About St Boniface · Farmington, Iowa
St. Boniface is a small Roman Catholic parish in Farmington, Iowa, part of the Diocese of Davenport. Founded in 1863 and named for the 8th-century English Benedictine missionary known as the "Apostle of Germany," the parish serves roughly 100 families spread across sparsely populated Van Buren County in southeast Iowa and across the state line into Missouri. Sharing its bulletin with neighboring parishes in West Point, St. Paul, and Houghton, St. Boniface remains a close-knit rural faith community with strong faith-formation programs and an active Altar & Rosary Society.
- Established
- 1863
- Patron
- St. Boniface (Saint Boniface, c. 675–754 AD, English Benedictine missionary and bishop, "Apostle of Germany")
- Diocese
- Diocese of Davenport
Why belong here
St. Boniface is a small but lively rural parish that prides itself on making every family feel welcome. With about 100 households spread across three school districts in southeast Iowa and adjacent Missouri, the church becomes a true family gathering each Sunday. The parish has strong faith-formation staff, an active Altar & Rosary Society, sends youth to the National Catholic Youth Conference, and opens its doors to the wider community in times of need. As one parishioner put it at the 150th anniversary, "I think the reason families come here is they've told us they feel welcome."
Mass times at St Boniface
Weekly Mass schedule
Our Story
St. Boniface is one of the older Catholic parishes in rural southeast Iowa. Its roots go back to 1863, when the first church was built in what was then a thinly settled corner of Van Buren County. For much of its 19th-century history the parish shared its priest with the Catholic missions at Milton, Montrose, and String Prairie, with Mass in each community only about once a month. The parish grew, and in 1908–09 a new church and rectory were built for $6,000. Ground was broken for the present church in 1982, the basement went into use right away for religious education and parish events, and Bishop Gerald O'Keefe dedicated the finished worship space in 1991. The old 1908 church was later demolished, but pieces of its altar and sacristy were incorporated into the new building.
- Parish founded 1863
- New church and rectory built 1908–09 for $6,000
- Current church begun 1982; basement used immediately for religious education
- Bishop Gerald O'Keefe dedicated the completed church in 1991
- 150th anniversary celebrated December 15, 2013 with Bishop Martin Amos
Cluster of Parishes
St. Boniface is part of a cluster of rural southeast-Iowa parishes that share a pastor and a joint bulletin. Since the 1996 closing of mission parish St. Mary's in String Prairie, the St. Boniface pastor has lived at St. Mary's in West Point, more than 20 miles away. The parish also shares resources with neighboring St. James the Less in St. Paul and St. John the Baptist in Houghton, and all are reached through the weconnect.com site stjj.weconnect.com.
- St. Mary, West Point (pastor's residence)
- St. James the Less, St. Paul
- St. John the Baptist, Houghton
- Shares a bulletin with all three parishes
- Historic mission: St. Mary's, String Prairie (closed 1996)
Mass & Worship Schedule
Worship at St. Boniface follows the Roman Rite in English. The parish typically celebrates seven Masses a week, including a Saturday Vigil and two Sunday options in the broader cluster, with weekday Masses on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday. Mass times vary across the cluster parishes; St. Boniface itself has been listed with Tuesday evening and Sunday morning Masses, while the shared schedule adds the Vigil and weekday Masses at the other cluster sites.
- Saturday Vigil – 5:00 PM
- Sunday – 8:00 AM (also listed at 10:00 AM in some cluster schedules)
- Tuesday – 6:00 PM
- Wednesday – 8:30 AM
- Thursday – 8:45 AM
Faith Formation & Youth
Religious education has long been a priority at St. Boniface. Classes were originally held in the rectory, but moved into the new church's basement as soon as it was built in 1982, giving the program much-needed room to grow. Parishioners credit the parish with strong faith-formation staff, and the parish has sent several young people to the National Catholic Youth Conference.
- Religious education classes held in the church basement since 1982
- Parish youth have attended the National Catholic Youth Conference
- Sister Margaret Kruse served as parish minister from 1977 to 1985
Parish Life & Community
With about 100 families drawn from three school districts in both Iowa and Missouri, St. Boniface is a true community-of-commuters parish: members don't always see each other during the week, but on Sundays the church "is bopping," as one parishioner put it. The Altar & Rosary Society and the Parish Council anchor lay leadership, and the parish is known for opening its doors to the wider community in moments of grief — notably in 2006, when it hosted a vigil rosary after the Bentler family tragedy in nearby Bonaparte.
- Altar & Rosary Society
- Parish Council
- Community-wide vigil hosted in 2006 after the Bentler family tragedy
- Roughly 100 registered families across three school districts
Visit & Contact
St. Boniface is located at 609 Washington Street in Farmington, Iowa (PO Box 247). The parish office can be reached by phone, and the cluster's joint website at stjj.weconnect.com is the main online hub for bulletins, announcements, and contact information for all four parishes in the cluster.
- Address: 609 Washington Street, Farmington, IA 52626 (PO Box 247)
- Phone: (319) 469-2001
- Website: stjj.weconnect.com
- Part of the Diocese of Davenport
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Father Goetzmanretired January 14, 1982; died July 6, 1982
Long-serving pastor (listed in connection with the broader cluster history on the parish's weconnect site).
- Father Robert StriegelFebruary 19, 1982 – June 3, 1991
- Father John SpiegelJuly 2, 1991 – July 6, 1999
- Father Dennis Hoffmanappointed July 7, 1999
- Father Gary Beckman
Served until 2013.
- Father Bruce DeRammeleare2013 – July 2020
Replaced Father Gary Beckman in 2013.
- Father Dan DorauJuly 2020 – present
Replaced Father Bruce DeRammeleare in July 2020; pastor also serves West Point, St. Paul, and Houghton.