About St. Augustine · Washington, Kansas
St. Augustine Parish is a small Roman Catholic community in Washington, Kansas, part of the Washington County Catholic Community (alongside Sacred Heart in Greenleaf and St. John the Baptist in Hanover) within the Diocese of Salina. Founded as a mission in 1946 and elevated to parish status in 1961, the parish gathers each Sunday morning at 8:30 a.m. and on Thursday mornings at 8:00 a.m. for Mass. Its current limestone church, built in 1979 entirely of hand-laid native stone by mason Dallas Douglas of Wamego, anchors the parish at 410 B Street in Washington.
- Established
- 1946
- Patron
- St. Augustine (the parish was named after the patron saint of Monsignor August Koerperich, who established the mission)
- Rector
- Rev. David Metz
- Diocese
- Diocese of Salina
Why belong here
St. Augustine offers the warmth of a small-town rural parish where Mass is celebrated every Sunday morning and on Thursday mornings, with confessions heard before each Mass. The parish is part of a tight-knit three-parish Catholic community in Washington County — sharing a pastor, faith-formation events such as the summer Totus Tuus youth program, and lay leadership across the Altar Society, Parish Council, Finance Council, and Knights of Columbus. For families and individuals in north-central Kansas, it is a stable, longstanding parish with deep roots going back to 1946 (and Catholic worship in Washington to 1868) and a beautiful, hand-built limestone church at the heart of the community.
Mass times at St. Augustine
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Sunday: 7:45 – 7:55 am (15 minutes before Mass)
- Thursday: 8:00 – 8:20 am (or by appointment)
History of St. Augustine Parish
Catholic life in Washington stretches back to 1868, when Father Joseph Rimmele visited from St. Mary's Indian Mission east of Manhattan and a small frame church was built. That congregation did not survive, but a second wave of Catholic life followed in 1881 with a small rock church on West 5th Street, and later home-based worship with Mass said by a visiting priest from Greenleaf who came by train. As automobiles arrived, parishioners drove to Greenleaf until Monsignor August Koerperich, pastor of Sacred Heart in Greenleaf, established a mission church in Washington. The St. Augustine Mission Church was completed in 1947 under his direction with about 50 families, and it was elevated to parish status in 1961 with the arrival of its first resident pastor.
- 1868 — First Catholic church built in Washington by Father Joseph Rimmele; sold in 1890.
- 1881–1886 — Second Catholic church, a small rock building on West 5th Street.
- 1890s–1940s — Local Catholics hosted visiting priests at the Boyd home (501 B Street) or drove to Greenleaf.
- 1946 — Mission parish established in Washington under Msgr. August Koerperich.
- 1947 — Mission church completed; named for Koerperich's patron saint, St. Augustine.
- 1961 — Rectory built; Rev. Alvin Otter named first resident pastor; mission becomes a parish.
Building the Present Church (1976–1979)
In May 1976 the Parish Council, led by Francis Linenberger, appointed a building committee to plan new facilities. Ground was broken on Easter Sunday, March 26, 1978, and the first Mass in the new building was celebrated on June 29, 1979. The project cost over $375,000 and was funded in part by an Altar Society thrift shop and a Parish Council auction that netted roughly $7,000. A 12-person team headed by Paul Wilkinson personally visited every parish household to secure the donations and pledges that made construction possible.
- Building Committee appointed by Parish Council — May 1976
- Parish Council at the time: Francis Linenberger, Dale Bond, Larry Sawin, Gilbert Schuessler, Maureen Stigge, Adolph Cumro
- Fundraising chairman: Paul Wilkinson
- Fundraising team: C. A. Schumacher, Gib Schuessler, Bob Ruegsegger, Larry Sawin, Dick L'Ecuyer, Loretta Hinkle, Carolyn Dusin, Verlin Mayer, Danny Shannon, Carolyn Sorrell, Sharon Schwartz
- Groundbreaking — Easter Sunday, March 26, 1978
- First Mass in new building — June 29, 1979
- Total project cost — over $375,000
The Limestone Church
Every stone in St. Augustine's Church was laid by one man — Dallas Douglas of Wamego — making this the first church he had completed entirely on his own. From 14-foot walls at the back of the church, Douglas laid nearly 140 tons of limestone rising to 36 feet at the front of the building. The roofline rises to a higher point from the north side, and the 53-by-38-foot parish hall, accessible from either the church or the east side of the building, was designed for many parish uses.
