About St. Andrew · Independence, Kansas
St. Andrew Catholic Church is a parish of the Diocese of Wichita serving the city of Independence, Kansas, and surrounding Montgomery County. The parish worships in a striking Gothic sandstone church built in 1881 and pairs that historic home with an attached Catholic school (PreK–8) and an active sister-parish relationship with St. Francis Xavier in nearby Cherryvale. Its stated mission is to 'Inspire Seekers, Strengthen Believers, and Commission Disciples to invite others into a relationship with Jesus Christ,' and it serves a registered community of roughly 295 families and about 584 individual Catholics.
- Established
- 1881
- Patron
- St. Andrew the Apostle
- Rector
- Rev. Zachary G.B. Pinaire
- Diocese
- Diocese of Wichita
Why belong here
St. Andrew offers a full Catholic life in a small-town setting: daily and Sunday Mass in both English and Spanish, weekly confession, an around-the-clock Eucharistic Adoration schedule (24 hours Thursday through Friday plus Sunday evenings), and a K–8 parish school that has been forming children on the same block since 1904. The parish also runs a robust set of lay ministries — lectors, ushers, altar servers, greeters, a Prayer Chain, Chaplet of the Divine Mercy for the seriously ill, rosary groups, music ministries (traditional choir, guitar choir, balcony choir), and a parish Food Pantry — making it easy for new members to plug in. Its sister-parish bond with St. Francis Xavier in Cherryvale extends the community even further into Montgomery County.
Mass times at St. Andrew
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Weekdays: 30 minutes before Mass
- Saturday: 3:30–4:15 p.m.
- Sunday: 7:30 a.m. (at St. Francis Xavier, Cherryvale)
- By appointment
Adoration times
- Tuesday 5:00–6:00 p.m. (at St. Francis Xavier, Cherryvale)
- First Tuesday 1:00–6:00 p.m. (at St. Francis Xavier, Cherryvale)
- 24-Hour Adoration: Thursday 8:00 a.m. through Friday 8:00 a.m.
- Sunday Adoration: 4:00–8:30 p.m.
- Friday Adoration (per ministries page): 5:00–7:30 a.m.
Parish Overview & Mission
St. Andrew Catholic Church exists to 'Inspire Seekers, Strengthen Believers, and Commission Disciples to invite others into a relationship with Jesus Christ.' Its vision is that everyone who comes to the parish will encounter the Love of Jesus Christ and choose to be His disciple. The parish serves about 295 registered families — roughly 584 individual Catholics — in Independence and the wider Montgomery County area, and it operates in close partnership with its sister parish, St. Francis Xavier in Cherryvale.
- Mission: Inspire Seekers, Strengthen Believers, and Commission Disciples
- Vision: Everyone encounters the Love of Jesus Christ and chooses to be His disciple
- Sister parish: St. Francis Xavier, Cherryvale, KS
- Parish size: ~295 families / ~584 individual Catholics
Parish History
Catholic life in Independence predates the town itself: an Irish Jesuit, Father Philip Colleton, served the mission in 1869 — the first priest on record in Montgomery County — and by 1870 a small log Church of St. Stanislaus stood 3½ miles northeast of town, the first church of any denomination in the county. Father Philip Scholl began the present Gothic sandstone church in 1881, and the parish's K–8 school opened in the church basement in 1904. Two lightning fires (1916 and 2003) have twice nearly destroyed the building; both times the parish rebuilt, preserving its sandstone walls, its 154-foot steeple, and its rare Kilgen tubular-pneumatic pipe organ.
- 1869: Fr. Philip Colleton (Irish Jesuit) serves the mission
- 1870: First Church of St. Stanislaus completed — first church in the county
- 1879: Fr. Philip Scholl appointed pastor
- 1881: St. Andrew Church begun; exterior completed 1885
- 1904: Parish school opens in the church basement
- 1908: Four Sisters of St. Joseph arrive; bell hung (1,640 lbs, McShane Foundry, Baltimore)
- 1911: Two-story red-brick school built; expanded 1926
- 1916: Lightning fire gutted the church; rebuilt and rededicated March 1917; Kilgen tubular-pneumatic organ installed
- 1972: School closes; reopens 1979 with lay teachers
- 1987: Present rectory completed
- 1991: Carillon with cartridge hymn player added
- 1998: New classrooms added (dedicated to Fr. Kevin Trayers)
- 2003: Lightning strikes steeple; full renovation completed more than a year later
Church Architecture & Sacred Art
St. Andrew's is a Gothic church built of locally quarried sandstone: 100 feet long, 47 feet wide, with 34-foot walls and a 154-foot steeple that is the highest point in Independence. Its Old English Gothic interior features a groined-vault ceiling, the fourteen life-like Stations of the Cross purchased in 1905, thirteen stained-glass windows depicting the Twelve Apostles (with St. Paul in place of Judas) and St. Patrick installed c. 1907, and the rare tubular-pneumatic Kilgen organ of 1916. The Greek-cross keystone above the front door recalls the cross on which St. Andrew was martyred.
