About St. Clement · Epworth, Iowa
St. Clement is a small, historic Roman Catholic parish in the unincorporated community of Bankston (with an Epworth mailing address), in rural Dubuque County, Iowa. It is one of four parishes that make up St. Elizabeth Pastorate, together with St. Patrick (Epworth), St. Joseph (Farley), St. John the Baptist (Peosta) and St. John the Evangelist (Placid). Founded in 1860 by Irish, German and Luxemburgish settlers and named after Bishop Clement Smyth of the Dubuque diocese, St. Clement is best known for its striking 1898 Gothic Revival church, its parish cemetery on land donated by pioneer Maurice Kirby, and a tightly-knit rural congregation that has worshipped on the same grounds for more than 165 years.
- Established
- 1860
- Patron
- St. Clement (Pope Clement I, in whose honor Bishop Clement Smyth of Dubuque is also named)
- Rector
- Fr. Steve Garner
- Diocese
- Archdiocese of Dubuque
Why belong here
St. Clement is a small, multigenerational rural parish where most families have worshipped for several generations, anchored by one of the most striking 19th-century Gothic Revival churches in the Archdiocese of Dubuque. The parish is part of St. Elizabeth Pastorate, so members share Catholic school and faith-formation resources, while still enjoying the intimacy of their own Bankston community, cemetery and hall. Visitors are welcomed to a Sunday morning Mass in a setting that has changed very little since 1900, with ministries ranging from a parish council and liturgy committee to cemetery care, finance stewardship and outreach through the wider pastorate.
Mass times at St. Clement
Weekly Mass schedule
Welcome to St. Clement, Bankston
St. Clement is one of the parishes of St. Elizabeth Pastorate in the Archdiocese of Dubuque, serving the rural Bankston community just outside Epworth, Iowa. The parish shares pastoral and administrative staff with the four other churches of the pastorate while retaining its own parish council, finance committee, liturgy committee and cemetery board. Newcomers and visitors are warmly welcomed to Sunday Mass and to the life of the parish.
- Sunday Mass at 9:00 AM
- Pastorate office phone: (563) 876-5540
- Email: [email protected]
- Mailing: St. Elizabeth Pastorate, P.O. Box 286, Epworth, IA 52045
Clergy and Staff
Pastoral leadership for St. Clement is provided through St. Elizabeth Pastorate. The pastor and associate pastor of the pastorate serve all four parishes, and the pastorate's deacons, faith-formation staff and administrators support ministry at St. Clement as well.
- Fr. Steve Garner — Pastor
- Fr. Chad Lukes — Associate Pastor
- Deacon Dan O'Connell
- Deacon Jim Koetz
- Deacon Mike Sullivan
- Deacon Nick Elliott — Business Manager
- Jim Hammerand — Director of Liturgy
- Geri Kalb — Faith Formation
- Kari Feldmann — Faith Formation Assistant
- Lynne McDermott — Administrative Assistant / hall and pavilion rentals
- Mindi McDermott — Bookkeeper / Wedding Music Coordinator
- Krystal Smith — Marketing & Communications Coordinator
History of St. Clement Parish
Settled in the 1850s by families from Ireland, Germany and Luxemburg, the Bankston area was visited on horseback by Bishop Matthias Loras before the parish existed. The Reverend Dr. John Alyward organized St. Clement Parish in 1860 and said his first Mass at Maurice Kirby's house, who also donated the land for the first church and the cemetery. Over the next century the parish grew under 12 pastors, built a rectory and bell, and in 1898–1900 erected the present Gothic church that still anchors the community today.
- Parish organized in 1860
- First Mass celebrated at Maurice Kirby's house
- Land for the church and cemetery donated by Maurice Kirby
- Rectory built c. 1876 for about $3,200
- Present Gothic church built 1898–1900
- First 100 years: 12 pastors
Father William Banfield and the Gothic Church
Fr. William Banfield arrived in late 1893 and almost immediately set about building a far grander church than the small rural community of Bankston might have been expected to support. Completed in 1900, the brick and Bedford cut stone church featured pointed arches, murals, three gold and white altars, a pipe organ and electric lighting, and was topped by a 150-foot bell tower. Fr. Banfield served the parish for 60 years, famously never missing a Mass until a fall on Laetare Sunday 1954 forced him to hand over duties to Fr. William Blessington.
- Brick and Bedford cut stone, 52 by 130 feet
- 150-foot bell tower
- Three gold and white altars, pipe organ
- Seating for 400 parishioners
- Cost about $30,000 during a depression
Mid-Century and Modern Era
Fr. William Mullen arrived in August 1954 and made many improvements during his five-year pastorate. In May 1960 the parish celebrated the 100th anniversary of St. Clement, the 50th anniversary of its school and Fr. Mullen's 25th ordination anniversary all at once. In 1994 a new altar was placed in the sacristy, and in 2010 a matching pulpit replaced the old one. The parish school was torn down in 2000 to make way for the Father Paul Weis Pavilion.
