commitments: Unity, Peace, Acceptance, Justice
Our Parish Staff
The parish is led by Fr. Nils Jesús Hernández, D.Min, who also serves as Vicar for Hispanic Ministry. The team includes an Administrative Assistant (Glenda Schmitz), a Bookkeeper (Bruce Frink, CPA), and a Hispanic Ministry / Administrative Assistant (Patricia Guadiana). Rev. Mr. Rigoberto Real, a permanent deacon ordained in 2009 from the Hispanic community, served as Coordinator of Hispanic Ministry until May 25, 2022. The Maintenance / Custodian position was vacant at the time of the staff page update.
- Rev. Nils Jesús Hernández, D.Min — Pastor
- Patricia Guadiana — Hispanic Ministry, Administrative Assistant
- Glenda Schmitz — Administrative Assistant
- Bruce Frink, CPA — Bookkeeper
- Rev. Mr. Rigoberto Real — Permanent Deacon (Coordinator of Hispanic Ministry, 2009–2022)
- Maintenance / Custodian — Vacant (per staff page)
Live Streaming & Online Worship
Queen of Peace livestreams every Mass from its worship space. The homepage of queenofpeaceparish.net carries a 'Live streamed' link in both English and Spanish. Past Masses and parish announcements are also published in the weekly online bulletin.
- All Masses livestreamed
- Live-stream link on parish homepage
- Weekly bulletin posted online
Faith Formation & Religious Education
Queen of Peace partners with Sacred Heart, Blessed Sacrament and St. Edward parishes for K–8 religious education through the Waterloo Catholic Faith Formation office. Queen of Peace families meet Wednesday evenings 6:30–7:30 PM at the Sacred Heart church basement, with classes taught in English; Fr. Nils is on hand at drop-off to help translate for Spanish-speaking parents. Blessed Sacrament and St. Edward have moved to an online religious-ed model with in-person family sessions several times a year.
- Classes begin Sept. 24
- Wednesday evenings 6:30–7:30 PM at Sacred Heart, 627 W. 4th Street
- Tuition: $95 (1 student) / $165 (2) / $210 (3+)
- Online option for Blessed Sacrament / St. Edward families
- Director of Family and Children Formation: Judy Bullis ([email protected], 319-240-7782)
Waterloo Catholic Hispanic Ministry
Housed at Queen of Peace since 1993, the Waterloo Catholic Hispanic Ministry was created by the Deanery Council to serve Hispanic Catholics drawn to Waterloo by meatpacking jobs. The first Hispanic Minister was Sr. Kathleen Grace of the Sisters of St. Francis of Dubuque, assisted by Luisa Alvarado and Martha Real. Fr. Leon Connolly (1997) and later Fr. José Luis Comparán led the ministry as Vicar for Hispanic Ministry, and Fr. Nils Hernández has continued that role. Rev. Mr. Rigoberto Real was ordained in 2009 as a permanent deacon from the community and coordinated the ministry until May 25, 2022. A Spanish Mass is celebrated every Sunday at Queen of Peace.
- Established 1993 at the former St. Joseph / Queen of Peace site
- Offices at 320 Mulberry Street
- Past ministers: Sr. Kathleen Grace, Fr. Leon Connolly, Fr. José Luis Comparán, Fr. Nils Hernández
- Deacon Rigoberto Real — ordained 2009; coordinator until 2022
- Serves Latino families from five indigenous cultures of Mexico, Central and South America
Immigration Advocacy & Outreach
Fr. Nils Hernández and the Hispanic Ministry are visible public voices for immigrant rights in the Cedar Valley. The ministry hosted a prayer vigil at Queen of Peace in advance of a U.S. District Court hearing on Iowa's illegal re-entry law, with Fr. Nils quoted in regional press coverage of the event.
- Prayer vigils at the church for the immigrant community
- Public advocacy by Fr. Nils Hernández in regional news (CBS2 Iowa)
- Coordination with local social-service agencies for immigrant families
Sacraments
The parish prepares families and adults for the full range of Catholic sacraments in both English and Spanish. Sacramental preparation is coordinated with the shared Waterloo Catholic Faith Formation team, and Reconciliation is available before every Mass.
- Baptism (English and Spanish)
- First Reconciliation / First Eucharist
- Confirmation
- Marriage preparation
- Anointing of the Sick
- RCIA for adults
- Funeral liturgies
The Building — 1900 Church and Renovation
The worship space is the historic 1900 brick church of the former St. Joseph Parish. The 2014 renovation installed new pews, expanded the front gathering space, refurbished the reconciliation room, restored the church's wooden floors, and uncovered the original tile mosaic aisles between pew sections. The adjacent former St. Joseph rectory now houses the parish offices and the Hispanic Ministry offices. In 2024–2025 the church drew statewide attention when a portion of the ceiling in the worship space collapsed, leading to a temporary closure and a fundraising campaign for repairs.
- Brick church built in 1900 — third church of St. Joseph Parish
- 2014 renovation: new pews, gathering space, reconciliation room, restored wood floors, tile mosaic aisles
- Adjacent former rectory houses parish offices and Hispanic Ministry offices
- Ceiling collapse in 2024 prompted repairs and donations drive
Visiting & Contact
The parish welcomes visitors at 320 Mulberry Street in downtown Waterloo. The church office can be reached at (319) 226-3655, and the Hispanic Ministry office is at (319) 234-6744. Fax: (319) 232-1118. Email: [email protected]. The Mass schedule, bulletin, live-stream link and weekly announcements are all posted at queenofpeaceparish.net.
- Address: 320 Mulberry Street, Waterloo, IA 50703
- Parish Office: 319-226-3655
- Hispanic Ministry Office: 319-234-6744
- Email: [email protected]
- Website: queenofpeaceparish.net
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Fr. James Goedken2002–2003
First pastor of Queen of Peace Parish at its 2002 founding; died in 2003.
- Fr. Kenneth Glaser2002 (approx.)
First associate pastor when Queen of Peace was formed.
- Fr. Dennis Colter2003–2008 (approx.)
Appointed pastor after Fr. Goedken's death in 2003.
- Fr. Nils Hernández2004–2006
Served as associate pastor and Director of Hispanic Ministry.
- Fr. José Luis Comparán2008–2013
Associate pastor for the Hispanic Community (2008); then pastor of Queen of Peace and Vicar for Hispanic Ministry (2009–2013).
- Fr. David Ambrosy2013–2017
Pastor of Queen of Peace.
- Fr. Nils Hernández2020–present
Appointed pastor in 2020; current pastor as of the parish profile update.