- Style: Gothic exterior, Old English Gothic interior with groined-vault ceiling
- Sandstone exterior completed 1885; 154 ft steeple
- 14 Stations of the Cross (1905)
- 13 stained-glass windows of the Apostles and St. Patrick (c. 1907)
- Kilgen tubular-pneumatic pipe organ (1916) — one of very few in the U.S.
- Greek-cross keystone over front door; IHS keystone above St. Andrew window
Parish School (St. Andrew Catholic School)
St. Andrew Catholic School has educated children on the same block since 1904, when lay teachers opened classes in the church basement. Four Sisters of St. Joseph took over instruction in 1908, and the two-story red-brick school was built in 1911 and expanded in 1926. After closing in 1972, the school reopened in 1979 under lay teachers, and new classrooms next to the Parish Center were added in 1998 (dedicated to Father Kevin Trayers). Today it serves about 136 students in PreK through 8th grade with a faculty of 11 and staff of 10.
- Originally founded 1884 (per diocesan school page); K–8 instruction began 1904
- Sisters of St. Joseph arrived 1908
- Two-story red-brick school built 1911, expanded 1926
- Closed 1972; re-opened 1979 with lay teachers
- New classrooms added 1998, dedicated to Fr. Kevin Trayers
- Current enrollment: 136 (PreK–8); 11 faculty, 10 staff
- Principal: Becky Brown
- Address: 215 N. Park Blvd., Independence, KS 67301 — (620) 331-2870
- Email: [email protected]
Faith Formation & Sacraments
St. Andrew's formation programs include the Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults (RCIA / OCIA) for those exploring Catholicism, Parish School of Religion (PSR) for grade-school children, Adult Religious Education, Adult Bible Study, the Cursillo movement, and the CYM (Christian Youth Movement). Sacramental preparation covers First Reconciliation, First Communion, and Confirmation.
- RCIA / OCIA — Wednesdays 6:30 p.m., Parish Center Boardroom
- PSR — religious education for grade-school children
- Adult Religious Education & Adult Bible Study
- Cursillo and CYM
- First Reconciliation / First Communion preparation
- Confirmation preparation
Parish Ministries & Volunteer Roles
Lay ministry is the backbone of St. Andrew, and parishioners are warmly invited to serve in roles that fit their gifts. Liturgical ministries include lectors, ushers, altar servers, Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion, and greeters; pastoral roles include Rosary Leaders, the Prayer Chain, and the Chaplet of the Divine Mercy for the seriously ill. Music ministry includes the Traditional Choir, Guitar Choir, Sunday Balcony Choir, and a cantor program. The parish also operates a Food Pantry and a 'Caring Call' telephone ministry for parishioners who live alone.
- Liturgical: Lector (Eloise Wesley), Usher (David Thompson), Altar Servers, EMHC, Greeters (Dian Wullenschneider), Offertory Gifts (Karen Hernandez)
- Music: Traditional Choir (Karen Knox), Guitar Choir (Arlene Dalton), Sunday Balcony Choir (Lina Miller), Cantors
- Pastoral: Rosary Leaders (Karen Hernandez), Prayer Chain (Eloise Wesley), Chaplet of the Divine Mercy (Helen Bohr, Teresa Strecker)
- Outreach: Food Pantry; Caring Call (Trish Widowski, Jean Lundt)
- Fraternal: Knights of Columbus Council 918
Parish Staff & School Council
The parish office team supports Father Zachary Pinaire in day-to-day operations, and the School Council works with Principal Becky Brown on the school's mission, planning, finances, and policy.
- Pastor: Rev. Zachary G.B. Pinaire — (620) 331-1789
- Church Secretary: Nicole Morrow — (620) 331-1789
- Bookkeeper: Marlene Bannwarth — (620) 331-1789
- School Principal: Becky Brown
- School Council President: Abby Emert; Vice President: Sarah Lange; Treasurer: Emily Haynes; Secretary: LuAnn McQuitty; Members: Angela Renfro, Fr. Zachary Pinaire
Visiting & Contact
St. Andrew Catholic Church sits at 210 N. Fourth Street, Independence, KS 67301, with the school next door at 215 N. Park Blvd. The parish office is open Tuesday through Friday mornings; visitors can stay connected through the parish website, Facebook, Instagram, Flocknote, and the Hallow prayer app. The Diocese of Wichita directory lists the parish under Independence.
- Church address: 210 N. Fourth St., Independence, KS 67301
- School address: 215 N. Park Blvd., Independence, KS 67301
- Phone: (620) 331-1789 · Fax: (620) 331-6496
- Email: [email protected]
- Office hours: Tue–Thu 9:00 a.m.–3:30 p.m.; Fri 9:00 a.m.–1:30 p.m.
- Facebook: facebook.com/standrewindependence/
- Instagram: instagram.com/standrewindyks/
- Flocknote: text STANDREWINDY to 84576
- Diocese: catholicdioceseofwichita.org