About St. Christina · Parker, South Dakota
St. Christina's Parish is a small Catholic parish serving Parker, South Dakota, and the surrounding Turner County area — known as 'Your Catholic Home in Turner County.' Founded in 1881 and incorporated as Saint Christina's Catholic Church in 1892, the parish has worshipped in its present church building since January 1912 (cornerstone laid 1911). Today it is one of four parishes in the St. Francis of Assisi Pastorate of the Diocese of Sioux Falls, sharing pastoral leadership with St. Katharine Drexel (Sioux Falls), St. Nicholas (Tea), and St. Magdalen (Lennox).
- Established
- 1881
- Patron
- St. Christina
- Rector
- Rev. Andrew Dickinson
- Diocese
- Diocese of Sioux Falls
Why belong here
St. Christina offers a faithful Catholic home in rural Turner County with Sunday Mass, weekday Masses (Tuesday evening and Thursday morning), weekly Eucharistic Adoration, and the Sacrament of Reconciliation every Sunday morning and Tuesday before Mass. As part of the four-parish St. Francis of Assisi Pastorate under Fr. Andrew Dickinson and two parochial vicars, parishioners are also linked to the wider Catholic community of the Diocese of Sioux Falls — small enough to know one another, big enough to share faith across southeast South Dakota.
Mass times at St. Christina
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Sunday 8:00–8:20 AM (before Mass)
- Tuesday 5:00 PM (before 6:00 PM Mass)
- By appointment — call 605-937-8359
Adoration times
- Tuesday 5:00 PM – 6:00 PM (before Mass)
- Third Wednesday of the Month 6:30 PM – 7:30 PM
About St. Christina's Parish
St. Christina's Parish describes itself as 'Your Catholic Home in Turner County.' It is a small Catholic community rooted in Parker, South Dakota, dating back to 1881 and incorporated as Saint Christina's Catholic Church in 1892. The parish has worshipped in its present church building since January 1912 (cornerstone laid in 1911). Parishioners and visitors gather for Sunday and weekday Masses, weekly Eucharistic Adoration, and the Sacrament of Reconciliation, and the parish is currently joined with three other southeast-South Dakota parishes in the St. Francis of Assisi Pastorate of the Diocese of Sioux Falls.
History
Catholic life in Parker began in 1881. The first Catholic church building in Parker was constructed in 1887; the parish was incorporated as Saint Christina's Catholic Church in 1892, the parsonage was built in 1892, and land for St. Christina's Cemetery (Section 18, Parker Township) was also purchased that year. By 1911 the original structure had been outgrown, and the cornerstone of the present church was laid that year and the new building placed in service by January 1912. Over the decades the parish hall and parsonage have been improved, and the celebration of Mass transitioned from Latin to English during the 1970s. In 2023 the parish was grouped into the St. Francis of Assisi Pastorate under Fr. Andrew Dickinson.
- 1881 — founding of the Catholic mission at Parker
- 1887 — first Catholic church building in Parker constructed
- 1892 — parish incorporated as Saint Christina's Catholic Church; parsonage built; land for St. Christina's Cemetery acquired
- 1911 — cornerstone of the present church laid
- January 1912 — current church placed in service
- 1970s — Mass moved from Latin to English
- 2023 — joined the St. Francis of Assisi Pastorate under Fr. Andrew Dickinson
St. Christina's Cemetery
St. Christina's Cemetery is located in Section 18 of Parker Township, Turner County, South Dakota. The land for the cemetery was purchased in 1892, the same year the parish was incorporated. It remains an important part of the parish's heritage and serves as the resting place for generations of Catholic families in the Parker area.
- Location: Section 18, Parker Township, Turner County, South Dakota
- Acquired: 1892 (the same year the parish was incorporated)
St. Francis of Assisi Pastorate
St. Christina is one of four parishes in the St. Francis of Assisi Pastorate of the Diocese of Sioux Falls. The pastorate model groups parishes together to share clergy, resources, and mission. The other parishes in the pastorate are St. Katharine Drexel in Sioux Falls (the host parish), St. Nicholas in Tea, and St. Magdalen in Lennox. The pastorate is led by Fr. Andrew Dickinson, who had previously piloted the same pastorate structure around Aberdeen before being assigned to this group in 2023.
- St. Katharine Drexel — Sioux Falls, SD
- St. Nicholas — Tea, SD
- St. Magdalen — Lennox, SD
- St. Christina — Parker, SD
Clergy & Leadership
The St. Francis of Assisi Pastorate is led by Fr. Andrew Dickinson as pastor, with two parochial vicars and a deacon assisting across the four parishes. Fr. Andrew was ordained in 2006 by Bishop Samuel Aquila at the Cathedral of St. Joseph, served as parochial vicar at Holy Family in Mitchell and St. Mary in Aberdeen, and directed the Pius XII Newman Center at SDSU in Brookings from 2009 to 2020. He then served as pastor of Sacred Heart in Aberdeen (where he piloted the pastorate model) before being assigned to the St. Francis of Assisi Pastorate in 2023 by Bishop DeGrood.
- Rev. Andrew Dickinson — Pastor
- Rev. Russell Homie — Parochial Vicar
- Rev. Nicholas Haiar — Parochial Vicar
- Deacon Dennis Seiner
Visit, Contact & Office Hours
The parish office can be reached by phone at 605-937-8359 or by email at [email protected]. Office hours at the parish are Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday from 9:00 AM to 12:00 PM. Mail and visitors use the parish address at 380 W 1st Street, Parker, SD 57053 (PO Box 610).
- Phone: 605-937-8359
- Email: [email protected]
- Website: http://www.stchristinaparker.org/
- Mailing: PO Box 610, 380 W 1st Street, Parker, SD 57053
- Office Hours: Tuesday–Thursday, 9:00 AM – 12:00 PM