About Saint Boniface · Sharon, Kansas
St. Boniface is a small Roman Catholic parish in the rural farming community of Sharon, Kansas, in Barber County. Founded in 1904-1906 by German Catholic families from Sedgwick County, it is the youngest but largest of the three parishes that today make up the Catholic Churches of Barber County, alongside Holy Rosary in Medicine Lodge and St. John the Apostle in Kiowa. The current Spanish Mission style church was built in 1949-1950 under Father Wenzel Birzer, and the parish now shares a single pastor — Father Emmanuel Kosikumah — and a joint Pastoral Council with its two Barber County sister parishes.
- Established
- 1904 (parish origin) / 1906 (church dedicated)
- Patron
- St. Boniface
- Rector
- Rev. Emmanuel Kosikumah
- Diocese
- Diocese of Dodge City
Why belong here
St. Boniface offers a tight-knit rural Catholic community with deep roots in Barber County's German Catholic farming heritage, dating to 1904. Parishioners gather weekly for Sunday Mass, share faith formation through the joint Parish School of Religion, and work alongside fellow Catholics from Medicine Lodge and Kiowa through the unified Catholic Churches of Barber County. It's a place where families have worshipped for four generations, where ministries are run by neighbors rather than strangers, and where a single pastor shepherds three parishes together.
Mass times at Saint Boniface
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Saturday 4:30 pm – 4:50 pm (at St. Boniface) or by appointment
- Friday 8:00 am – 8:25 am (at St. Boniface)
Parish History
St. Boniface was founded in 1904-1906 by German Catholic farm families migrating from Sedgwick County into the Sharon Valley. After early Masses were celebrated in the home of Otto and Mary Winter by visiting priests from Danville, the parish built its first frame church (dedicated October 13, 1906) and grew rapidly enough to receive the first resident pastor in Barber County — Father Francesco Lombardi — in 1909. A parochial school opened in 1917 under Dominican sisters from Great Bend and reached 123 pupils by the late 1950s. The present Spanish Mission style church was built in 1949-1950 under Father Wenzel Birzer, the same energetic pastor who completed a new school (1958), convent (1963), and rectory (1964).
- 1904 — German Catholic families from Sedgwick County settle the Sharon Valley
- 1905 — Monthly Mass begins in the Winter home, celebrated by Father Maloney of Danville
- 1906 — First frame church dedicated by Bishop J. Hennessy of Wichita (Oct. 13)
- 1909 — Father Francesco Lombardi becomes first resident pastor in Barber County
- 1917 — Parochial school opens under Dominican sisters from Great Bend
- 1948-1960 — Father Wenzel Birzer pastorate; major building campaign
- 1949-1950 — Current Spanish Mission style church built and dedicated by Bishop Mark Carroll
- 1958 — New school building completed (enrollment 123)
- 1963 — New convent for Dominican sisters
- 1964 — New rectory
- 1972 — Parish school closes when Dominican sisters withdraw; school building becomes parish hall and PSR classrooms
- 1990s — Diocese of Dodge City restructuring places all three Barber County parishes under one pastor
- 1994 — Father Anthony Suellentrop coins the name 'Catholic Church of Barber County' and a joint Pastoral Council is established
Architecture & Campus
The current St. Boniface church is a Spanish Mission style building whose construction began with groundbreaking on May 29, 1949, and was dedicated by Bishop Mark Carroll of Wichita on May 9, 1950. The Sharon campus also includes a former school building (1958) that today functions as the parish hall and school of religion, a former Dominican convent (1963), and a rectory (1964).
- Spanish Mission style church (1949-1950)
- School building (1958) — now parish hall / PSR classrooms
- Convent (1963) — former home of Dominican teaching sisters
- Rectory (1964)
Faith Formation & Religious Education
St. Boniface partners with Holy Rosary (Medicine Lodge) to offer the Parish School of Religion. For the 2025-26 school year, joint PSR classes are held at Holy Rosary on Wednesday evenings from 7:00 to 8:00 p.m. The program partners with families to form disciples of Jesus Christ and normally runs from mid-September through April. The Director of Religious Education is Mrs. Cheri Dohrmann; the parish secretary and RCIA director is Carol Ricke.
