About Saint Mary · Lone Tree, Iowa
St. Mary Catholic Church in Lone Tree, Iowa is one of three parishes in the Sts. Mary and Joseph Cluster, sharing pastoral staff with St. Mary in Nichols and St. Joseph in Hills. The cluster belongs to the Diocese of Davenport and is currently served by Parochial Administrator Father David Paintsil, with longtime Pastoral Associate Carol Kaalberg. Worship takes place Saturday evening at St. Mary Lone Tree, with the cluster also offering Masses Sunday mornings in Nichols and Hills. The parish traces its roots to a wood-frame church built in 1874 and grew with the surrounding farming community of Johnson County.
- Established
- 1874
- Patron
- The Blessed Virgin Mary
- Rector
- Father David Paintsil (Parochial Administrator)
- Diocese
- Diocese of Davenport
Why belong here
St. Mary Lone Tree offers a small, rooted rural parish where generations of Catholic families have worshipped since 1874. As part of the three-parish Sts. Mary and Joseph Cluster, members share Saturday Mass and Saturday confessions at Lone Tree with Sunday worship in Nichols and Hills, alongside faith-formation classes for children and RCIA inquiry for adults. The cluster also nurtures an active sister-parish relationship with Our Lady of Lourdes in Zorange, Haiti, giving parishioners a direct way to support medical, educational and pastoral work abroad.
Mass times at Saint Mary
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Saturday, 3:30 – 3:50 p.m. at St. Mary Church, Lone Tree
- Sunday, 7:30 – 7:50 a.m. at St. Mary Church, Nichols
- Sunday, 9:30 – 9:50 a.m. at St. Joseph Church, Hills
- Confessions also offered during Eucharistic Adoration (Wednesday 6–7 p.m. at St. Joseph, Hills)
Adoration times
- Wednesday, 6:00 – 7:00 p.m. at St. Joseph Church, Hills (with confessions available)
About the Sts. Mary and Joseph Cluster
St. Mary Lone Tree worships as part of the Sts. Mary and Joseph Cluster Parishes, a three-parish family that also includes St. Mary in Nichols and St. Joseph in Hills. The parishes share one pastor (currently Parochial Administrator Father David Paintsil), a Pastoral Associate, and a Director of Faith Formation. The cluster belongs to the Diocese of Davenport and is rooted in small rural farming communities of Johnson and Muscatine counties in eastern Iowa.
- St. Mary, Lone Tree (1874) — Saturday Vigil Mass at 4 p.m.
- St. Mary, Nichols (1874; rebuilt 1920 after a fire) — Sunday Mass at 8 a.m.
- St. Joseph, Hills (1903) — Sunday Mass at 10 a.m.
- Cluster Office: 209 Brady Street, PO Box 187, Hills, IA 52235 · 319-679-2271
History of St. Mary, Lone Tree
The first Catholic church in Lone Tree was built in 1874 under Father Emmons of Iowa City, with Father Purcell of Nichols as its first assigned pastor. From 1877 to 1905 the Nichols and Lone Tree congregations were served by the same pastor, with Lone Tree functioning as a mission church. Father Robert Nolan, appointed in 1880, served until his death in 1901. By 1902 Father Kottenstette was caring for the parish, and in 1913 the congregation voted to build a new, larger church. Architect Arthur Ebeling of Davenport drew the plans; contractor W. W. Wolery won the bid at $8,133, the cornerstone was laid May 31, 1914, and Father Kottenstette celebrated the first Mass in the new church on the first Sunday of January 1915. On November 1, 1919, St. Mary's ceased being a mission and Father Kottenstette became its first resident pastor.
- 1874 — first church built under Father Emmons; Father Purcell first assigned pastor
- 1880–1901 — Father Robert Nolan serves the parish
- 1902 — Father Kottenstette appointed
- 1914 — cornerstone of the new church laid May 31
- January 1915 — first Mass in the new church
- 1919 — Lone Tree becomes a resident parish
- 1989 — Carol Kaalberg commissioned as the diocese's first Parish Life Coordinator
- 2010 — St. Joseph, Hills joins the cluster; Father Bill Kneemiller assigned
- 2012 — Father Michael Spiekermeier becomes pastor
- July 1, 2021 — Father Hai Dinh assigned pastor
- June 30, 2021 — Father Spiekermeier retires
- July 1, 2024 — Father David Paintsil appointed Parochial Administrator
Cluster Staff & Clergy
The three-parish cluster is led by Parochial Administrator Father David Paintsil, who was assigned on July 1, 2024. He is assisted by retired priest Father Lou Leonhardt. Carol Kaalberg, the cluster's longtime Pastoral Associate, was commissioned in 1989 by Bishop Gerald O'Keefe as the first Parish Life Coordinator in the Diocese of Davenport. Nancy Waldschmidt serves as Director of Faith Formation for the cluster.
