About Saint Edward · Afton, Iowa
St. Edward Catholic Parish is a small rural Roman Catholic parish in Afton, Iowa, in Union County, belonging to the Diocese of Des Moines. It is served from neighboring Holy Spirit Parish in Creston by an administrator priest and a small staff, with Sunday Mass at 10:45 a.m. and a Tuesday morning weekday Mass and Eucharistic Adoration. The parish is notable in the diocese for its well-established Catechesis of the Good Shepherd (CGS) faith-formation program, which serves children ages 3 through 12 across three levels plus a toddler atrium out of a converted rectory. St. Edward's active Council of Catholic Women (CCW) and a strong tradition of devotional life — including First-Saturday Masses, rosary rallies, and respect-life outreach — round out the parish's community life.
- Established
- 1912
- Patron
- Saint Edward
- Rector
- Rev. Patrick Amedeka (Administrator)
- Diocese
- Diocese of Des Moines
Why belong here
St. Edward is a welcoming small-town Catholic parish where members quickly know one another by name, share the same administrator priest and office team with neighboring Holy Spirit in Creston, and worship in the traditional Sunday-Mass-plus-Tuesday-morning rhythm of rural Iowa Catholic life. The parish is especially known for its thriving Catechesis of the Good Shepherd program, which has served Afton's children and families for more than a decade, and for an active Council of Catholic Women that organizes respect-life, Christmas-giving and parish-fundraising efforts. For anyone seeking an intimate, family-friendly parish with deep roots in Union County and a strong catechetical tradition, St. Edward is a faithful home.
Mass times at Saint Edward
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- First Sunday of the month following the 10:45 AM Mass
- First Saturday devotions (after the 9:00 AM Mass) — seasonal
Adoration times
- Tuesday: 8:00–9:00 AM (before the 9:00 AM weekday Mass)
- First Saturday of November, January, March and May: 24-hour Eucharistic Adoration following the 9:00 AM Mass
About St. Edward Parish
St. Edward Catholic Parish is a small, rural Roman Catholic community in Afton, Iowa (Union County), part of the Diocese of Des Moines and a member of the broader 'Good Teacher' area faith community that links it to Holy Spirit Parish in Creston and St. Malachy School in Creston. The parish has worshiped at 104 W. Union Street, Afton since 1912 and continues to gather for Sunday Mass at 10:45 a.m. and a Tuesday morning weekday Mass preceded by Eucharistic Adoration. The parish office, mailing address and shared staff are based in Creston, 12 miles west, so the office manager and administrator priest each serve both communities.
- Parish name: St. Edward Catholic Church / St. Edward Parish
- Diocese: Diocese of Des Moines
- Rite: Roman (Latin)
- Church: 104 W. Union Street, Afton, IA 50830
- Mailing/Parish Office: 406 W. Clark Street, Creston, IA 50801
- Phone: (641) 782-5278
- Email: [email protected]
- Website: www.saintedwardafton.com
Parish History
Saint Edward's Catholic Church in Afton was formally organized and incorporated as an Iowa non-profit on November 11, 1912, the entity still on file with the Iowa Secretary of State as 'Saint Edwards Catholic Church of Afton, Union County, Iowa.' For more than a century the parish has ministered to Catholic families across Union County, although it has long been too small to staff with a resident priest and is today 'served from Creston,' sharing clergy and office staff with Holy Spirit Parish in Creston and St. Malachy School in Creston. Father Kenneth Halbur was appointed pastor of this grouping in 2012, after serving St. Francis of Assisi in West Des Moines and as chaplain at St. Albert Catholic Schools in Council Bluffs. In July 2019 Bishop Richard Pates moved Father Halbur to St. Luke the Evangelist in Ankeny and installed Father Adam Westphal, formerly of St. Luke's, as administrator of the Creston–Afton parishes. Father Patrick Amedeka currently serves as parish administrator, and the 2025–26 diocesan directory continues to identify him as the parish's canonical administrator and OCIA contact. A defining recent chapter in parish life has been the growth of its Catechesis of the Good Shepherd (CGS) program, launched in 2011 by parishioner and current office manager Michelle Moore, which now serves every age group from toddlers through 12-year-olds.
- Incorporated November 11, 1912 (Iowa Secretary of State entity #80824)
- Pastor/administrator succession: Fr. Kenneth Halbur (2012–2019) → Fr. Adam Westphal (2019–) → Fr. Patrick Amedeka (current)
- CGS program launched 2011 by Michelle Moore and her family
- Parish operates in partnership with Holy Spirit, Creston and St. Malachy School, Creston
Faith Formation & Religious Education
Faith formation is the heart of parish life at St. Edward. The cornerstone program is Catechesis of the Good Shepherd (CGS), a Montessori-based, hands-on approach to Christian formation that the parish has now offered for more than ten years out of atria built inside a converted rectory. Because volunteer catechists like Michelle Moore and Lindsay Thelen have continued their formation, the parish is able to offer all three classical CGS levels (Level I ages 3–6, Level II ages 6–9, Level III ages 9–12) plus a separate toddler atrium — a remarkable reach for a small rural parish. A general Religious Education program also runs for children ages 3 through 8th grade on Sundays from 9:15 to 10:30 a.m.