- Triple celebration in May 1960
- New altar in the sacristy (1994)
- New matching pulpit (2010)
- School torn down (2000); Father Paul Weis Pavilion built on site
- Cemetery gate built from school bricks (2008)
Mass and Worship
Within St. Elizabeth Pastorate, each of the five parishes hosts one of the regular Sunday Masses. St. Clement, Bankston's Sunday Mass is at 9:00 AM, and the pastorate's Saturday Vigil Mass is celebrated at St. Joseph, Farley, at 4:00 PM. The pastorate also publishes a combined weekday and weekend schedule covering all five worship sites.
- Sunday: 9:00 AM at St. Clement, Bankston
- Saturday Vigil: 4:00 PM at St. Joseph, Farley
- Weekday Mass: 9:00 AM at St. John the Baptist, Peosta (1st Saturday of the month)
Parish Councils and Committees
St. Clement is led day-to-day by a Parish Council, with separate Finance and Liturgy Committees, and a Cemetery Board that oversees the historic parish cemetery on land originally donated by Maurice Kirby. Members are listed by year of term on the parish website.
- Parish Council: Tim Daly (Chair), Jeremy Junk, Dawn Klostermann (Secretary), Trevor Gotto, Tommy Flynn
- Finance Committee: Jim Klostermann (Chairperson, 2025), Sarah Kluesner (2025), Luke Kluesner (2025)
- Liturgy Committee members include Trish Ernzen, Dawn Klostermann, Pat Lehmann, Deacon Dan O'Connell, Ellen O'Connell and Joyce Rauen
- Cemetery Board maintains the parish cemetery
Hall and Pavilion Rentals
The parish hall and pavilion at St. Clement are available for community events, family reunions, Christmas gatherings and wedding receptions. Rentals are coordinated through Lynne McDermott at the St. Elizabeth Pastorate office.
- Hall rental: $150; capacity 200
- Pavilion rental: $50 for 1–100 guests, $100 for over 100; capacity 100
- Contact: Lynne McDermott, (563) 876-5540
St. Elizabeth Pastorate
St. Clement belongs to St. Elizabeth Pastorate, a family of parishes in the western Dubuque County area that share clergy and staff. The pastorate was formed in 2008 when St. Clement and St. Joseph (Farley) — which had begun sharing a priest in 2001 — were joined by St. Patrick (Epworth), St. John the Baptist (Peosta) and St. John the Evangelist (Placid). Together they coordinate Mass schedules, faith formation, weddings, communications and parish administration.
- Pastorate formed 2008
- Member parishes: St. Patrick (Epworth), St. Joseph (Farley), St. John the Baptist (Peosta), St. John the Evangelist (Placid), St. Clement (Bankston)
- Pastorate office: P.O. Box 286, Epworth, IA 52045
Visiting St. Clement
St. Clement is a quiet, family-friendly rural parish with deep roots in the Bankston community and easy access from Epworth and the wider Dubuque area. Visitors are warmly invited to attend Sunday Mass at 9:00 AM, explore the historic Gothic church, walk the cemetery on the original Kirby land, or hold a family event in the parish hall or Father Paul Weis Pavilion.
- Sunday Mass: 9:00 AM
- Office phone: (563) 876-5540
- Email: [email protected]
- Address: 24287 New Vienna Road, Epworth, IA 52045
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Rev. Dr. John Alyward1859 – November 11, 1860
Organized St. Clement Parish in 1860; said first Mass at Maurice Kirby's house; left to become a professor at Sinsinawa Boys' College.
- Rev. Andrew Joseph BennettNovember 8, 1860 – December 16, 1864
Known as the 'Pioneer Priest'; first pastor to die at St. Clement; buried in the church cemetery; established the parish school.
- Rev. Charles J. McGauran1864 – 1867
Believed to have named the parish after Bishop Clement Smyth; later became pastor at Farley.
- Rev. James B. McGowanc. 1876 – 1882
Young and zealous priest; oversaw the building of a $3,200 two-story brick rectory and the addition of a 1,200-pound bell and steeple donated by a parishioner.
- Rev. William Banfieldlate 1893 – March 1954
Built the present Gothic church (1898–1900); never missed a Mass in 60 years until a fall broke his hip on Laetare Sunday 1954.
- Rev. William Blessington1954 –
Took over pastoral duties from Fr. Banfield in 1954.
- Rev. William MullenAugust 1954 – (approx. 1959)
Made many parish improvements; honored in May 1960 at a triple celebration of parish centennial, school 50th anniversary, and his 25th ordination anniversary.