About Saint Bernard · Belpre, Kansas
St. Bernard Catholic Church is a small, rural Roman Catholic parish serving the farming community of Belpre in Edwards County, Kansas. It belongs to the Diocese of Dodge City and is administered from Sacred Heart of Jesus Parish in neighboring Larned, with Rev. Fr. Patrick Otor, MSP, serving as Parochial Administrator for both parishes. With about 65 registered households, St. Bernard maintains an active Catholic presence on the High Plains of southwest Kansas, offering Sunday Mass in English and a monthly Spanish Mass to serve Hispanic parishioners.
- Established
- 1906
- Patron
- St. Bernard of Clairvaux
- Rector
- Rev. Fr. Patrick Otor, MSP
- Diocese
- Diocese of Dodge City
Why belong here
St. Bernard is a faithful, close-knit country parish where every household is known by name, and it offers the simple gift of weekly Sunday Mass in a quiet, rural setting. With a monthly Spanish Mass on the third Sunday, the parish welcomes English- and Spanish-speaking Catholic families from across Edwards and Pawnee counties. Because the parish shares its pastor and faith-formation staff with Sacred Heart of Jesus in Larned, parishioners can tap into a wider cluster of ministries, religious education, and sacramental preparation while still belonging to a small hometown church.
Mass times at Saint Bernard
Weekly Mass schedule
Parish Identity and Location
St. Bernard Catholic Church is located at 203 Hudson Street in the small town of Belpre, Edwards County, Kansas (ZIP 67519). The parish is part of the Diocese of Dodge City and shares its administration with Sacred Heart of Jesus Parish in nearby Larned; the official mailing address is therefore the Larned rectory at 1111 State Street, Larned, KS 67550. With about 65 registered households, St. Bernard is one of the smallest parishes in the diocese.
- Address: 203 Hudson Street, Belpre, KS 67519
- Mailing: 1111 State St, Larned, KS 67550
- Diocese of Dodge City
- ~65 registered households
History of the Parish
Catholic life in the Belpre area began in the mid-1880s when Irish and German homesteaders settled between Larned and Belpre and built a simple frame church called St. Agnes, known locally as "The Dublin Church." After a storm damaged it in the late 1890s, the building was taken apart and reassembled on donated land in Belpre, where it was rededicated in April 1901. The parishioners built their first St. Bernard Church in 1906; that structure was later destroyed by fire, and the old St. Agnes building once again served as a temporary place of worship until a new St. Bernard Church was dedicated in 1927.
- Mid-1880s: St. Agnes (the "Dublin Church") built five miles east of Zook
- 1899–1901: St. Agnes moved to Belpre and rededicated
- 1906: First St. Bernard Church dedicated
- After a fire destroyed the 1906 building, St. Agnes served as a temporary church
- 1927: Present St. Bernard Church dedicated
Clergy and Parish Staff
St. Bernard is served by Rev. Fr. Patrick Otor, MSP (Missionaries of St. Paul), who is also Parochial Administrator of Sacred Heart of Jesus in Larned. The Director of Religious Education (DRE) is Heileigh Wood. Because the parish is administered jointly with Sacred Heart of Jesus in Larned, parishioners also benefit from the cluster staff of that parish, including a Pastoral Minister (Sr. Rebecca Otter, OP) and parish office staff reachable through the shared rectory phone line.
- Parochial Administrator: Rev. Fr. Patrick Otor, MSP
- DRE: Heileigh Wood
- Parish phone (shared rectory): 620-285-2035
- Parish email: [email protected]
Faith Formation and Religious Education
Religious education at St. Bernard is coordinated through the Director of Religious Education (DRE), Heileigh Wood, working in conjunction with the cluster staff of Sacred Heart of Jesus in Larned. Families seeking Catholic faith formation, First Communion, or Confirmation preparation for their children are encouraged to contact the parish through the shared rectory phone number.
- DRE: Heileigh Wood
- Cluster faith-formation support through Sacred Heart of Jesus, Larned
Sacraments
St. Bernard prepares parishioners for the sacraments in conjunction with the clergy serving the Larned–Belpre cluster. Because published schedules of Reconciliation, Baptism, and Marriage for St. Bernard are not listed separately online, parishioners should call the rectory at 620-285-2035 to arrange sacraments or sacramental preparation.
- Contact the rectory at 620-285-2035 for Baptism, Marriage, Anointing of the Sick, and other sacramental needs
Visiting and Contacting the Parish
Parishioners and visitors can reach St. Bernard through the shared Sacred Heart rectory in Larned. The parish maintains a bulletin email ([email protected]) and a diocesan directory listing at dcdiocese.org. In-person visits should be directed to 203 Hudson Street in Belpre.
- Phone: 620-285-2035
- Email: [email protected]
- Diocesan directory: https://www.dcdiocese.org/directory/parishes/61-st-bernard-parish-belpre
Notable People and Heritage
A native of Belpre, Father Norman Skalsky was ordained to the priesthood at St. Bernard Church on June 10, 1972, by Bishop Marion F. Forst, the second Bishop of Dodge City. Father Skalsky went on to serve as pastor of several parishes across southwest Kansas, diocesan chancellor, and executive director of Catholic Social Service, before his retirement — a continuing reminder of the parish's deep roots in the diocesan family.
- Father Norman Skalsky, ordained at St. Bernard in 1972, served the Diocese of Dodge City for decades
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Rev. Fr. Patrick Otor, MSPcurrent
Parochial Administrator; also serves Sacred Heart of Jesus, Larned.
- Rev. Fr. Warren Steckleinprevious pastorate
According to Sacred Heart's published parish history, Fr. Stecklein served the parishes in Larned and Belpre together (date range not specified on the available page).