About St. Augustine · Sabetha, Kansas
St. Augustine Parish is a small, historic Catholic country church located in the unincorporated village of Fidelity, Kansas, in Brown County, just outside Sabetha. Founded in 1860 as a mission from the Benedictine Abbey of St. Benedict in Atchison, it is one of the earliest Catholic parishes in northeastern Kansas and today operates as part of a three-parish grouping with Sacred Heart in Sabetha and St. James in Wetmore. The parish belongs to the Archdiocese of Kansas City in Kansas and is currently served by Father Joel Haug. Its Sunday Mass is celebrated at 8:30 AM, with a Tuesday evening Mass and a First Friday Mass, weekly Confessions before Sunday Mass, and a monthly 24-hour Eucharistic Adoration on First Fridays.
- Established
- 1860
- Patron
- St. Augustine of Hippo
- Rector
- Rev. Joel Haug
- Diocese
- Archdiocese of Kansas City in Kansas
Why belong here
St. Augustine welcomes visitors and parishioners to a true country Catholic experience — a small, historic church where everyone knows one another, Sunday Mass is celebrated at 8:30 AM, and the Blessed Sacrament is adored for a full 24 hours on First Fridays. The parish is part of a vibrant three-parish community with Sacred Heart in Sabetha and St. James in Wetmore, sharing programs like the Amazing Parish initiative, Communio marriage enrichment, and a dozen adult Bible studies between the three parishes. It is an ideal place for families and individuals seeking a peaceful, traditional, faith-centered rural parish rooted in 165 years of Benedictine missionary history.
Mass times at St. Augustine
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- 30 minutes prior to Sunday Mass (approximately 8:00 AM)
- And by appointment
Adoration times
- 1 hour prior to Sunday Mass (approximately 7:30–8:30 AM)
- 24-Hour Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament: 1st Friday 8:00 AM through Saturday 8:00 AM
Parish History
St. Augustine Parish was founded in 1860 as a mission of the Benedictine Abbey of St. Benedict in Atchison, Kansas. The Atchison Benedictines — sent west from their American motherhouse at St. Vincent Archabbey in Latrobe, Pennsylvania — planted Catholic parishes across northeastern Kansas, southeastern Nebraska, and parts of Iowa to serve the spiritual needs of 19th-century settlers. The parish grew with the surrounding farming community, the present church building was constructed in the early 1920s, and its written history was preserved in the 1987 anniversary volume 'The Church is People' (United Church Directories, Galion, Ohio).
- Founded 1860 as a mission of St. Benedict's Abbey, Atchison, KS
- Benedictine priests from Atchison staffed the mission for many decades
- Mass was originally celebrated on the 2nd and 4th Sundays of each month in Fidelity, while Sabetha was served on the 1st and 3rd Sundays
- Current church building constructed in the early 1920s
- Parish once maintained a school and rectory; both are now gone
- Anniversary history published in 1987: 'The Church is People: St. Augustine Parish, Fidelity, Kansas, 1862–1987 / Sacred Heart Parish, Sabetha, Kansas, 1923–1987'
Clergy & Staff
St. Augustine is part of a three-parish grouping with Sacred Heart in Sabetha and St. James in Wetmore, sharing one pastor. Liturgy and music ministry is led by lay coordinators at each parish.
- Rev. Joel Haug — Pastor (appointed July 1, 2023)
- Rev. Jaime Zarse — former pastor (2018–2023)
- Jean Renyer — Liturgy Team (St. Augustine): [email protected], 785-467-5065
- Barb Rettele — Music Director (St. Augustine): [email protected], 785-294-0621
Liturgy & Music Ministry
Lay volunteers coordinate the parish's liturgical life and music program. Jean Renyer serves on the Liturgy Team, and Barb Rettele directs the parish's music ministry.
- Liturgy Team coordinator: Jean Renyer (785-467-5065)
- Music Director: Barb Rettele (785-294-0621)
Parish Programs & Community Life
St. Augustine shares several archdiocesan and parish-led programs with its sister parishes in Sabetha and Wetmore, including the 'Amazing Parish' organizational health initiative and 'Communio' marriage and relationship ministry, plus adult Bible studies.
- Amazing Parish — parish transformation and leadership program
- Communio — marriage and relationship enrichment ministry
- Adult Bible studies (shared across the three-parish grouping)
Sister Parishes (Three-Parish Grouping)
St. Augustine is grouped with two neighboring parishes under one pastor in the northeastern Kansas countryside near the Kansas–Nebraska border.
- Sacred Heart Parish — Sabetha, KS (founded 1923); Saturday Vigil Mass 4:00 PM, Sunday Mass 10:30 AM
- St. James Parish — Wetmore, KS; Saturday Vigil Mass 6:30 PM, Sunday Mass times vary
- Parish office: 1031 S. 12th, Sabetha, KS 66534 — phone (785) 284-0888
Visit & Contact
St. Augustine Parish is located in the small unincorporated village of Fidelity in Brown County, Kansas. Visitors are warmly welcomed at Sunday Mass.
- Address: 1948 Acorn Road, Fidelity, Sabetha, KS 66534
- Phone: (785) 284-0888
- Email: [email protected]
- Website: https://nekansascatholics.org/home/st-augustine-church-fidelity
- Archdiocese: Archdiocese of Kansas City in Kansas
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Rev. Jaime Zarse2018–2023
Appointed by Archbishop Joseph F. Naumann as pastor of the three-parish grouping of Sacred Heart in Sabetha, St. Augustine in Fidelity, and St. James in Wetmore. Reassigned July 1, 2023 to Sacred Heart of Jesus Parish in Shawnee.
- Rev. Joel Haug2023–present
Appointed pastor of Sacred Heart, Sabetha; St. Augustine, Fidelity; and St. James, Wetmore, effective July 1, 2023.