About Saint Patrick (Prince of Peace Parish) · Great Bend, Kansas
Prince of Peace Catholic Church is a Roman Catholic parish in Great Bend, Kansas, belonging to the Diocese of Dodge City. Formed on December 3, 2006, by merging the historic St. Rose of Lima Parish (founded 1878) and St. Patrick Parish (formally established 1960), it serves 1,627 registered households across two worship sites — St. Patrick Church at 4100 Broadway and St. Rose of Lima at 1412 Baker Avenue. The parish is staffed by two MSFS (Missionaries of St. Francis de Sales) priests and is bilingual, offering a Spanish-language Mass each Sunday. It also operates Holy Family Catholic School (K–8) at 4200 Broadway.
- Established
- 2006
- Patron
- Prince of Peace (Christ); legacy patrons include St. Rose of Lima and St. Patrick
- Rector
- Rev. Prakash Kola, MSFS
- Diocese
- Diocese of Dodge City
Why belong here
Prince of Peace is a large, bilingual Catholic community in central Kansas — about 1,627 households strong — that welcomes English- and Spanish-speaking families at two historic worship sites, St. Patrick and St. Rose of Lima. The parish runs Holy Family Catholic School, an active PSR (K–7) and youth group, OCIA for adults and youth, a Knights of Columbus council, Altar Society, Ecumenical and Stewardship commissions, and a robust Hispanic ministry led by two MCMI sisters. With weekday confessions at both churches, multiple Sunday Masses, and a school right on parish grounds, it's a community where faith formation, fellowship, and service are woven into daily parish life.
Mass times at Saint Patrick (Prince of Peace Parish)
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Tuesday 5:00 pm – 5:45 pm, St. Rose
- Friday 5:00 pm – 5:45 pm, St. Patrick
- Saturday 4:00 pm – 4:45 pm, St. Patrick
- Saturday 4:30 pm – 5:15 pm, St. Rose
History of Prince of Peace Parish
Catholicism in Great Bend stretches back to the mid-1800s, when monks from St. Benedict Abbey in Atchison traveled to Fort Zarah to minister to Catholic soldiers. The first church, St. Rose of Lima, was built in 1878 at Baker and Park streets, and the present St. Rose church was built in 1915 at Broadway and Baker. As the Catholic population grew, St. Patrick's Chapel was added on the west side of town in 1954, and St. Patrick Parish was formally established in 1960, with its current church built in 1968. After the two parish schools were merged into Holy Family Grade School in 2002, the parishes themselves were organizationally merged in July 2003 and canonically erected as the new parish of Prince of Peace on December 3, 2006.
- 1865–1870: Benedictine monks from Atchison minister at Fort Zarah
- 1878: First Catholic church built in Great Bend; St. Rose of Lima parish established
- 1915: Present St. Rose of Lima church built at Broadway & Baker
- 1954: St. Patrick's Chapel created on the west side of Great Bend
- 1960: St. Patrick Parish formally established
- 1968: Current St. Patrick church building constructed
- 1997: Interior renovation of St. Rose of Lima church
- 2002: St. Rose School demolished; both schools merged into Holy Family Grade School
- 2003: St. Rose of Lima and St. Patrick organizationally merged
- Dec. 3, 2006: New parish of Prince of Peace canonically established
Worship Sites
Prince of Peace Parish is unusual in that it worships at two historic church buildings — St. Patrick at 4100 Broadway and St. Rose of Lima at 1412 Baker Avenue — both with their own weekend Mass schedules. Weekday Mass times are announced in the parish bulletin.
- St. Patrick Church — 4100 Broadway (Saturday 5:00 pm; Sunday 10:00 am)
- St. Rose of Lima Church — 1412 Baker Ave (Saturday 5:30 pm; Sunday 8:00 am English, 12:30 pm Spanish)
Parish Staff & Clergy
The parish is served by two priests of the Missionaries of St. Francis de Sales (MSFS), supported by a parish secretary, receptionist, bookkeeper, DRE, pastoral assistant, and Hispanic pastoral ministers. Staff extensions are reached through the parish office at 620-792-1396.
- Rev. Prakash Kola, MSFS — Pastor (ext. 123)
- Rev. Amirtharian Duraisamy, MSFS — Parochial Vicar (ext. 118)
- Luke Blair — Pastoral Assistant & Director of Christian Initiation (ext. 124)
- Laken Rudolph — DRE & Youth Ministry Coordinator (ext. 110)
- Sr. Brigida Camarena, MCMI & Sr. Basilia, MCMI — Hispanic Pastoral Ministers (ext. 115)
- Kathleen Stacey — Parish Secretary (ext. 120)
- Graciela Guereca — Receptionist (ext. 113)
- Pam Lichter — Bookkeeper (ext. 112)
Councils & Commissions
Parish governance is shared through a Pastoral Council, Finance Council, and a series of commissions that steward the parish's temporal and spiritual life. Priests serve as ex officio members on every council and commission.
- Pastoral Council — main governing body (contact Jerry Esfeld; meets 4th Tuesday, 7:00 pm, St. Patrick Meeting Room)
- Finance Council — oversees parish finances
- Holy Family School Council — supports the parish school (contact Cindy Beck; 2nd Wednesday, 7:00 pm)
- Stewardship Commission — time, talent, and treasure
- Vocation Commission — fosters vocations to priesthood, religious life, and sacramental marriage
- Hospitality Commission — welcomes new members and serves parish receptions (contact Joyce Haberman; 4th Monday, 7:00 pm)
- Ecumenical Commission — relationships with other Christian denominations (contact Nancy Sundahl; 1st Wednesday, 5:30 pm)
- Property Commission — maintenance and improvement of parish buildings (contact Roger Hallenbeck; 2nd Thursday, 7:00 pm)
- Endowment Board — provides financial assistance to Holy Family School
Faith Formation & Religious Education
Prince of Peace runs a full K–12 faith formation program. The youngest children experience the Catechesis of the Good Shepherd in a specially prepared Atrium, while older children attend the Parish School of Religion (PSR) on Wednesday evenings at Holy Family School. Confirmation preparation is offered in 8th grade, with a special 9th–12th grade session as well.
