About St. Columba · Conception Junction, Missouri
St. Columba is a Roman Catholic parish in Conception Junction, Missouri (Nodaway County), part of the Diocese of Kansas City-St. Joseph. The parish has been served by monk-priests of Conception Abbey since 1873, and the present church building was dedicated in October 1967 as a combined worship space for the area's historic Catholic communities. Today it offers a daily and weekend Mass schedule from its Roosevelt Street location and shares pastoral leadership with nearby parishes through Conception Abbey's Benedictine community.
- Established
- 1860
- Patron
- St. Columba
- Rector
- Fr. Peter Ullrich, OSB
- Diocese
- Diocese of Kansas City-St. Joseph
Why belong here
St. Columba is a welcoming Benedictine-rooted parish with a deep Catholic heritage in Nodaway County stretching back to 1860, and Conception Abbey's monks continue to shepherd its sacramental life. It offers a generous schedule of Masses — including a daily 8:00 a.m. Mass four days a week, a Saturday vigil, and a Sunday morning Mass — plus regular Saturday confessions and a recently renewed worship space. The community runs a Parish School of Religion for children and youth, supports a strong baptism and marriage ministry, and works collaboratively with neighboring parishes in Conception, Parnell, and Stanberry.
Mass times at St. Columba
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Saturday 5:00 p.m. – 5:50 p.m.
History of St. Columba Parish
Catholic worship in the Conception Junction area dates to 1860, when a simple chapel named for St. Columba was established — the first church in the settlement. Conception's Benedictine monks, who had arrived in northwest Missouri from Engelberg, Switzerland in 1873, took on pastoral care of St. Columba that same decade; by the 1880 U.S. Federal Census they were already listed as serving the parish alongside missions at Albany, St. Patrick's, Dolorosa (Gentry County), and Guilford and Whitesfield (Worth County). Through the late 19th and 20th centuries, Conception Abbey monk-priests served as pastor without interruption. In 1962 the surrounding mission parishes were combined with St. Columba, and the present church was completed and dedicated in October 1967.
- 1860 — first chapel named for St. Columba established in the area
- 1873 — Conception Abbey monks arrive in northwest Missouri; begin serving St. Columba
- 1962 — surrounding parishes combined with St. Columba
- 1967 — current St. Columba Church completed and dedicated in October
Renovation and Rededication
Beginning in January of an early-2020s year, St. Columba undertook a full interior renovation of its 1967 church. The Church Renovation Committee — ten parishioners and the pastor — guided the work, which included new pews, drywall and paint replacing wood paneling, new sanctuary furniture (altar, ambo, tabernacle stand, font), new flooring and ceiling tiles, improved lighting, and a new sound system. LaTona Architects of Kansas City designed the project; members of the parish provided nearly all the contracting and labor. On August 9, Bishop James Johnston celebrated the dedication of the new altar — the first liturgy in the renewed church — with Fr. Peter Ullrich, OSB, as pastor.
- Renovation began January; completed by end of July
- Designed by LaTona Architects of Kansas City
- Built largely by parishioner labor and contracting
- New altar dedicated by Bishop James Johnston on August 9
Benedictine Pastoral Heritage
St. Columba has been shepherded by monk-priests of Conception Abbey continuously since 1873, making it one of the older monastic-served parishes in northwest Missouri. The parish's Benedictine character is reinforced by its proximity to Conception Abbey and the Basilica of the Immaculate Conception in Conception, Missouri, as well as Clyde Convent of the Benedictine Sisters. A diocesan pastoral plan encourages the parish to draw on the monks and nuns — experts in catechesis — for faith formation and to use their facilities as 'neutral' sites for collaborative ministry.
- Monk-priests of Conception Abbey have served St. Columba since 1873
- Shared pastoral leadership with St. Joseph Parish, Parnell
- Collaboration planned with Conception Abbey, Clyde Convent, St. Peter (Stanberry), and St. Patrick (Ford City)
Faith Formation & Parish School of Religion
St. Columba operates a Parish School of Religion (PSR) for both K–8 and high-school youth. Diocesan figures from the early 2020s show roughly 64 children in K–8 PSR and 12 youth in 9–12 formation. The parish celebrates youth First Communions and Confirmations each year, and the diocesan pastoral plan calls on St. Columba to take the lead in drawing on the catechetical expertise of the monks of Conception Abbey and the Benedictine Sisters at Clyde Convent.
- K–8 Parish School of Religion
- 9–12 Parish School of Religion (youth ministry)
- Annual First Communion and Confirmation celebrations
Sacraments at St. Columba
The parish celebrates the full sacramental life typical of a Catholic parish — infant baptisms, youth First Communion, Confirmation, marriage, and the Anointing of the Sick. Annual averages reported to the diocese in recent years included multiple infant baptisms, First Communions, and several weddings.
- Infant Baptism
- First Communion (youth)
- Confirmation (youth)
- Marriage
- Anointing of the Sick
Parish Staff and Leadership
St. Columba is currently served by Fr. Peter Ullrich, OSB, a Benedictine monk of Conception Abbey who has been pastor since July 2020 and also serves as pastor of nearby St. Joseph Parish in Parnell. The parish draws additional priestly support from the monastic community at Conception Abbey.
- Fr. Peter Ullrich, OSB — Pastor (since July 2020)
- Conception Abbey monk community
Visiting and Contact
St. Columba is located at 311 Roosevelt Street in Conception Junction, Nodaway County, Missouri, with a mailing address of P.O. Box 127, Conception Junction, MO 64434. The parish office can be reached at (660) 944-2301 or by email at [email protected]. Worshippers and visitors are encouraged to follow the parish's official Facebook page for current updates and announcements.
- Address: 311 Roosevelt St., Conception Junction, MO 64434
- Mailing: P.O. Box 127, Conception Junction, MO 64434
- Phone: (660) 944-2301
- Email: [email protected]
- Facebook: facebook.com/ColumbaConception
St. Columba Cemetery
St. Columba maintains a parish cemetery in Conception Junction, where Conception Abbey monks who served the parish are laid to rest — including Fr. Denis Dougherty, OSB, longtime pastor of St. Columba (1978–1986).
- Located in Conception Junction, Missouri
- Resting place of several Conception Abbey monks who served as pastor
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Fr. Richard Cleary, OSB1969–1973
Conception Abbey monk who served as pastor of St. Columba Parish before transferring stability to St. Pius X Abbey (Pevely, Missouri) when it was elevated to abbey status.
- Fr. Denis Dougherty, OSB1978–1986
Conception Abbey monk (PhD, Educational Psychology, University of Missouri–Columbia); served as St. Columba's pastor, then went on to St. Gabriel Parish in Kansas City and St. Joseph Parish in Springfield. Buried at St. Columba Cemetery.
- Fr. Anthony Shidler, OSB1979–1981
Served as Associate Pastor of St. Columba Church while stationed at Conception Abbey.
- Fr. Allan Stetz, OSBapproximately 11 years (mid-1990s onward)
Conception Abbey monk; respected pastor of St. Columba in Conception Junction, also served St. Columban (Chillicothe, MO) and Sacred Heart (Chariton, IA).
- Fr. Peter Ullrich, OSBJuly 2020–present
Current pastor of St. Columba (Conception Junction) and St. Joseph (Parnell); previously served St. Paul the Apostle Parish at Conception Abbey.