About St. Cecilia · Panora, Iowa
St. Cecilia Catholic Church is a small Roman Catholic parish serving the community of Panora, Iowa, at 220 N. 1st Street in Guthrie County. It is one of three historically-linked parishes — together with St. Mary of the Annunciation in Guthrie Center and St. Patrick in Bayard — that now form a single rural cluster in the Diocese of Des Moines under a shared pastor, Father Ray Higgins. The parish offers Sunday morning Mass, midweek weekday Masses, weekly Eucharistic Adoration, regular Confession, and Religious Education for all ages, and is well-known locally for its active Knights of Columbus council and outdoor Masses at nearby Lake Panorama.
- Established
- 1906
- Patron
- St. Cecilia
- Rector
- Father Ray Higgins
- Diocese
- Diocese of Des Moines
Why belong here
St. Cecilia offers a tight-knit, rural Catholic community in Panora where Sunday Mass, weekday Masses, weekly Eucharistic Adoration, and Confession before every Mass are all readily accessible. The parish is part of a three-church cluster (St. Mary's in Guthrie Center, St. Patrick's in Bayard, and St. Cecilia's in Panora) that shares ministries, Religious Education from kindergarten through adult, and an active Knights of Columbus council — and the parish regularly gathers with its neighbors for outdoor Mass at Lake Panorama's Boulder Beach, drawing more than 150 faithful.
Mass times at St. Cecilia
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Sunday – 7:30 a.m. (before 8:00 a.m. Mass)
- Wednesday – 7:45 a.m. (before 8:00 a.m. Mass)
- Thursday – 7:45 a.m. (before 8:00 a.m. Mass)
- Confession by appointment
Adoration times
- Tuesday – 3:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m.
History of St. Cecilia Parish and the Guthrie County Catholic Community
The first Mass on record in Guthrie County was offered in the home of Maurice Carberry in the spring of 1859 by Father John Brazill of St. Ambrose in Des Moines, and by 1866 Mass was being said in a Guthrie Center brick schoolhouse. In the early years Mass was rare — generally only on Holy Days of Obligation — and priests traveled forty miles from Des Moines by horseback, wagon, or on foot. With so few Masses, the daily Rosary sustained the faith of the local Catholics. The Catholic community of Panora built the first Catholic church in Guthrie County in about 1870, one year ahead of the Guthrie Center church constructed in 1872 under Father Edward Gaule, who was appointed by Bishop John Hennessy of the Diocese of Dubuque and based in Dallas Center. The Panora church was demolished by a severe windstorm on Sunday, June 18, 1871, at six in the evening, not long after its completion. After this loss, the Panora Catholics joined St. Mary's in Guthrie Center, where Father James Foley of Stuart served the mission from 1877 onward, celebrating Mass the first Sunday of every month. A new church was built in Panora in 1906, restoring an independent Catholic presence, and the parish was organized under the patronage of St. Cecilia. The parish was incorporated in Iowa on January 3, 1913. In January 2006, then-pastor Father Michael G. Peters arranged for the gothic interior of the cluster churches to be restored by Dave Hunter Painting.
- 1859 — First recorded Guthrie County Mass at Maurice Carberry's home, celebrated by Father John Brazill (St. Ambrose, Des Moines)
- c. 1870 — First Catholic church in Guthrie County built in Panora
- June 18, 1871 — Severe windstorm demolishes the Panora church at 6 p.m.
- 1872 — Guthrie Center's first Catholic church built under Father Edward Gaule, appointed by Bishop John Hennessy
- 1877 — Father James Foley of Stuart begins monthly Masses in Guthrie Center
- 1906 — New Panora church built under the patronage of St. Cecilia
- January 3, 1913 — Parish formally incorporated as 'St. Cecilia's Catholic Church of Guthrie County, Iowa'
- January 2006 — Fr. Michael G. Peters arranges gothic interior restoration by Dave Hunter Painting
Parish Staff and Leadership
St. Cecilia's is pastored as part of a three-parish Guthrie County cluster by Father Ray Higgins. The parish is served by a Director of Religious Education, Parish Secretaries, a Website Administrator, and a St. Cecilia's Ministry coordinator who organizes liturgical volunteers. Parishioners and visitors are encouraged to leave a message at the parish office phone; there are no regularly scheduled office hours and response times run two to three days.
- Pastor — Father Ray Higgins (Rectory: 641-747-2569)
- Director of Religious Education — Brenda Wedemeyer (641-740-1079; [email protected])
- Parish Secretary — Misean Hernandez (cell 641-747-3843; [email protected])
- Parish Secretary — Geri Thompson (office 641-747-3843; [email protected])
- Website Administrator — Linda Foegen (712-243-7013; [email protected])
- St. Cecilia's Ministry coordinator — Carla Fitzgerald (home 641-755-3036; cell 641-757-0649)
Religious Education and Faith Formation
Religious Education at the cluster parishes spans from kindergarten through adult, directed by Brenda Wedemeyer. Programs are coordinated cluster-wide so that families across Guthrie Center, Bayard, and Panora share formation opportunities, and the parish maintains Religious Education registration forms and a Time & Talent form online for parishioner sign-up.
