About St. Bonaventure · Marceline, Missouri
St. Bonaventure Catholic Church is a parish of the Diocese of Jefferson City serving the small railroad town of Marceline, in Linn County, north-central Missouri. Founded in 1888 — the same year the town of Marceline itself was established — the parish has worshipped on South Kansas Avenue for more than 135 years and shares its campus with Fr. McCartan Memorial School, a preschool-through-eighth-grade Catholic elementary school. Weekend and daily Masses, Saturday confessions, religious education (PSR), a Knights of Columbus council, and St. Anne's Altar Society sustain the parish's community life under the pastoral care of Fr. C. Paschal Ihediohamma and Deacon Mike Dorrell.
- Established
- 1888
- Patron
- St. Bonaventure of Padua
- Rector
- Rev. Fr. C. Paschal Ihediohamma (Parochial Administrator, since July 1, 2022)
- Diocese
- Diocese of Jefferson City (North Deanery, Linn County)
Why belong here
St. Bonaventure offers the full rhythm of Catholic life — Saturday Vigil and Sunday Mass, Tuesday/Thursday/Friday morning Mass, and Saturday confessions — alongside a parish school (Fr. McCartan Memorial) where three generations of local families have been formed in faith. The community is small enough that every parishioner's name is known, yet active enough to sustain a Knights of Columbus council, St. Anne's Altar Society, a PSR program, Confirmation preparation, a High School CYO, a Prayer Line, and a Liturgy & Worship Committee. Visitors are welcomed by the parish office, and Fr. Paschal is available day or night for Anointing of the Sick.
Mass times at St. Bonaventure
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Saturday 3:30 PM (or by appointment)
Parish History
St. Bonaventure was founded in 1888 alongside the town of Marceline itself, at the request of Bishop John J. Hogan of Kansas City. The first pastor, Rev. Thomas J. Burke, arrived in August 1888 and built the original church on lots chosen by Rev. Walter Tormey of Brookfield. It was dedicated in November 1888. The parish survived a devastating fire in 1960, multiple building campaigns, and a major 2001 renovation, while preserving its stained-glass windows across every generation. The Diocese of Jefferson City summarizes the history drawn from Loretta Pastva, SND's Proclaiming the Good News in the Heart of Missouri.
- 1888 — Parish founded; Fr. Burke first pastor
- November 1888 — Original church dedicated
- 1897–1925 — Fr. Peter D. Cullen founds St. Bonaventure School
- 1932–1957 — Msgr. Thomas J. McCartan serves 25 years; school later named in his honor
- 1957 — Current grade school building constructed
- 1960 — Fire guts church; renovation in same walls
- 2001 — Most recent major renovation
Leadership & Clergy
St. Bonaventure is administered by Fr. C. Paschal Ihediohamma, who has served as parochial administrator since July 1, 2022. He also oversees St. Raphael Parish in Indian Grove, the Mission of St. Joseph at Hurricane Branch, and provides sacramental ministry at Immaculate Conception Parish in Brookfield. Deacon Mike Dorrell assists in ministry and can be reached at (660) 591-5072.
- Rev. Fr. C. Paschal Ihediohamma — Parochial Administrator
- Deacon Mike Dorrell
Worship Schedule & Sacraments
Weekend Masses are celebrated Saturday evening at 4:00 PM and Sunday morning at 10:45 AM. Daily Mass is offered Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday at 8:15 AM. The sacrament of Reconciliation is heard Saturday afternoons at 3:30 PM and by appointment, and the pastor is available day or night for Anointing of the Sick by calling the rectory.
- Saturday Vigil Mass — 4:00 PM
- Sunday Mass — 10:45 AM
- Daily Mass — Tue / Thu / Fri 8:15 AM
- Confession — Sat 3:30 PM
- Anointing of the Sick — call (660) 376-3239 any time
Fr. McCartan Memorial School
Sharing the parish campus at 327 S. Kansas Ave., Fr. McCartan Memorial School serves about 40 students from preschool through eighth grade. The school is named for Msgr. Thomas J. McCartan, the Irish-born pastor who served St. Bonaventure for 25 years and personally funded most of the original 1957 building. Principal Lisa Sensenich — herself a former student of the school — leads a small but multigenerational Catholic school community whose students are known as the Fighting Shamrocks.