- Joint Holy Rosary / St. Boniface PSR classes, Wednesday 7:00-8:00 pm at Holy Rosary
- Director of Religious Education: Mrs. Cheri Dohrmann
- Parish Secretary / Director of Christian Initiation (RCIA): Carol Ricke
Worship & Sacraments
Sunday Mass at St. Boniface is celebrated at 8:30 am, with the Saturday 5:00 pm anticipatory Mass for the Barber County cluster offered at Holy Rosary in Medicine Lodge and Sunday 10:30 am Mass at St. John the Apostle in Kiowa. Confessions are heard Saturday 4:30-4:50 pm and Friday 8:00-8:25 am at St. Boniface, or by appointment. Families preparing for Baptism, First Communion, Confirmation, or Marriage should contact the pastor; funeral arrangements begin by calling Father Emmanuel Kosikumah.
- Sunday Mass — 8:30 am
- Saturday anticipatory Mass — 5:00 pm at Holy Rosary, Medicine Lodge
- Confessions — Sat 4:30-4:50 pm; Fri 8:00-8:25 am; or by appointment
- Baptism, Marriage, Anointing of the Sick, and Funeral preparation through the pastor
Staff & Leadership
St. Boniface is pastored by Father Emmanuel Kosikumah, who also serves as pastor of Holy Rosary (Medicine Lodge) and St. John the Apostle (Kiowa) as part of the Catholic Churches of Barber County cluster. Parish operations are supported by parish secretary Carol Ricke and Director of Religious Education Mrs. Cheri Dohrmann. Ministry schedules for lectors, Eucharistic ministers, servers, sacristans, and other liturgical roles are published and updated on the parish website.
- Father Emmanuel Kosikumah — Pastor (cell 785-656-9108; rectory 620-886-3596)
- Carol Ricke — Parish Secretary / Director of Christian Initiation (RCIA) for St. Boniface (620-294-5557)
- Mrs. Cheri Dohrmann — Director of Religious Education
Catholic Churches of Barber County
St. Boniface is one of three parishes that together form the Catholic Churches of Barber County: St. Boniface in Sharon, Holy Rosary in Medicine Lodge, and St. John the Apostle in Kiowa. All three share a single pastor and a joint Pastoral Council, which was created in 1994 to coordinate Mass schedules, faith formation, and ministries across the three communities.
- St. Boniface — Sharon
- Holy Rosary — Medicine Lodge (main parish office: 300 Curry Lane, Medicine Lodge, KS 67104)
- St. John the Apostle — Kiowa
- Joint Barber County Pastoral Council (est. 1994)
Contact & Visiting
Visitors and parishioners can reach St. Boniface by mail at 412 N Main St. (or PO Box 118), Sharon, KS 67138. The Parish Center phone is 620-294-5521 (alt. 620-294-5526); the main parish office shared with Holy Rosary is 620-886-3596; and in an emergency Father Emmanuel's cell is 785-656-9108. Bulletin submissions are due by Wednesday at noon and may be emailed to the parish office.
- Address: 412 N Main St., Sharon, KS 67138
- Parish Center: 620-294-5521 / 620-294-5526
- Main parish office (Holy Rosary): 620-886-3596
- Pastor cell (emergency): 785-656-9108
- Bulletin deadline: Wednesday at noon
Cemetery
The parish maintains the Saint Boniface Catholic Cemetery, located about 0.8 miles east of the church on the rural roads outside Sharon.
- Saint Boniface Catholic Cemetery — N37.2508°, W98.4036°
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Father Maloney (of Danville)1905
Began visiting Sharon monthly to celebrate Mass in the home of Otto and Mary Winter while traveling west to serve Kiowa and Medicine Lodge.
- Father Francesco Lombardi1909-
First resident pastor assigned to a Barber County parish; also served St. John the Apostle in Kiowa from 1909 to 1916 and the Medicine Lodge mission; first pastor officially assigned to serve all three Barber County parishes.
- Father Wenzel Birzer1948-1960
Served as pastor for a dozen years; oversaw groundbreaking for the current Spanish Mission style church (May 29, 1949), its dedication by Bishop Mark Carroll (May 9, 1950), and completion of the new school building (September 1958); known for his devotion to the Rosary.
- Father Anthony Suellentrop1990s
Coined the term 'Catholic Church of Barber County' in 1994 and led the restructuring that brought the three Barber County parishes under a single pastor with a joint Pastoral Council.
- Father Emmanuel Kosikumahcurrent
Current pastor of the Catholic Churches of Barber County, serving St. Boniface (Sharon), Holy Rosary (Medicine Lodge), and St. John the Apostle (Kiowa).