About Saint Clare · Clarinda, Iowa
Saint Clare Parish is a Roman Catholic parish in Clarinda, Iowa, part of the Diocese of Des Moines. The parish family worships at St. Clare Church at 300 East Lincoln Street and, from the same rectory, also serves Sacred Heart Church in Bedford (Saturday 5:45 p.m.) and St. Joseph Church in Villisca (Sunday 8:30 a.m.), forming one combined rural ministry across Page and Taylor counties. Currently led by Pastor Rev. Michael Acquah and supported by Office Manager/Bulletin Editor Jackie Schmitt and Catechetical Leader Mark Baldwin, the parish offers Saturday vigil and Sunday Masses, a Wednesday morning weekday Mass, monthly Eucharistic Adoration, and Saturday confessions.
- Established
- 1943
- Patron
- Saint Clare of Assisi
- Rector
- Rev. Michael Acquah
- Diocese
- Diocese of Des Moines
Why belong here
St. Clare offers the rhythms of a small-town Catholic parish — a Saturday vigil Mass, a Sunday morning Mass, a Wednesday weekday Mass, and a monthly Holy Hour of Adoration — all celebrated with personal attention from a pastor and staff who know the community. Parishioners benefit from a shared Catholic life that reaches beyond Clarinda into Bedford and Villisca, with faith-formation catechesis for children coordinated by Mark Baldwin and weekly bulletins and parish communications handled by Jackie Schmitt. It is an ideal place for Catholics in southwest Iowa seeking a faithful, family-sized parish rooted in the Diocese of Des Moines.
Mass times at Saint Clare
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Saturday: 3:00 – 3:40 p.m.
- Or after any Mass by request
Adoration times
- First Wednesday of the month: 6:30 – 7:30 p.m. (Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament)
About St. Clare Parish
St. Clare is the Catholic parish serving Clarinda, Iowa, and the surrounding rural area of Page County. It belongs to the Diocese of Des Moines and, together with Sacred Heart in Bedford and St. Joseph in Villisca, forms a single combined pastoral family administered from the Clarinda rectory. Weekend Masses are celebrated Saturday evening at 4:00 p.m. and Sunday morning at 10:30 a.m., with a weekday Mass on Wednesday at 9:00 a.m.
- Patron: Saint Clare of Assisi (feast day August 11)
- Diocese: Diocese of Des Moines
- Pastor: Rev. Michael Acquah
- Cluster parishes served from Clarinda: Sacred Heart (Bedford) and St. Joseph (Villisca)
Parish History
St. Clare's Roman Catholic Church of Clarinda, Page County, Iowa, was incorporated under Iowa state law on April 12, 1943, the legal entity (Corporation #080813) that still holds the parish's real property at 300 East Lincoln Street. Over the generations the Diocese of Des Moines has grouped Clarinda's Catholics with neighboring rural missions, so that today one pastor and one office staff in Clarinda shepherd St. Clare alongside Sacred Heart in Bedford and St. Joseph in Villisca.
- 1943 — Parish incorporated in Iowa
- Cluster formed with Sacred Heart (Bedford) and St. Joseph (Vallisca)
- 2025 — Diocesan pastoral reassignment under Bishop William Joensen
Pastor and Staff
The parish is led by Pastor Rev. Michael Acquah, with parish operations handled by Office Manager / Bookkeeper / Bulletin Editor Jackie Schmitt and faith-formation work coordinated by Catechetical Leader Mark Baldwin.
- Pastor: Rev. Michael Acquah — [email protected], 712-542-2030
- Office Manager / Bookkeeper / Bulletin Editor: Jackie Schmitt
- Catechetical Leader: Mark Baldwin — [email protected]
Faith Formation and Religious Education
Children's religious-education (catechesis) for the Clarinda-area parishes is coordinated by Catechetical Leader Mark Baldwin. Families seeking enrollment, sacramental preparation, or RCIA / OCIA inquiry should contact the parish office at the email or phone below.
- Catechetical Leader: Mark Baldwin — [email protected]
- Inquiries via the parish office: (712) 542-2030 or [email protected]
Cluster Parishes Served from Clarinda
St. Clare in Clarinda is the administrative and pastoral hub for two neighboring mission parishes. The same pastor and parish office handle calls, bulletins, and sacramental records for all three communities, and Mass is celebrated in each church according to the schedule below.
- Sacred Heart — 707 Main Street, Bedford, IA 50833 — Saturday 5:45 p.m.
- St. Joseph — 131 West High Street, Villisca, IA 50864 — Sunday 8:30 a.m.
- All three parishes share phone (712) 542-2030 and email [email protected]
Parish Contact and Practical Information
Parishioners and visitors can reach St. Clare by phone, email, or in person at the rectory office in Clarinda. The parish is part of the Diocese of Des Moines, whose website hosts the official Mass-times directory and current diocesan directory listing for St. Clare.
- Address: 300 East Lincoln Street, Clarinda, IA 51632
- Phone: (712) 542-2030
- Email: [email protected]
- Diocesan directory entry: dmdiocese.org 2025-26 Parish Information PDF
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Rev. Sylvester Okohuntil 2025
Pastor of St. Clare, Clarinda; Sacred Heart, Bedford; and St. Joseph, Villisca; in February 2025 he was additionally named Parochial Administrator of St. Mary, Shenandoah, and St. Mary, Hamburg while continuing at the Clarinda-area parishes.
- Rev. Michael Acquah2025–
Listed as current Pastor of St. Clare, Clarinda (and the Bedford and Villisca mission parishes) in the 2025-26 Diocesan Directory.