- Mason: Dallas Douglas of Wamego
- Approx. 140 tons of native limestone
- Rear walls 14 ft; front rises to 36 ft
- Adjoining parish hall: 53 × 38 ft, with east-side entry
Parish Leadership & Staff
St. Augustine is served by Fr. David Metz, who also pastors Sacred Heart in Greenleaf and St. John the Baptist in Hanover, and by Deacon Wayne Talbot in the role of Pastoral Assistant. Fr. Metz was ordained on May 31, 1997, by Bishop George Fitzsimons at Immaculate Heart of Mary Church in Hays, and has served the Washington County Catholic Community as pastor since 2009 (with a brief stint from 2023 noted on the diocesan directory).
- Pastor: Rev. David Metz
- Deacon / Pastoral Assistant: Deacon Wayne Talbot
- Diocese of Salina
Parish Council & Finance Council
Lay leadership at St. Augustine is organized through a Parish Council and Finance Council, which meet on the third Monday of the month at 7:00 p.m.
- Parish Council Chair: Ryan Diederich
- Secretary: Elizabeth Romeiser
- Council members: Lisa Zenger, Marci Elliott, Laramie Juenemen, Kelly Svanda, Mike Kongs, Jacki Zabokrtsky
Altar Society
The Altar Society has been a mainstay of parish life since the mission era, when it started a thrift shop to contribute to the building fund. Today it continues to support the parish and is led by President Cindy Sawin.
- Altar Society President: Cindy Sawin
- Historically funded construction through the parish thrift shop
Knights of Columbus
The local Knights of Columbus council is part of St. Augustine's lay apostolate and is currently led by Grand Knight Tim Zenger. Fr. David Metz has also served as Knights of Columbus state chaplain for the Salina Diocese (2008–2010).
- Grand Knight: Tim Zenger
Faith Formation & Youth
St. Augustine partners with its sister parishes in the Washington County Catholic Community to provide faith formation, including the summer Totus Tuus youth program. Religious education is otherwise coordinated at the tri-parish level.
- Totus Tuus summer youth program (with Sacred Heart – Greenleaf and St. John the Baptist – Hanover)
Washington County Catholic Community
St. Augustine is one of three parishes that together form the Washington County Catholic Community in the Diocese of Salina, sharing a pastor and many ministries.
- Sacred Heart Parish – Greenleaf
- St. Augustine Parish – Washington
- St. John the Baptist Parish – Hanover
- Pastor (all three): Fr. David Metz
Contact & Visit
St. Augustine is located at 410 B Street in Washington, Kansas, with the parish phone line at (785) 325-3147. The official community website serves all three Washington County parishes and is hosted on Google Sites.
- Address: 410 B Street, Washington, KS 66968
- Phone: 785-325-3147
- Website: https://sites.google.com/view/washcountycc/
- Diocese: Catholic Diocese of Salina — https://salinadiocese.org/parish/st-augustine-parish-washington/
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Rev. Alvin Otter1961 –
First resident pastor when St. Augustine was elevated from mission to parish.
- Rev. Loren Werth
- Rev. Eugene Stehno
- Rev. Raymond Menard
- Rev. Melvin Ruhkamp
- Rev. John Wolesky
- Rev. Basil Torrez
- Rev. Louis Mattas
Listed on the parish's history page as the pastor at the time the present church was built (1979).
- Rev. David Metz2009 – present
Pastor of the tri-parish Washington County Catholic Community (St. John the Baptist – Hanover, St. Augustine – Washington, Sacred Heart – Greenleaf); ordained May 31, 1997 by Bishop George Fitzsimons.