About St. Francis of Assisi · Balltown, Iowa
St. Francis of Assisi is a small Roman Catholic parish in the unincorporated community of Balltown, Iowa, in the rolling countryside north of Dubuque. Founded in 1891 and now one of six parishes in the St. John Baptist de La Salle Pastorate (along with Holy Cross, Holy Trinity–Luxemburg, St. Joseph–Rickardsville, St. John Baptist, and Ss. Peter & Paul–Sherrill), it is part of the Archdiocese of Dubuque. The current church was rebuilt after the original 1892 building was destroyed by lightning and fire on August 27, 1976. The parish retains its own parish identity, its historic cemetery, and its place at the heart of the tiny Balltown community — even as it shares clergy, formation programs, and the regional La Salle Catholic School with its neighboring parishes.
- Established
- 1891
- Patron
- St. Francis of Assisi
- Rector
- Rev. Tyler C. Raymond (Pastor of the St. John Baptist de La Salle Pastorate, assigned July 12, 2022)
- Diocese
- Archdiocese of Dubuque
Why belong here
St. Francis of Assisi remains a living Catholic community in the heart of rural Balltown, with Sunday Mass celebrated in the church rebuilt by parishioners after the 1976 fire. Joining the parish means worshipping in a small, historic country parish, being part of a wider six-parish pastorate that shares vibrant Mass and confession schedules, sending children to the regional La Salle Catholic School, and remaining part of a centuries-old community of faith in the Archdiocese of Dubuque.
Mass times at St. Francis of Assisi
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Listed on the pastorate 'Confession Times' page (contact the parish office at 563-870-4041 for the current schedule)
Parish Identity & Location
St. Francis of Assisi is the Catholic parish for the small unincorporated community of Balltown, Iowa, located in the rolling farmland north of Dubuque along Hwy. 52 and the Sageville road. The parish mailing address is 468 Balltown Rd., Balltown, Iowa 52073, and the parish phone line is (563) 870-4041. The parish belongs to the Archdiocese of Dubuque and shares pastoral leadership across the six-parish St. John Baptist de La Salle Pastorate.
- Address: 468 Balltown Rd., Balltown, IA 52073
- Phone: (563) 870-4041
- Website: http://www.lasallepastorate.com/
- Diocese: Archdiocese of Dubuque
- Rite: Roman (Latin)
Parish History
Catholics in Balltown first organized their community in 1858, when area residents petitioned Bishop Mathias Loras to found a parish. Loras traveled to the area and offered Mass in a log cabin near Balltown. Decades later, in 1891, parishioners — supported by a generous land donation from Andreas Rapp and his wife — built a brick school-and-convent, opened a parish cemetery, and welcomed 45 children into the new school that September. In 1892, on land donated by Peter Cremer, the cornerstone was laid for a dedicated St. Francis Church. Lightning struck the steeple during a storm on August 27, 1976, and the building was destroyed by fire; the current church was rebuilt on the same site, with the old convent demolished to make room for it.
- Roots in an 1858 petition to Bishop Mathias Loras
- School opened September 1891 with 45 children
- Cornerstone of first dedicated church laid in 1892
- Church destroyed by lightning-caused fire on August 27, 1976
- Current church built on the same site in 1976–77
- Served for 100+ years by the Franciscan Sisters of Perpetual Adoration (FSPA) of La Crosse, WI
Clergy & Staff
St. Francis of Assisi is pastored together with the five other parishes of the St. John Baptist de La Salle Pastorate. The current pastor is Rev. Tyler C. Raymond, who was assigned as Pastor of the LaSalle Pastorate and Pastoral Coordinator of La Salle Catholic Schools effective July 12, 2022, after serving as Associate Pastor of the Spires of Faith Cluster. Father Raymond was ordained in 2019. The Archdiocese of Dubuque active-priests directory lists him as pastor of 'St. Francis of Assisi, Balltown | Holy Cross, Holy Cross | Holy Trinity, Luxemburg | St. Joseph, Rickardsville | SS. Peter & Paul, Sherrill.'
- Pastor: Rev. Tyler C. Raymond (since July 12, 2022)
- Predecessor: Father Noah Diehm (Pastor until July 12, 2022; re-assigned to Immaculate Conception, Gilbertville/Raymond)
St. John Baptist de La Salle Pastorate
St. Francis of Assisi is one of six parishes combined into the St. John Baptist de La Salle Pastorate of the Archdiocese of Dubuque. The pastorate is named for St. John Baptist de La Salle, the great Catholic educator and reformer whose spirituality emphasizes touching the hearts of students. By sharing clergy, Mass and confession schedules, and formation programming, the parish helps sustain rural Catholic life across the Dubuque County countryside.
- Member parishes: St. Francis of Assisi, Balltown; Holy Cross, Holy Cross; St. John Baptist, Holy Cross; Holy Trinity, Luxemburg; St. Joseph, Rickardsville; SS. Peter & Paul, Sherrill
- Pastorate website: www.lasallepastorate.com
- Named for St. John Baptist de La Salle, patron of teachers
La Salle Catholic School
La Salle Catholic School, headquartered in nearby Holy Cross, is the regional Catholic school formed by consolidating the parish schools of the La Salle Pastorate, including the historic Balltown school that opened in 1891 and was taught for more than a century by the Franciscan Sisters of Perpetual Adoration. The pastor of the St. John Baptist de La Salle Pastorate also serves as the school's Pastoral Coordinator. The school 'continues in that spirit and tradition by lifting up the dignity of each child… providing an excellent education in partnership with our families and communities, both in academics and in Faith.'
- Pastoral Coordinator: Fr. Tyler Raymond
- Principal: Beth Hilliard
- Secretary & Bookkeeper: Rebecca Simpson
- Serves all six parishes of the La Salle Pastorate
- Website: www.lasallecatholicschool.org
Liturgical Ministries
Parishioners are invited to take on liturgical roles across the pastorate. Sign-up is centralized through the 'Sign Up for Roles' page on the pastorate website and is coordinated by Krystal Smith. Roles include sacristans, lectors, and Eucharistic ministers, with training and rotation managed pastorate-wide.
- Sacristans
- Lectors
- Eucharistic Ministers
- Sign-ups via the pastorate website
Parish Cemetery
The parish cemetery was established in 1891 on land donated by Andreas Rapp and his wife. It remains a tangible link to the founding generation of the Balltown Catholic community and is still cared for as part of the parish's historic property.
- Established 1891 on land donated by the Rapp family
- Located on parish grounds at Balltown
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Father Noah Diehmthrough July 2022
Pastor of the LaSalle Pastorate before being re-assigned as Pastor of Immaculate Conception Parish, Gilbertville and Raymond, effective July 12, 2022.
- Rev. Tyler C. Raymondfrom July 12, 2022
Previously Associate Pastor of the Spires of Faith Cluster; began as Pastor of the LaSalle Pastorate and Pastoral Coordinator of La Salle Catholic Schools on July 12, 2022; ordained 2019 (University of St. Mary of the Lake).