About Saint Columbanus · Underwood, Iowa
Saint Columbanus Catholic Church is a small rural parish serving the hamlet of Weston in Hazel Dell Township, Pottawattamie County, Iowa. Although its mailing address is in nearby Underwood, the church sits on the west edge of Weston on Weston Avenue and is physically surrounded by the historic St. Columbanus Cemetery. Since the merger of St. Patrick Parish in Neola and St. Columbanus, the two churches have been served together as one combined parish community by a single pastor and shared staff. The parish belongs to the Roman Catholic Diocese of Des Moines.
- Established
- 1914
- Patron
- Saint Columbanus
- Rector
- Rev. Julius Itamid
- Diocese
- Diocese of Des Moines
Why belong here
St. Columbanus offers a quiet, traditional country parish home in the heart of the Weston community, with a single Sunday morning Mass at 8:00 a.m. that fits the rhythm of rural family life. Worshippers join a tight-knit congregation with deep roots in Pottawattamie County, sharing a pastor and faith-formation staff with neighboring St. Patrick Parish in Neola. The parish welcomes new members to register, prepares adults through OCIA, involves lay women through its Council of Catholic Women, and surrounds worshippers with the historic St. Columbanus Cemetery — a living link to generations of Catholic families who have worshipped on this site for more than a century.
Mass times at Saint Columbanus
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- By appointment (call the parish office)
About Saint Columbanus Parish
Saint Columbanus is a small Catholic parish serving the rural Weston community in Pottawattamie County, Iowa. Although its mailing address is in nearby Underwood, the church sits on the west edge of Weston at 22720 Weston Avenue. The parish was formally incorporated on September 11, 1914 and today is administered jointly with St. Patrick Parish in Neola as part of the Diocese of Des Moines. Sunday Mass is celebrated at 8:00 a.m., with Holy Day and weekday schedules announced in the bulletin.
- 22720 Weston Ave., Underwood, IA 51576
- Mailing: PO Box 127, Neola, IA 51559
- Diocese of Des Moines
- Sunday Mass: 8:00 AM
- Holy Day Mass: As announced in the bulletin
History
St. Columbanus was established by Catholic settlers in the Weston area in the late 19th century and was legally incorporated on September 11, 1914 as 'St. Columbanus Catholic Church of Weston, Iowa.' The parish cemetery, which physically surrounds the church building, is a tangible record of the pioneer families who founded and sustained the community. As rural populations declined, St. Columbanus was merged with neighboring St. Patrick Parish in Neola (itself founded in 1882). The combined parish is now served by one pastor and a shared staff operating out of the Neola parish office.
- Founded: 1914 (parish legal incorporation)
- Linked parish: St. Patrick, Neola (founded 1882)
- St. Columbanus Cemetery surrounds the church on the west edge of Weston
Clergy & Staff
St. Columbanus shares its clergy and staff with St. Patrick Parish in Neola. The pastor/administrator is Rev. Julius Itamid, supported by a Business Manager, a Director of Faith Formation, and parish council leadership.
- Pastor/Administrator: Rev. Julius Itamid — phone 712-485-2753; [email protected]
- Business Manager: RaeShelle Jensen — phone 712-485-2750; [email protected]
- Director of Faith Formation / OCIA Contact: Shannon Nye — phone 712-485-2754; [email protected]
- Council of Catholic Women President: Jan Reineke
Faith Formation & OCIA
Religious education and adult initiation are coordinated through the parish's Director of Faith Formation. The same office handles OCIA (Order of Christian Initiation of Adults) inquiries, walking adults through the process of baptism, confirmation, and Eucharist as they prepare to enter full communion with the Catholic Church.
- Faith Formation Office: 712-485-2754
- Contact: Shannon Nye ([email protected])
- OCIA inquiries welcomed — same contact as Faith Formation
Parish Life & Ministries
Beyond worship, the parish offers community and service opportunities through the Council of Catholic Women and the unified St. Patrick / St. Columbanus parish staff. Visitors and new residents are warmly invited to register as parishioners — registration forms are available at the church entrances, or by contacting the parish office or Father Julius Itamid directly.
- Council of Catholic Women (CCW)
- Parish registration (forms at church entrances or by contacting the office)
- Joint activities with St. Patrick Parish, Neola
Sacraments
Sacramental preparation is coordinated through the parish office. Baptisms and Marriages are arranged by appointment with the pastor; Reconciliation is offered by appointment; and adults seeking initiation should contact the OCIA coordinator.
- Baptism — by appointment through parish office
- Marriage — by arrangement with the pastor
- Reconciliation — by appointment
- OCIA (adults) — contact Shannon Nye, 712-485-2754
Contact & Visit
Parishioners and visitors can reach the combined St. Patrick / St. Columbanus parish office by phone, email, or in person at 311 3rd Street in Neola. The church is located on Weston Avenue on the west edge of Weston, Iowa — driving directions via IA Hwy 191 are six miles west of Underwood.
- Parish Office: 311 3rd Street, PO Box 127, Neola, IA 51559
- Parish phone: 712-485-2750
- Priest office: 712-485-2753
- Religious Ed office: 712-485-2754
- Email: [email protected]
- Website: http://stpatricksneola.com/
The Patron: Saint Columbanus
The parish is named for Saint Columbanus (c. 543–615), an Irish missionary monk and one of the greatest evangelists of the early Celtic Church. Educated at Bangor Abbey in County Down, he left Ireland around 590 with a small band of disciples and went on to found Luxeuil Abbey in present-day France and, ultimately, Bobbio Abbey in northern Italy. His monastic rule emphasized private confession to a priest — a foundational practice in Catholic penitential discipline. He is honored as patron saint of European unity and motorcyclists (declared by the Vatican in 2002) and is invoked against floods. His feast day is November 23.
- Born c. 543 in Leinster, Ireland; died 615 in Bobbio, Italy
- Feast day: November 23
- Patron of motorcyclists and of European unity; invoked against floods
- Founder of Luxeuil Abbey (France) and Bobbio Abbey (Italy)