About St. Francis of Assisi · Rockwell City, Iowa
St. Francis of Assisi Catholic Church is a small Roman Catholic parish located at 744 Main Street in Rockwell City, Iowa, the seat of Calhoun County. It is one of three parishes that make up the Sts. Thomas Francis Mary Catholic Churches cluster (also known as the Calhoun County Catholic cluster), together with St. Thomas Church in Manson and St. Mary Church in Lake City, all within the Diocese of Sioux City. The parish was formally incorporated under Iowa law on February 16, 1912, and serves the surrounding northwest Iowa agricultural community with weekend Mass, weekday Mass, Reconciliation, faith formation, and community outreach including the well-known parish Turkey Dinner. The current pastor is referred to on parish materials as 'Fr. Lynn,' with the cluster sharing one priest across all three worship sites.
- Established
- 1912
- Patron
- St. Francis of Assisi
- Rector
- Fr. Lynn (pastor of the Sts. Thomas Francis Mary cluster)
- Diocese
- Diocese of Sioux City
Why belong here
St. Francis of Assisi offers a tight-knit, family-style Catholic community in rural northwest Iowa where parishioners genuinely know one another by name. The parish maintains a steady sacramental life — Saturday Mass, weekday Masses, and Reconciliation — and is supported by active faith formation for children, an annual parish Turkey Dinner and Ladies' Bazaar that draw the wider Rockwell City community, and the everyday ministries of a small country parish. As part of the Sts. Thomas Francis Mary cluster with St. Thomas in Manson and St. Mary in Lake City, parishioners also benefit from shared clergy and combined faith-formation programming across the three Calhoun County towns.
Mass times at St. Francis of Assisi
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Saturday 5:00 PM – 5:20 PM (before the vigil Mass)
- 30 minutes before weekend Masses, or by appointment
Parish Identity and Patron
The parish takes its name from St. Francis of Assisi (1181/82–1226), the Italian friar and founder of the Franciscan Order, whose feast day is October 4. The parish bears his name because of the deep Italian-Catholic and German-Catholic immigrant roots of the early farming families who settled this part of northwest Iowa. The parish corporation was formally established under Iowa law on February 16, 1912, and continues to operate from its historic address at 744 Main Street in Rockwell City, the seat of Calhoun County.
- Patron: St. Francis of Assisi
- Feast Day: October 4
- Incorporated: February 16, 1912 (Iowa entity #80832)
- Diocese: Sioux City
- Address: 744 Main Street, Rockwell City, IA 50579
History of the Parish
St. Francis of Assisi has served the Catholic families of Rockwell City and surrounding Calhoun County farmland for over a century. Iowa Senate records document that Monsignor Leonard M. Ziegmann was pastor in the mid-1990s. By the mid-2010s, Rev. Richard Ries had taken over as pastor, with Deacon Robert Lenz assisting, Rev. Clair Boes in retired residence, Lisa Wozniak as Director of Religious Education, and Mary Jo Waller and Shannon Manely as parish secretaries. Today the parish is part of the Sts. Thomas Francis Mary cluster along with St. Thomas (Manson) and St. Mary (Lake City).
- 1912: Parish formally incorporated under Iowa law
- Pre-1995: Parish operating under earlier pastors
- April 27, 1995: Pastor Msgr. Leonard M. Ziegmann offered prayer at the Iowa Senate
- Mid-2010s: Rev. Richard Ries serves as pastor, with Deacon Robert Lenz
- Today: Clustered with St. Thomas (Manson) and St. Mary (Lake City) under 'Fr. Lynn'
Mass and Worship Schedule
St. Francis of Assisi offers a focused weekly schedule designed for a small rural parish. Weekend worship centers on the Saturday Vigil Mass at 5:30 PM, with a Wednesday morning weekday Mass at 7:30 AM. Reconciliation is offered for about twenty minutes before the Saturday vigil Mass and otherwise by appointment. Visitors and parishioners traveling between the three cluster parishes should note that Mass times vary across the cluster: Saturday 5:30 PM in Rockwell City, Saturday 6:30 PM in Lake City, Sunday 8:30 AM in Manson, and Sunday 10:30 AM in Lake City.
- Saturday Vigil Mass: 5:30 PM (Rockwell City)
- Wednesday Mass: 7:30 AM (Rockwell City)
- Confession: Saturday 5:00–5:20 PM, or by appointment
- Cluster Saturday: 6:30 PM at St. Mary, Lake City
- Cluster Sunday: 8:30 AM at St. Thomas, Manson; 10:30 AM at St. Mary, Lake City
Cluster Parishes (Calhoun County Catholic Community)
St. Francis of Assisi is one of three parishes in the Sts. Thomas Francis Mary Catholic Churches cluster, which shares a single pastor across the three worship sites. The other parishes are St. Thomas Church at 1076 8th Street in Manson and St. Mary Church at 205 N. Lloyd Street in Lake City. Together they serve Catholics across Calhoun County with combined faith formation, shared sacramental life, and joint events such as the annual mission preached by visiting priests.