- Director of Religious Education — Brenda Wedemeyer (641-740-1079)
- Programs for Kindergarten through Adult
- Religious Education registration form available on the parish website
- Time & Talent volunteer form available on the parish website
Parish Ministries and Volunteer Life
St. Cecilia's operates a formal liturgical ministry with a published volunteer schedule for Mass and related duties; parishioners unable to serve on their scheduled day are asked to contact the coordinator. The parish is also home to the St. Cecilia's Council of the Knights of Columbus, which has hosted cluster events such as outdoor Masses and statewide charity tournaments (including a past St. Thomas More Center golf tournament hosted by the St. Cecilia council with co-chairs Rick Langel and Dave Greiner, at which Father Ray Higgins offered the opening blessing).
- St. Cecilia's Ministry — liturgical volunteer scheduling (Carla Fitzgerald, 641-755-3036 / cell 641-757-0649)
- Knights of Columbus — St. Cecilia's Council, Panora
- Cluster-wide liturgical ministries with St. Mary's (Guthrie Center) and St. Patrick's (Bayard)
Sacraments
The parish offers Sunday and weekday Mass, Reconciliation before each Mass and by appointment, weekly Eucharistic Adoration on Tuesdays, and ongoing Religious Education for all ages. Other sacramental needs — including Baptism, Marriage, Anointing of the Sick, and First Communion preparation — are arranged through the parish office.
- Eucharist — Sunday 8:00 a.m.; Wednesday and Thursday 8:00 a.m.; summer Saturday 6:30 p.m.
- Reconciliation — Sunday 7:30 a.m.; Wednesday and Thursday 7:45 a.m.; by appointment
- Eucharistic Adoration — Tuesday 3:30–4:30 p.m.
- Religious Education (K–Adult) — sacramental preparation coordinated by Brenda Wedemeyer
Devotions and Special Parish Events
Beyond the regular weekly schedule, St. Cecilia's is known for its summer outdoor Masses at Lake Panorama's Boulder Beach — a tradition celebrated jointly with St. Mary's and St. Patrick's and hosted afterward by the Panora Knights of Columbus. An outdoor Mass on July 13 drew an estimated 150 or more attendees. The parish also occasionally adds seasonal Mass times (such as the trial Saturday 6:30 p.m. Mass) to serve the summer population around the lake.
- Outdoor Mass at Boulder Beach, Lake Panorama (joint with St. Mary's and St. Patrick's)
- Summer Saturday 6:30 p.m. Mass (added on a trial basis)
- Panora Knights of Columbus hosting lunch after outdoor Mass
Parish Office and Practical Information
St. Cecilia's does not keep regular office hours; parishioners and visitors are asked to call the parish office number (641-747-3843) and leave a message, expecting a two- to three-day response. The parish office phone is not intended for emergencies. The rectory phone (641-747-2569) is listed for reaching Father Ray Higgins. The church is located two blocks north of Highway 44 and 1st Street in Panora.
- Parish Office phone — 641-747-3843
- Rectory phone — 641-747-2569
- Parish Secretary email — [email protected]
- Address — 220 N. 1st Street, Panora, IA 50216
- Office hours — no regularly scheduled office hours; messages returned in 2–3 days
Getting Involved and Giving
Parishioners are invited to volunteer through the Time & Talent form available on the parish website and to take part in liturgical ministry scheduling at St. Cecilia's. Donations can be directed through the parish office, and the parish website hosts a Religious Education registration form for families enrolling children in faith formation.
- Time & Talent volunteer form on the parish website
- Religious Education registration form on the parish website
- Liturgical ministry scheduling through Carla Fitzgerald
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Father John Brazill (St. Ambrose, Des Moines)1859
Celebrated the first Mass on record in Guthrie County, at the home of Maurice Carberry.
- Father Edward Gaule1872 onward
Appointed by Bishop John Hennessy of the Diocese of Dubuque; based in Dallas Center; Guthrie Center and Panora were his missions.
- Father James Foley (of Stuart)from 1877
Served the mission parish by celebrating Mass the first Sunday of every month.
- Father T. P. Murphy1905–1906 onward
Established residence in Guthrie Center; prepared the building of the new St. Mary's (cornerstone laid July 7, 1909).
- Father Michael G. PetersJanuary 2006
Arranged for Dave Hunter Painting to restore the gothic interior of St. Mary of the Annunciation.
- Father Ray Higginscurrent
Current pastor of the St. Mary–St. Patrick–St. Cecilia cluster; adds summer Mass times; leads outdoor Masses at Lake Panorama.