- Address: 327 S. Kansas Ave., Marceline, MO 64658
- Phone: (660) 376-3580
- Principal: Lisa Sensenich — [email protected]
- Office: Carly Smith — [email protected]
- Enrollment: ~40 students, preschool through 8th grade
- Athletic nickname: Fighting Shamrocks
Faith Formation & Youth
Religious education for parish children not enrolled at Fr. McCartan Memorial School is provided through the Parish School of Religion (PSR). The parish also offers a Confirmation program and a High School CYO for older youth.
- PSR — Coordinator: Brittany Husky
- Confirmation — Coordinator: Tina Krumpelman
- High School CYO — Sponsor: Donna Bell
Parish Organizations & Councils
Parish life is shaped by a network of councils, committees, and lay organizations. The Parish Pastoral Council meets on the second Tuesday of each month at 6:00 PM, with Glenn Ewigman serving as president. Supporting bodies include the Liturgy & Worship Committee, the Finance / Administration Committee, the School Advisory Council, the Home & School Association, and the Fr. McCartan Memorial School Foundation.
- Parish Pastoral Council — 2nd Tuesday, 6:00 PM (President Glenn Ewigman)
- Liturgy & Worship Committee — 3rd Tuesday, 5:00 PM
- Finance / Admin Committee — quarterly, 4th Tuesday
- School Advisory Council — 1st Tuesday, 5:30 PM
- Home & School Association
- Fr. McCartan Memorial School Foundation (P.O. Box 305, Marceline, MO 64658)
Knights of Columbus
St. Bonaventure is home to Knights of Columbus Council 9028, which meets at 217 N. Kansas Ave., Marceline. The current Grand Knight is James Stalla.
- Council 9028
- Address: 217 N. Kansas Ave., Marceline, MO 64658
- Grand Knight: James Stalla — (573) 999-4910
St. Anne's Altar Society & Lay Ministries
St. Anne's Altar Society is the parish's women's service organization; activities are announced in the weekly bulletin. Other lay ministries include the Music Ministry under Greg Meissen and Denise Quinn, a team of ushers, a Stewardship Committee, a Young Adult Gathering, and ComMin (the Communications Ministry led by Deacon Mike Dorrell).
- St. Anne's Altar Society
- Music Ministry — Greg Meissen and Denise Quinn
- Ushers — Barb Meissen, Ed Ewigman, Martha Pope, Dorthy Esser
- Stewardship — Paula Wright
- ComMin — Dcn Mike Dorrell, James Stella, Lora Solomon
Prayer & Devotional Life
Beyond Mass and the sacraments, the parish sustains a Prayer Line staffed by Beth Kearns and Barbara Meissen, who accept prayer requests by phone. The pastor is available day or night for Anointing of the Sick.
- Prayer Line — Beth Kearns (660-202-9388) or Barbara Meissen (660-376-2983)
- Anointing of the Sick — rectory (660) 376-3239
Visiting & Registering
New parishioners are warmly welcomed. Gold registration forms are available in the book rack at the back of the church, and visitors are encouraged to contact the rectory or Fr. Paschal to register. The parish office can be reached at (660) 376-3239 or [email protected].
- Office: 409 S. Kansas Ave., Marceline, MO 64658
- Phone: (660) 376-3239
- Email: [email protected]
- Shared fax: (660) 376-9136
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Rev. Thomas J. BurkeAugust 1888 – November 1897
First pastor; built and dedicated the original St. Bonaventure Church in November 1888.
- Rev. Peter D. CullenNovember 1897 – March 1925
During his pastorate, St. Bonaventure School was founded.
- Rev. Thomas J. McCartan1932 – 1957
Irish-born priest who retired the parish's Depression-era debt and personally contributed the bulk of the funds for the new grade school in 1957; the school is named in his memory.
- Rev. Peter O'Rourke1957 – c.1959
Sent to Marceline after Msgr. McCartan's retirement; oversaw construction of the new grade school.
- Rev. Francis O'Duignanafter school construction – c.1960
Succeeded Fr. O'Rourke after the new school was completed.
- Rev. Fred J. BarnettSeptember 1960 –
Assigned to St. Bonaventure in September 1960, the same spring the church was gutted by fire; led the parish's post-fire renovation.
- Rev. Fr. Kelechi M. Uzuegbubefore 2022
Former pastor; reassigned as pastor of St. Francis Xavier Parish, Taos.
- Rev. Fr. C. Paschal IhediohammaJuly 1, 2022 – present
Parochial Administrator of St. Bonaventure, St. Raphael (Indian Grove), and the Mission of St. Joseph (Hurricane Branch), with sacramental ministry at Immaculate Conception, Brookfield.