- Father David Paintsil — Parochial Administrator ([email protected], 319-679-2271)
- Father Lou Leonhardt — retired, assisting with ministry
- Mrs. Carol Kaalberg — Pastoral Associate ([email protected], 319-723-4204 home, 319-330-5324 cell)
- Mrs. Nancy Waldschmidt — Director of Faith Formation ([email protected], 319-331-2077)
Faith Formation & Religious Education
Religious Education classes for children in the cluster are coordinated by Director of Faith Formation Nancy Waldschmidt. Classes for the 2024–2025 year began on Saturday, September 21, 2024 at St. Mary, Lone Tree, and Sunday, September 22, 2024 at St. Joseph, Hills. Adults wishing to learn more about the Catholic Church are invited to OCIA (Order of Christian Initiation of Adults — formerly RCIA) inquiry classes beginning in September; inquiries can be directed to Father David or Carol Kaalberg.
- Children's Religious Education — Saturday at Lone Tree, Sunday at Hills
- OCIA / RCIA inquiry for adults — begins each September
- Registration form and class schedule posted on the parish website
Haiti Sister Parish
Our Lady of Lourdes parish in Zorange, Haiti, is the cluster's sister parish. For several years the cluster has sent a lay volunteer to Haiti to serve with ServeHaiti at the St. Vincent de Paul Clinic in Grand Bois, and at the sister parish itself. The cluster's ladies group has supported the relationship through sewing projects for Haitian children and, several years ago, funded the digging of a well to serve community needs. The Haiti mission is kept in the regular prayers of the cluster.
- Sister parish: Our Lady of Lourdes, Zorange, Haiti
- Mission partner: ServeHaiti (medical and educational)
- Volunteer site: St. Vincent de Paul Clinic, Grand Bois, Haiti
- Cluster ladies' sewing projects for Haitian children
- Funded well for community water needs
St. Mary's Cemetery
St. Mary's Cemetery sits on a country hill two miles west of Nichols, chosen as a burial ground between the Nichols and Lone Tree congregations when both were served by the same pastor. Two former pastors, Father Robert J. Nolan and his brother Father M. F. Nolan, are buried there. In 1955 an Italian marble altar, designed in Italy in 1926 and later moved from the Mercy Hospital Chapel in Davenport, was erected on the priests' lot by the pastors of Nichols and Lone Tree, Rev. L. J. Vogel and Rev. C. A. Egert, and parishioner B. A. Milder. The cemetery is shared by the Nichols and Lone Tree parishes, and Memorial Day services are held there annually.
- Location: country hill two miles west of Nichols
- Shared by St. Mary Nichols and St. Mary Lone Tree parishes
- Italian-marble altar (1926) installed on priests' lot in 1955
- Annual Memorial Day services
St. Stanislaus Church & Cemetery (Hills)
St. Stanislaus Church, built in 1853 just west of Hills, is the predecessor of St. Joseph Parish. After restoration it is now used for Memorial Day Masses at the St. Stanislaus Cemetery.
- Built 1853 — predecessor of St. Joseph, Hills
- Used for Memorial Day Masses at St. Stanislaus Cemetery
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Father Emmons1874
Of Iowa City; supervised the building of the first Lone Tree church.
- Father Purcellc.1874–1880
Of Nichols; first assigned pastor — Lone Tree began as a mission of Nichols.
- Father Robert Nolan1880–1901
Long-serving pastor until his death; buried in St. Mary's Cemetery.
- Father Michael (M. F.) Nolanearly 1900s
Succeeded his brother briefly; also buried in St. Mary's Cemetery.
- Father Kottenstette1902–1919+
Built the 1914 church; became Lone Tree's first resident pastor in 1919.
- Father Bill Kneemiller2010–2012
First pastor of the three-parish cluster (Hills added 2010).
- Father Michael Spiekermeier2012–2021
Retired June 30, 2021.
- Father Hai Dinh2021–2024
Assigned July 1, 2021.
- Father David Paintsil2024–present
Appointed Parochial Administrator July 1, 2024.