- St. Francis of Assisi — 744 Main Street, Rockwell City
- St. Thomas — 1076 8th Street, Manson
- St. Mary — 205 N. Lloyd Street, Lake City
- Single pastor serves all three sites
- Cluster contact: (712) 464-3395
Faith Formation and Religious Education
Religious education has long been a backbone of parish life at St. Francis of Assisi. Lisa Wozniak has served as Director of Religious Education, coordinating classroom faith formation for the children of the parish. The cluster's Family Faith Formation program gathers families at St. Thomas in Manson for Mass at 5:30 PM, a shared dinner at 6:00 PM, and class from 6:30–7:30 PM on the first Wednesday of each month. Grades 7–8 follow a two-year Confirmation program with weekly meetings.
- Director of Religious Education: Lisa Wozniak
- Family Faith Formation: Mass + dinner + class on 1st Wednesday monthly (Manson)
- Grades 7–8: Two-year Confirmation preparation, weekly meetings
- Substitute teacher recruitment for both Lake City and Manson programs
- Online registration for Religious Education classes
Liturgical Ministries
Parishioners of St. Francis of Assisi serve at Mass in the traditional liturgical roles: Eucharistic Ministers, Lectors, Ushers, and Altar Servers. Each role is scheduled in advance and published in the weekly bulletin, with named ministers listed for each Mass. The parish also runs Altar Server Training for 5th graders, ensuring a steady pipeline of young servers ready to assist at the altar.
- Eucharistic Ministers (scheduled by Mass)
- Lectors (scheduled by Mass)
- Ushers (monthly assignment)
- Altar Servers (5th-grade training program)
Parish Turkey Dinner and Ladies' Bazaar
One of the most distinctive traditions of St. Francis of Assisi is its annual Turkey Dinner, traditionally held on the fourth Sunday of October from 11:00 AM to 4:00 PM. The dinner draws the wider Rockwell City community and features a full sit-down meal as well as a carry-out option run out of the rectory garage. A Ladies' Bazaar of handcrafted specialty items runs alongside the meal. Volunteers are essential: setup typically begins the Wednesday before the dinner at 7:00 PM, and the parish welcomes extra hands from across the community.
- Annual Turkey Dinner (4th Sunday in October, 11:00 AM–4:00 PM)
- Carry-out available from the rectory garage
- Ladies' Bazaar of handmade specialty items
- Volunteer setup the Wednesday before the dinner
- Open to all communities in the area
Outreach and Community Life
St. Francis of Assisi is woven into the broader Rockwell City and Calhoun County community. Parish bulletins publicize local events such as Scout Troop 94 breakfasts at the Rockwell City Community Library and Goodwill Trailer drop-offs in the area. The parish also helps publicize community health initiatives — including Medicare Part D check-up events at the Calhoun County Public Health department — and supports the 'Healing Journey,' a five-week bereavement support group held at Stewart Memorial Community Hospital in Lake City.
- Cooperative with Rockwell City Troop 94 (Scout breakfasts)
- Promotes Goodwill donation drives in the area
- Shares information on Calhoun County Public Health events
- Supports 'Healing Journey' bereavement group at Stewart Memorial Community Hospital
Contact and Visiting
Parishioners and visitors can reach St. Francis of Assisi by phone at (712) 464-3395, by email at [email protected], or via the cluster website at calhouncatholic.org. The cluster office line, used for bulletins and administrative matters, is (712) 469-3743. The parish sits in downtown Rockwell City at 744 Main Street, with parking on-site and at the rectory garage used for the Turkey Dinner carry-out.
- Parish phone: (712) 464-3395
- Email: [email protected]
- Cluster website: http://www.calhouncatholic.org/
- Cluster office: (712) 469-3743
- Address: 744 Main Street, Rockwell City, IA 50579
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Monsignor Leonard M. Ziegmannat least through 1995
Served as pastor and opened the Iowa State Senate in prayer on April 27, 1995.
- Rev. Richard Ries
Listed as pastor in parish bulletins; served alongside Deacon Robert Lenz and retired priest Rev. Clair Boes.
- Fr. Lynnpresent
Current pastor of the Sts. Thomas Francis Mary cluster, rotating among Rockwell City, Manson, and Lake City.