About St. Bonaventure · McIntosh, South Dakota
St. Bonaventure is a small Catholic mission parish in McIntosh, South Dakota, a rural community on the Standing Rock-area plains in Corson County. It is part of the Diocese of Rapid City and currently operates as a mission of St. Bernard Church in McLaughlin, serving Catholic families scattered across the surrounding prairie. The parish celebrated its centennial in 2018, marking more than a century of Catholic life that began with Masses said in the local courthouse and grew into a brick church renovated for the modern era while preserving its original stained glass.
- Established
- 1908 (mission established); 1918 (first church built and parish organized)
- Patron
- St. Bonaventure of Como (Giovanni di Fidanza), Doctor of the Church
- Rector
- Rev. Tony Grossenburg (per diocesan directory listings)
- Diocese
- Diocese of Rapid City
Why belong here
St. Bonaventure offers a small, multigenerational prairie Catholic community in which families have worshipped continuously for more than a century, since the very first Masses were celebrated in 1908. Members share a single Sunday Mass, faith-formation classes in the Catechetical Center, and milestone celebrations like the 2018 centennial and 2001 rededication that show a parish deeply rooted in local history. As a mission served from St. Bernard, McLaughlin, the parish brings the sacraments and the liturgical life of the Diocese of Rapid City to a wide rural area of Corson County.
Mass times at St. Bonaventure
Weekly Mass schedule
Parish History
Catholic life in McIntosh began in 1908 as a mission of the Lemmon parish, with the first recorded Masses celebrated in the courthouse on December 22, 1908, and December 15, 1909. The Benedictines purchased land for a church and a rectory, and a parishioner donated the lots between them; land for the cemetery was also given to the parish. The first diocesan priest was assigned to the area in 1916, and construction of the original St. Bonaventure Church began in the spring of 1918, finishing that summer.
- 1908 — First Masses said in the McIntosh courthouse (Dec. 22, 1908; Dec. 15, 1909).
- 1911 — Parish served by Benedictine priests from Fort Yates, N.D., alongside missions at McLaughlin and other Indian missions.
- 1916 — First diocesan priest assigned to the area.
- 1918 — Original St. Bonaventure Church built; Frank Lang served as a trustee.
- 1924 — Church debt of $1,556.87 paid in full; first resident pastor assigned.
- 1930–1943 — Major church improvements; a house purchased and moved across the street to serve as the rectory.
The 1963 Church and Stained Glass
By the early 1960s the original building could no longer serve the parish, and in 1962 longtime parishioner Frank Lang — who had been a trustee in 1918 and was one of six surviving charter members — broke ground for a new church. The first services in the new building were held March 3, 1963, and it was formally dedicated on Sunday, July 14, with hundreds of parishioners and friends in attendance. In Teresa Glines's parish history, the new church is described as 40 by 70 feet with two wings at the rear for a winter chapel and sacristy; the original stained-glass windows were incorporated into the new building, and the old bell rests on its grounds.
- 1962 — Frank Lang breaks ground for the new church at age — one of six surviving charter members.
- March 3, 1963 — First services held in the new building.
- July 14, 1963 — Formal dedication; Lemmon Leader calls it 'the most beautiful Catholic church in western South Dakota.'
- Original stained-glass windows from the 1918 church were preserved and reinstalled.
- The original bell was relocated to the grounds of the new church.
2001 Renovation and Rededication
Discussions of an interior remodeling began as early as 1988 and resurfaced in 1994. In 2000 the parish launched an appeal to fund the work; a grant from the Extension Society enabled renovations that made the building handicap accessible, added a gathering area, and opened up the sanctuary so that all of the stained-glass windows could be seen. Bishop Robert D. Gruss rededicated the church on November 4, 2001.
- 1988, 1994 — Remodeling discussed.
- 2000 — Parish-wide appeal launched for renovations.
- Extension Society grant funds construction.
- November 4, 2001 — Church rededicated after handicap accessibility and sanctuary improvements.
Centennial Celebration (2018)
On Sunday, July 15, 2018, parishioners gathered for a 10:30 a.m. Mass followed by a potluck lunch to celebrate 100 years of parish life at St. Bonaventure. The centennial marked more than a century since the first Catholic Masses in McIntosh and reflected the multi-generational commitment of families like the Langs who had helped build, break ground for, and continuously support the parish since 1918.
- Date: Sunday, July 15, 2018.
- 10:30 a.m. Mass followed by potluck lunch.
- Parishioners asked to bring a salad or dessert.
Faith Formation & Religious Education
Religious education has been part of parish life since at least 1970, when the Catechetical Center was built. The center combined the priests' living quarters with classrooms for religious education and parish activities, replacing the older rectory, which was sold and moved elsewhere in town. CCD classes continue to be offered in this building for the parish and its mission community.
- 1970 — Catechetical Center constructed, housing both rectory and classrooms.
- Old rectory sold and relocated to another part of McIntosh.
- Religious education classes held in the Catechetical Center for parish and mission.
Parish Leadership and Clergy
St. Bonaventure is led by the Diocese of Rapid City and currently served by Rev. Tony Grossenburg. The parish has been served over the decades by visiting Benedictine priests, diocesan priests, and resident pastors. Fr. Kerry Prendiville served as administrator (1998) and pastor (1989) of McIntosh and its missions before later becoming Vicar for Clergy for the diocese.
- Current pastor: Rev. Tony Grossenburg (per diocesan directory).
- Past administrator/pastor: Fr. Kerry Prendiville (1989 pastor; 1998 administrator of McIntosh and its missions).
- First resident pastor assigned 1924.
- Earlier service: Benedictine priests from Fort Yates, N.D. (from 1911).
Facilities, Cemetery and Grounds
The parish campus on 1st Ave. W includes the 1963 church (renovated 2001), the 1970 Catechetical Center (which also serves as the priests' residence), and St. Bonaventure Cemetery, located near the church in McIntosh. The building is handicap accessible following the 2001 renovation, with a gathering area added near the entrance.
- St. Bonaventure Cemetery — in McIntosh, Corson County, S.D.
- Catechetical Center (1970) — combined rectory and classrooms.
- Handicap-accessible church with gathering area (since 2001).
- Original 1918 bell on the grounds.
Pastors & rectors through the years
- First resident pastor1924–
Assigned in 1924, the same year the original church's building debt of $1,556.87 was paid off.
- Fr. Kerry Prendiville1989–
Became administrator of St. Bonaventure, McIntosh and its missions in 1998; appointed pastor of McIntosh in 1989, later serving multiple Western South Dakota parishes and ultimately as Vicar for Clergy for the Diocese of Rapid City.