- Catechesis of the Good Shepherd (CGS) — all three levels plus toddler atrium
- Religious Education for ages 3 through 8th grade, Sundays 9:15–10:30 AM
- Director of Faith Formation: Sydney Weis Sorensen (641-344-8911, [email protected])
- CGS founding catechist: Michelle Moore, since 2011
- OCIA (adult initiation) inquiries: Fr. Patrick Amedeka
Catechesis of the Good Shepherd at St. Edward
The Diocese of Des Moines highlighted St. Edward's Catechesis of the Good Shepherd program in a 2025 feature story, noting that the rural parish 'has offered Catechesis of the Good Shepherd for more than 10 years' and now operates all three levels plus a toddler atrium. Moore and her family built the first atrium's materials when they moved to Afton in 2011; since then the program has grown steadily, most recently adding a toddler atrium with the help of a grant from the Catholic Foundation of Southwest Iowa. The atria are designed as 'prepared environments' where children can engage with specially-made catechetical materials and build a foundation of prayer through meditation and silence, sometimes focusing for 30 to 40 minutes at a time as toddlers.
- All three classical CGS levels: ages 3–6, 6–9, 9–12
- Toddler atrium added with support from the Catholic Foundation of Southwest Iowa
- Program housed in a converted rectory on parish grounds
- Featured by the Diocese of Des Moines in August 2025
Parish Staff and Leadership
St. Edward is administered by a small, dedicated team that is shared with Holy Spirit Parish in Creston. The parish administrator priest, the office manager and the director of faith formation each work across both parishes, and the Council of Catholic Women president is based in the parish. This lean staffing reflects St. Edward's small size but also the close-knit cooperation of the area faith community.
- Administrator: Rev. Patrick Amedeka ([email protected])
- Office Manager: Michelle Moore ([email protected])
- Director of Faith Formation: Sydney Weis Sorensen (641-344-8911; [email protected])
- Council of Catholic Women President: Georgia Pettit (641-782-5278; [email protected])
- OCIA Contact: Rev. Patrick Amedeka
Council of Catholic Women (CCW)
The St. Edward Council of Catholic Women is one of the most active organizations in the parish. The CCW organizes an annual birthday celebration, sponsors seasonal charitable drives, supports a SCRIP gift-card program and a parish cash raffle, and leads the parish's Respect Life Month activities, including the annual baby shower for Birthright. Membership dues of $40 per year help fund the group's work.
- CCW President: Georgia Pettit
- Annual cash raffle with weekly $100 prizes and special drawings at Christmas, Easter, Mother's Day and Father's Day
- SCRIP gift-card fundraising table after Mass
- Birthright baby shower each October (Respect Life Month)
- Box of Joy Christmas gift drive for children in Central/South America
Sacraments and Devotions
St. Edward celebrates the seven sacraments through its diocesan affiliation, with Baptisms, First Communions, Confirmations, Marriages and Anointing of the Sick coordinated through the parish office. Reconciliation is offered on the First Sunday of the month after the 10:45 a.m. Mass and as part of the seasonal First-Saturday devotions in November, January, March and May. Confirmations for St. Edward parishioners are typically celebrated at Holy Spirit Church in Creston, alongside candidates from Holy Spirit Parish.
- Baptism: by arrangement with the parish office
- First Communion & Confirmation: prepared through faith formation and CGS programs; Confirmations celebrated at Holy Spirit, Creston
- Matrimony: contact the parish office
- Anointing of the Sick: by request through the parish office
- Reconciliation: First Sunday after 10:45 AM Mass; First-Saturday devotions
- First-Saturday devotions: 9:00 AM Mass, rosary, confessions, 24-hour Adoration (Nov, Jan, March, May)
Outreach, Charity and Respect Life
Despite its small size, St. Edward has a strong tradition of outward-looking charity. The Council of Catholic Women leads the parish's largest annual outreach efforts, including the October Birthright baby shower and the Christmas Box of Joy drive that fills shoe boxes with toys, school supplies, hygiene items and accessories for children in Central and South America who have never received a gift and may not yet have heard the Gospel. The parish also participates in diocesan-wide novenas for the protection of human life each October and supports a SCRIP program and cash raffle that underwrite parish operations.
- Birthright baby shower — October (Respect Life Month)
- Box of Joy — November, for Cross Catholic Outreach
- 9 Days for Life novena — October
- Public Rosary Rally at Veterans' Memorial Park — October
- SCRIP gift-card fundraising
Worship, Music and Broadcasts
Worship at St. Edward follows the standard Roman Rite in English, in keeping with the Diocese of Des Moines. The parish's choir and musicians are drawn from local volunteers, and the bulletin regularly lists sacristans, lectors, Eucharistic ministers, ushers, servers and musicians for upcoming Masses. For parishioners and visitors who cannot be physically present, Sunday Mass is broadcast on KSIB Radio 101.3 FM at 10:00 a.m. and made available online at www.uccat.org.
- Mass celebrated in English
- Music ministry organized per Mass with volunteer musicians and cantors
- Liturgical ministries: sacristans, lectors, servers, Eucharistic ministers, ushers
- Sunday Mass broadcast: KSIB Radio 101.3 FM, 10:00 AM
- Online Mass: www.uccat.org
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Rev. Kenneth (Ken) Halbur2012–July 2019
Pastor of Holy Spirit Parish (Creston), St. Edward Parish (Afton) and canonical administrator of St. Malachy School (Creston). Ordained 2009 by Bishop Richard Pates. Reassigned July 2019 to St. Luke the Evangelist, Ankeny.
- Rev. Adam Westphal2019–
Appointed by Bishop Pates as administrator of Holy Spirit (Creston), St. Edward (Afton) and St. Malachy School (Creston) in July 2019, transferring from St. Luke the Evangelist, Ankeny where he had been pastor since 2018.
- Rev. Patrick Amedeka
Current administrator of St. Edward Parish (Afton) per the Diocese of Des Moines 2025–26 parish directory. Also administrator of Holy Spirit Parish, Creston; serves as OCIA contact for the parish.