About St. Anthony · Red Owl, South Dakota
St. Anthony is a small Catholic mission church in the unincorporated community of Red Owl, South Dakota, in the Diocese of Rapid City. Built in 1920 with a $775 grant from the Catholic Extension Society, the parish was attended from nearby Fairpoint for its first quarter-century and celebrated its centennial in November 2020 with Bishop Peter Muhich. Today St. Anthony is grouped with St. Joseph in Faith and St. Joseph in Mud Butte as a missionary cluster of small western South Dakota communities; the cluster has been led since 2018 by Fr. Janusz Korban and, beginning July 1, 2026, will be served by Fr. Timothy Castor.
- Established
- 1920
- Patron
- St. Anthony (of Padua, traditionally invoked in rural South Dakota communities)
- Rector
- Fr. Timothy Castor (appointed effective July 1, 2026; previously Fr. Janusz Korban)
- Diocese
- Diocese of Rapid City
Why belong here
St. Anthony offers ranching and farming families of Red Owl and the surrounding plains a regular Catholic witness that has endured for more than a century. As one of three affiliated parishes (with St. Joseph in Faith and St. Joseph in Mud Butte) it provides weekend Mass and a permanent deacon for religious formation, and its 2020 centennial showed how tightly the small community still rallies around its church — a place where neighbors know one another by name and sacraments are celebrated even in the most remote corners of western South Dakota.
Mass times at St. Anthony
Weekly Mass schedule
History of St. Anthony, Red Owl
St. Anthony was established in 1920 when its modest church was built with a $775 grant from the Catholic Extension Society. For its first quarter-century the mission was attended from Fairpoint; in 1946–1947 the priest's residence was moved to Red Owl and the parish took on additional outstations at Fairpoint, Mud Butte, Haydraw, and Hereford. It was subsequently a mission of Bear Butte (1952), St. Onge (1957), and Faith (1976). The parish's centennial was celebrated November 8, 2020 with Bishop Peter Muhich.
- 1920: church built with $775 Catholic Extension Society grant
- 1946–1947: priest residence moved to Red Owl; missions at Fairpoint, Mud Butte, Haydraw, Hereford
- 1952: becomes a mission of Bear Butte
- 1957: becomes a mission of St. Onge
- 1976: becomes a mission of Faith
- November 8, 2020: centennial Mass celebrated by Bishop Peter Muhich
Clergy and Pastoral Leadership
St. Anthony is grouped with St. Joseph in Faith and St. Joseph in Mud Butte as a single pastoral cluster. Permanent Deacon Larry Brown assists with religious formation across the cluster. Fr. Janusz Korban served as pastor of the cluster from May 2018; effective July 1, 2026, Fr. Timothy Castor has been appointed as the new pastor by Bishop Scott Bullock.
- Fr. Janusz Korban — Pastor of the cluster, 2018–2026 (also Chaplain of the Sioux Spiritual Center and Vicar for Hispanic Ministry)
- Fr. Timothy Castor — Pastor effective July 1, 2026
- Deacon Larry Brown — Permanent Deacon, Religious Formation
Parish Cluster and Affiliations
St. Anthony is part of a missionary cluster of small western South Dakota parishes centered on Faith, about 60 miles northeast of Red Owl. The cluster shares one pastor and one office, with parish mail routed through the Faith post office box.
- St. Joseph, Faith (cluster hub) — PO Box 307, Faith, SD 57626-0307
- St. Joseph, Mud Butte
- St. Anthony, Red Owl
- Cluster sharing with Sioux Spiritual Center (chaplain: Fr. Janusz Korban)
Centennial Celebration (2020)
Parishioners of St. Anthony celebrated 100 years of Catholic life in Red Owl on November 8, 2020. Bishop Peter Muhich of the Diocese of Rapid City celebrated the anniversary Mass, after which the community gathered for a reception. Photographs from the day — including Eli Dennis pictured with his sponsor Carole Brown after being confirmed — were shared on the Diocese of Rapid City Facebook page.
- November 8, 2020: centennial Mass with Bishop Peter Muhich
- Reception followed in the parish hall
- Confirmations were conferred during the celebration
Diocese of Rapid City
St. Anthony belongs to the Diocese of Rapid City, which covers the western two-thirds of South Dakota. The diocese is led by Bishop Scott Edward Bullock (installed June 25, 2024). With 85 churches spread across vast rural territory, the diocese relies on clustered mission parishes like Faith–Mud Butte–Red Owl to keep the sacraments accessible to small ranching and farming communities.
- Diocese of Rapid City
- Bishop Scott Edward Bullock (since 2024)
- 85 churches across western South Dakota
- Parish directory listings for St. Anthony are maintained at rapidcitydiocese.org
Visiting and Contact
St. Anthony has no separate parish phone; all inquiries are routed through St. Joseph in Faith (PO Box 307, Faith, SD 57626-0307). The church is on Red Owl Road in the unincorporated community of Red Owl, South Dakota 57787, and is best reached by car over rural highways.
- Mailing address: PO Box 307, Faith, SD 57626-0307
- Physical location: Red Owl Rd., Red Owl, SD 57787
- Diocese website: rapidcitydiocese.org
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Fr. Janusz Korban2018–2026
Assigned May 2018 as pastor of the Faith–Plainview–Red Owl–Mud Butte cluster; also Chaplain of the Sioux Spiritual Center and Vicar for Hispanic Ministry.
- Fr. Timothy Castor2026–present (effective July 1, 2026)
Appointed by Bishop Scott Bullock to serve St. Joseph in Faith, St. Joseph in Mud Butte, and St. Anthony in Red Owl; released from his prior roles as Canonical Pastor of St. Patrick in Lead and St. Ambrose in Deadwood.