- Catechesis of the Good Shepherd (Atrium) — Pre-K through 1st grade; Monday 8–10 am & 4–6 pm, Thursday 3:45–5:45 pm; no fee
- PSR K–7th — Wednesday evenings, 5:30 pm, Holy Family School (Sept–May); $45/student or $75/family
- Confirmation (8th grade) — Wednesday evenings, 7:00–8:15 pm, Parish Center at St. Patrick
- Special 9th–12th grade Confirmation session — Sunday, 6:00–7:00 pm, St. Rose
- First Reconciliation and First Eucharist typically received in 2nd grade
OCIA — Christian Initiation
The Order of Christian Initiation of Adults (OCIA) walks inquirers through the steps of becoming Catholic — from initial inquiry and the Rite of Welcome/Election, through the Easter Vigil sacraments of initiation and Mystagogy. A parallel OCIA-Y program exists for unbaptized youth ages 7–18 and for older baptized children who missed earlier sacraments, and as of 2023–2024 OCIA-Y follows a two-year preparation process. Both English and Spanish OCIA rituals are celebrated.
- Adult OCIA inquiry sessions — Thursday evenings
- Rite of Sending — at the parish during Mass, recognized by the priest
- Rite of Election — at the Cathedral of Our Lady of Guadalupe in Dodge City, recognized by the bishop
- Sacraments of Initiation (Baptism, Confirmation, Eucharist) — received at the Easter Vigil
- Youth OCIA-Y — 2-year process; sacraments at Easter Vigil when complete
Youth Ministry — Christians in Action (CIA)
High school students gather as Christians in Action on Sunday evenings at 7:00 pm in the St. Rose Auditorium. The group puts faith into action through community service, Prayer and Action, Totus Tuus, Steubenville Conferences, and the March for Life. Activities are funded through parish fundraising; no formal registration is required.
- Meets Sundays, 7:00 pm, St. Rose Auditorium
- Service projects, Prayer and Action, Totus Tuus
- Steubenville Conferences and March for Life trips
- Fundraising supports attendance
Hispanic Ministry
Two MCMI sisters — Sr. Brigida Camarena and Sr. Basilia — serve as Hispanic Pastoral Ministers, supporting the Spanish-speaking members of the parish and a separate Spanish Pastoral Council that meets on the 3rd Thursday of each month at 6:00 pm in the St. Rose Meeting Room. The parish celebrates a weekly Sunday Mass in Spanish at 12:30 pm at St. Rose of Lima.
- Spanish Mass — Sunday 12:30 pm, St. Rose of Lima
- Hispanic Pastoral Council — 3rd Thursday, 6:00 pm, St. Rose Meeting Room
- Bilingual OCIA rituals
- OCIA-Y offered in English and Spanish
Holy Family Catholic School
Holy Family Catholic School (K–8) is the parish school, formed from the 2002 merger of the two parish elementary schools. It shares the 4200 Broadway campus with the Parish Center and is supported by the Endowment Board and the Holy Family School Council. The school is led by Principal Debbie Hagans and School Secretary Angie Stoney.
- Holy Family School — 4200 Broadway, Great Bend
- Phone: 620-793-3265
- Fax: 620-792-2798
- Principal: Debbie Hagans
- School Secretary: Angie Stoney
- Holy Family School Council — meets 2nd Wednesday, 7:00 pm
Parish Organizations
Two long-standing parish organizations anchor much of the social and devotional life at Prince of Peace: the women's Altar Society and the Knights of Columbus council. Both have their own officers, meeting rhythms, and service missions.
- Altar Society — all women of the parish; meets 1st Monday (Sept–May), St. Rose Meeting Room; cares for the altar (bread, wine, candles), prepares and serves funeral dinners
- Knights of Columbus — supports religious education, Special Olympics, Relay for Life, Camp Hope, Dominican Sisters, seminarians; Columbus Club 620-793-3930
Sacraments
The parish prepares members for and celebrates the seven sacraments, including Baptism, First Reconciliation and First Eucharist (typically in 2nd grade), Confirmation (typically 8th grade), and Matrimony (with annulment and convalidation support). Anointing of the Sick is available by contacting the parish office.
- Baptism
- First Reconciliation (2nd grade)
- First Eucharist (2nd grade)
- Confirmation (8th grade)
- Matrimony / convalidation / annulment assistance
- Anointing of the Sick — contact parish office
- OCIA for adults and youth
Contact & Visit
Parish offices are open Monday through Friday from 8:00 am to 4:00 pm at 4100 Broadway. The mailing address is PO Box 87, Great Bend, KS 67530-0087. Fax: 620-792-3642. Parishioners and visitors can also give online through the parish website.
- Address: 4100 Broadway, PO Box 87, Great Bend, KS 67530-0087
- Phone: 620-792-1396
- Fax: 620-792-3642
- Office hours: Monday–Friday, 8:00 am – 4:00 pm
- Rectory: 1423 Holland
- Parish Center: 4200 Broadway
- Online giving available via greatbendcatholic.com